Classic literature is classic because the story is timeless and speaks of-and to-the human experience and condition. Unfortunately, reading the classics isn’t always easy. Classic literature adapted to film can be a good introduction to the classics, and a way to get a leg up on reading a classic novel: knowing the general storyline can help when unfamiliar language and writing style might make reading difficult.
Hollywood loves the classics, so there’s no dearth of opportunities to see a classic novel come to life. Watching a film will give you the basics of what the novel is about, but only when you actually read the book will you get the full impact of what earned the book the “classic” title.
The films listed below are only a very small representation of the classic novels that have been adapted for the movie screen, but they’re some of the best stories out there.
“Man in the Iron Mask,” 1998, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Gabriel Byrne, and Gerard Depardieu.
This classic novel, written by Alexandre Dumas, tells the continuing story of Porthos, Athos, Aramis, more popularly known as The Three Musketeers, and D’Artagnan. If you’d prefer a more classic movie version of a classic novel, there is also a 1939 version.
“Vanity Fair,” 2004, starring Reese Witherspoon.
Based on the novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, the heroine of Vanity Fair is Becky Sharp, who desires to rise above her poor beginnings in 19th Century London. Other, older adaptations of this novel have also been made and are available.
“A Simple Twist of Fate,” 1994, starring Steve Martin.
This is a wonderfully updated adaptation of the novel “Silas Marner,” by George Eliot. Martin plays a betrayed and bitter man who finds a reason for living in an unlikely way. Several older versions of Silas Marner have also been made.
“Romeo and Juliet,” 1996, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes; 1968, starring Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey.
The classic tragic story of forbidden young love and family feuds has been made into films numerous times throughout the years.
Other Shakespeare plays featured on the big screen include “Hamlet,” “The Merchant of Venice,” “As You Like It,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “The Taming of the Shrew,” and “Much Ado About Nothing,” to name just a few.
Shakespeare himself has been the subject of a movie or two, most notable being “Shakespeare in Love,” starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes.
“Pride & Prejudice,” 1940, starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier; 1995, starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle; 2005, starring Keira Knightly.
Probably the most well-known and beloved of Jane Austen’s books, “Pride & Prejudice” is the classic story of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, who overcome pride and prejudice to fall in love.
Jane Austen is another classic author loved by the movies. In fact, at least one movie version has been made of every Austen novel: “Emma,” “Sense & Sensibility,” “Mansfield Park,” “Northanger Abbey,” and “Persuasion.”
Austen, too, has been the subject of film, in “Becoming Jane,” starring Anne Hathaway.
“Wuthering Heights,” 1992, starring Juliet Binoche and Ralph Fiennes; 1939, starring Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier.
The story of the tortured love of Heathcliff for Cathy, adapted from the Emily Bronte classic.
“Jane Eyre,: 1943, starring Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine; 1996, starring William Hurt.
Charlotte Bronte’s orphan Jane falls in love with her new employer Mr. Rochester, who is already married.
“The Adventures of Huck Finn,” 1960, “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” starring Tony Randall; 1993, starring Elijah Wood and Courtney B. Vance.
Float down the river with Mark Twain’s Huck and Jim.
“To Kill a Mockingbird,” 1962, starring Gregory Peck.
White lawyer Atticus Finch defends a black man against rape charge in 1930s Alabama in this adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer-Prize winning novel.
Maybe the bet thing about these films is that they’re so engaging you don’t realize you’re being served a slice of classic literature. If you’ve watched any of these movies, and are contemplating reading the novel on which it is based, but feel a little nervous or intimidated, read this article, which outlines an easy plan for reading the classics.
Sources:
IMDB
The Man in the Iron Mask
Vanity Fair
A Simple Twist of Fate
Romeo & Juliet 1968
Romeo & Juliet 1996
Wuthering Heights 1939
Wuthering Heights 1992
Jane Eyre 1943
Jane Eyre 1996
Adventures of Huck Finn
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
To Kill a Mockingbird
Personal knowledge