NationStates Jolt Archive

So we've had threads about our favorite books, movies, and books turned movies...this is kind of a variation on that last one.

What is your favorite non-direct film version of a book? That is to say I'm not looking for the film version of Fight Club or Watchmen or V for Vendetta. I'm looking for the movies that retell the basic story of their source text without attempting to tell the same story.

For me, I love O Brother, Where Art Thou as a retelling of The Odyssey, Throne of Blood as a retelling of Macbeth, and The Lion King as a retelling of Hamlet.

I liked "10 things I hate about you" as a re-telling of "The taming of the shrew" I thought it was rather appropriate.

"Clueless" is actually a pretty clever retelling of Emma, in its own unique way. :)

So we've had threads about our favorite books, movies, and books turned movies...this is kind of a variation on that last one.

What is your favorite non-direct film version of a book? That is to say I'm not looking for the film version of Fight Club or Watchmen or V for Vendetta. I'm looking for the movies that retell the basic story of their source text without attempting to tell the same story.

For me, I love O Brother, Where Art Thou as a retelling of The Odyssey, Throne of Blood as a retelling of Macbeth, and The Lion King as a retelling of Hamlet.

10 things I hate about you

R.I.P. Heath. We hardly knew ye.

Oh, also, it was a film "Forbidden Planet" which was a re-telling of "The Tempest" but I haven't seen it. I was in a musical in high school based on the movie called "Return to the Forbidden Planet" and I loved it.

For me, I love O Brother, Where Art Thou as a retelling of The Odyssey, Throne of Blood as a retelling of Macbeth...
Check and check.

On the Coens/Kurosawa theme, I'd plump for Miller's Crossing as a retelling of Dashiell Hammett's Red Harvest, and Ran for a retelling of King Lear.

Obligatory Apocalypse Now! mention.

I liked "10 things I hate about you" as a re-telling of "The taming of the shrew" I thought it was rather appropriate.

10 things I hate about you

R.I.P. Heath. We hardly knew ye.
Back in high school, my then-girlfriend would make me watch that every other week during our study when we could use the senior lounge. (The trade off was that I got to watch The Rock or Jurassic Park every other week...cut me some slack. We had all of 6 movies in there). She and I got into an argument one day because she didn't believe it was based on Taming of the Shrew, untill I pointed out the direct quotes. I couldn't stand the movie for the next few years because of this.

Now I kinda like it :)

By the way, I should mention that I'll likely be using these movies for lesson plans just as soon as I get myself a job.

Scarface is eh pure Greek 3-act tragedy.

Back in high school, my then-girlfriend would make me watch that every other week during our study when we could use the senior lounge. (The trade off was that I got to watch The Rock or Jurassic Park every other week...cut me some slack. We had all of 6 movies in there). She and I got into an argument one day because she didn't believe it was based on Taming of the Shrew, untill I pointed out the direct quotes. I couldn't stand the movie for the next few years because of this.

Now I kinda like it :)

I didn't see it when it first came out, just not knowing anything about it because I thought it was another one of those "teen movies"......but one after another people kept asking me "did you see that?" and I kept saying "no" and then they ALL followed it up with "because there's a girl in it who reminds me of you" and so I watched it, curious. I think I figured out which girl and I can't say I'm not offended.

I think the book "A Tale of Two Cities makes a few appearances. One I can think of is "History of the World, part 1". Maybe not what you are looking for however playing Mel Brooks in a classroom setting may be funny.

I didn't see it when it first came out, just not knowing anything about it because I thought it was another one of those "teen movies"......but one after another people kept asking me "did you see that?" and I kept saying "no" and then they ALL followed it up with "because there's a girl in it who reminds me of you" and so I watched it, curious. I think I figured out which girl and I can't say I'm not offended.

I avoided it for the same reason, and hated watching it ever other week despite its deeper roots. My ex didn't like me saying "that's totally you". And yes, I only said it because I knew it would piss her off. Revenge for making me watch it...haha

I'm gonna steal the example of Lion King = Hamlet, cause lion King is awesome and I can't think of anything else right now.

Apocalypse Now, surely.

So we've had threads about our favorite books, movies, and books turned movies...this is kind of a variation on that last one.

What is your favorite non-direct film version of a book? That is to say I'm not looking for the film version of Fight Club or Watchmen or V for Vendetta. I'm looking for the movies that retell the basic story of their source text without attempting to tell the same story.

For me, I love O Brother, Where Art Thou as a retelling of The Odyssey, Throne of Blood as a retelling of Macbeth, and The Lion King as a retelling of Hamlet.

could you please explain how the lion king retold hamlet? having read the play and watched the lion king, i dont see how they are connected.

Apocalypse Now, surely.

Seconds, or possibly, thirds.

could you please explain how the lion king retold hamlet? having read the play and watched the lion king, i dont see how they are connected.

King rules kingdom, providing peace and prosperity. The king is killed by his brother. In the wake of this loss, the naive prince shirks his responsibility to his kingdom, despite understanding what his responsibilities are. He runs off to be with two somewhat random friends. The uncle drives the kingdom into decline through gluttony and being generally power mad. The king returns in a ghostly apparition to remind the prince of his duties, encouraging revenge upon the uncle. The prince takes his rightful place upon the throne after defeating the uncle, and peace and prosperity return.


Now...which story did I just describe? Hamlet or The Lion King?

King rules kingdom, providing peace and prosperity. The king is killed by his brother. In the wake of this loss, the naive prince shirks his responsibility to his kingdom, despite understanding what his responsibilities are. He runs off to be with two somewhat random friends. The uncle drives the kingdom into decline through gluttony and being generally power mad. The king returns in a ghostly apparition to remind the prince of his duties, encouraging revenge upon the uncle. The prince takes his rightful place upon the throne after defeating the uncle, and peace and prosperity return.


Now...which story did I just describe? Hamlet or The Lion King?

To be fair, I can understand someone not spotting that link, since some of the most important tropes from Hamlet were Disneyfied out of The Lion King. Apparently they felt that Oedipal relationships, suicide, insanity and the like were unsuitable for younger viewers.

Incidentally, did anyone see a film called 'O'? It was a retelling of Othello, set in a US university. He was the only black pupil and was also the star of the basketball team; she was the principal's daughter. I quite liked it, but the friend who I saw it with thought it was crap.

Incidentally, did anyone see a film called 'O'? It was a retelling of Othello, set in a US university. He was the only black pupil and was also the star of the basketball team; she was the principal's daughter. I quite liked it, but the friend who I saw it with thought it was crap.

I thought it was crap too. The main points of the original were there, but I'm not sure that the storyline of the movie was believable TBH.

I thought it was crap too. The main points of the original were there, but I'm not sure that the storyline of the movie was believable TBH.

Yeah, but... I reckon that's fairly inevitable with these 'modern dress' adaptations. The plot isn't going to carry over perfectly without stretching the audience's credibility at one or two points.
Come to think of it, lots of Shakespeare's plays were themselves modernised versions of older folk tales and legends, Hamlet being no exception.

Oh, also, it was a film "Forbidden Planet" which was a re-telling of "The Tempest" but I haven't seen it. I was in a musical in high school based on the movie called "Return to the Forbidden Planet" and I loved it.

It is a fantastic film

Treasure of the Sierra Madre, it is a shame more Hollywood films aren't re-tellings of Chaucer.

I also like A Canterbury Tale by Powell and Pressburger, though I did prefer the alternative title The Glueman Cometh (presumably to get US audiences to watch it thinking it was a horror film); which is also kind of based on Chaucer.

King rules kingdom, providing peace and prosperity. The king is killed by his brother. In the wake of this loss, the naive prince shirks his responsibility to his kingdom, despite understanding what his responsibilities are. He runs off to be with two somewhat random friends. The uncle drives the kingdom into decline through gluttony and being generally power mad. The king returns in a ghostly apparition to remind the prince of his duties, encouraging revenge upon the uncle. The prince takes his rightful place upon the throne after defeating the uncle, and peace and prosperity return.


Now...which story did I just describe? Hamlet or The Lion King?

The Lion King. Everybody dies at the end of Hamlet. ;)

If you're trying to make things more interesting then I guess I shouldn't mention L'Argent

On the Coens/Kurosawa theme, I'd plump for Miller's Crossing as a retelling of Dashiell Hammett's Red Harvest, and Ran for a retelling of King Lear.

Don't forget Throne of Blood/Kumonosu-jō.

Also in the Shakspearian vein, West Side Story and even Disney's High School Musical do interesting takes on R&J.

(:::Runs far away from the excoriation that will result from that last mention...:::)

There're several interesting takes on good old Bill...

Obligatory Apocalypse Now! mention.

Fourth's that one. ;)

Scarface is eh pure Greek 3-act tragedy.

There's that there indeed, as well as a bit of the Scottish Play...

Oh, and while it's not film, I really enjoyed Steven Brust's Khaavren Romances, which are homages to Dumas...

King rules kingdom, providing peace and prosperity. The king is killed by his brother. In the wake of this loss, the naive prince shirks his responsibility to his kingdom, despite understanding what his responsibilities are. He runs off to be with two somewhat random friends. The uncle drives the kingdom into decline through gluttony and being generally power mad. The king returns in a ghostly apparition to remind the prince of his duties, encouraging revenge upon the uncle. The prince takes his rightful place upon the throne after defeating the uncle, and peace and prosperity return.


Now...which story did I just describe? Hamlet or The Lion King?
Obviously, you just described The Lion King. The Lion King was influenced by Hamlet, but the story was written independently and the two are as much separate works as any two stories within the Western tradition can be.

Does "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" count?

Well, the 'prince takes his rightful place upon the throne' could refer to Prince Fortinbras, who, with the Danish royals all killed off could be said to have a rightful place as the next king. But then that's sorta cheating because it's not the same 'the prince' earlier referenced.

Apocalypse Now as a retelling of Heart of Darkness, by far.

Ren and Stimpy as a retelling of Abbott and Costello

Flintstones as a retelling of The Honeymooners.

Obviously, you just described The Lion King. The Lion King was influenced by Hamlet, but the story was written independently and the two are as much separate works as any two stories within the Western tradition can be.

Actually, no. The concept of The Lion King was created in the mid 80's, but the story lacked direction. The directors decided to apply a Shakespearian model (specifically, Hamlet) to guide the story. It is a retelling of the story, as the people involved stated in the book DisneyWar.

It is actually much more faithful as a retelling than many others. As I said, this thread isn't looking for direct translations, but retellings. Taking the basic story and changing it to a new story, but retaining strong influences from the source work.

The very fact that it was only the last sentence that definatively told you which work I was describing is clear evidence of this.

Does "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" count?
I'd say yes. As does Wicked as a retelling of The Wizard Of Oz (though, not a film...I'd still give it) and Grendel is a retelling of Beowulf.

Yeah, but... I reckon that's fairly inevitable with these 'modern dress' adaptations. The plot isn't going to carry over perfectly without stretching the audience's credibility at one or two points.
Come to think of it, lots of Shakespeare's plays were themselves modernised versions of older folk tales and legends, Hamlet being no exception.

Actually, almost all of his stories were retellings. Off the top of my head, the only original story I can think of is The Tempest, but I think there are three or four others.

the Matrix Trilogy being a retelling of the Life of Jesus.

Strange Brew is my favourite retelling of Hamlet.

Actually, no. The concept of The Lion King was created in the mid 80's, but the story lacked direction. The directors decided to apply a Shakespearian model (specifically, Hamlet) to guide the story. It is a retelling of the story, as the people involved stated in the book DisneyWar.

It is actually much more faithful as a retelling than many others. As I said, this thread isn't looking for direct translations, but retellings. Taking the basic story and changing it to a new story, but retaining strong influences from the source work.

The very fact that it was only the last sentence that definatively told you which work I was describing is clear evidence of this.

I can't speak for him, but when I pointed out that it was clearly The Lion King, I wasn't really disagreeing with you-- The Lion King certainly is a retelling of Hamlet-- just pointing out that you could definitively say which story you were describing.

I can't speak for him, but when I pointed out that it was clearly The Lion King, I wasn't really disagreeing with you-- The Lion King certainly is a retelling of Hamlet-- just pointing out that you could definitively say which story you were describing.
I figured. I just find it amusing that the last line is the one that gave it away. Were it not a retelling, the revealing plot detail would come much sooner.

The Dashiell Hammett stories "Red Harvest" and "The Glass Key" inspired Akira Kurosawa's "Yojimbo" which, in turn, inspired "A Fistfull of Dollars".

Detective story -> Samurai movie -> Spaghetti Western.

A good plot goes a long way.

For the extremely obscure reference, I'll throw out Greed, a silent movie from the 1920's as a retelling of Frank Norris's McTeague

Actually, no. The concept of The Lion King was created in the mid 80's, but the story lacked direction. The directors decided to apply a Shakespearian model (specifically, Hamlet) to guide the story. It is a retelling of the story, as the people involved stated in the book DisneyWar.
If they're they aren't the writers, than whatever claims they make about the writers' intent is irrelevant. If they were the writers, than they're bullshitting because writers know precisely nothing about their creations.
It is actually much more faithful as a retelling than many others. As I said, this thread isn't looking for direct translations, but retellings. Taking the basic story and changing it to a new story, but retaining strong influences from the source work.

The very fact that it was only the last sentence that definatively told you which work I was describing is clear evidence of this.
The last sentence runs contrary to the whole essence of Hamlet. Hamlet is a tragedy about an indecisive prince who destroys everything around him with his revenge obsession. The Lion King is a comedy about how revenge turns out pretty awesome for everybody because once you kill your uncle, you can be king and do a much better job than that jerk sitting on the throne now.

If they're they aren't the writers, than whatever claims they make about the writers' intent is irrelevant. If they were the writers, than they're bullshitting because writers know precisely nothing about their creations.

Spoken like a true New Critic.

The last sentence runs contrary to the whole essence of Hamlet. Hamlet is a tragedy about an indecisive prince who destroys everything around him with his revenge obsession. The Lion King is a comedy about how revenge turns out pretty awesome for everybody because once you kill your uncle, you can be king and do a much better job than that jerk sitting on the throne now.

Ah, but revenge does turn out great for Fortinbras. Hamlet whines and acts randomly and impulsively. Laertes talks about what he's going to do, and makes a rough plan. Fortinbras just goes and does it without whining or threatening everybody.

I think that both SWAP and Left 4 Head are excellent retellings of the Jungle and Doom: Repercussions of Evil respectively.

What you should do if you haven't seen the former:
-Google SWAP.avi
-Download and make popcorn
-Now show friends and workmates

For the extremely obscure reference, I'll throw out Greed, a silent movie from the 1920's as a retelling of Frank Norris's McTeague

Oh, you sweet-talker! The whole ten hours, or the just the last two?

I keep wanting to mention something about the Inferno, itself already of course a "retelling", but I'm about five minutes from ambien coma, so... someone make that connection for me and tell me when I wake up.

Actually, almost all of his stories were retellings. Off the top of my head, the only original story I can think of is The Tempest, but I think there are three or four others.

Macbeth!
Hot potato, off his drawers, Puck will make amends!

(Somebody please get that reference, or I will sulk.)
Okay, so Macbeth was a real person. But I wouldn't say the play was a retelling of history - it's nothing like what happened.

Not sure, but:

Clue as a retelling of Clue the game.

<snip> O Brother, Where Art Thou as a retelling of The Odyssey <snip>
^this

Oh, also, it was a film "Forbidden Planet" which was a re-telling of "The Tempest" but I haven't seen it. <snip>

I have seen it. It's rather good for such an old sci-fi movie.

Probably already mentioned by others, but The Magnificent Seven (the first one, not the remake) is a good retelling of Seven Samurai.

Hmm... I've heard "2001 a Space Odyssey" compared to the fable of King Arthur.

Macbeth!
Hot potato, off his drawers, Puck will make amends!

(Somebody please get that reference, or I will sulk.)
Okay, so Macbeth was a real person. But I wouldn't say the play was a retelling of history - it's nothing like what happened.

Blackadder.

Also whoever said Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead is absolutely right.

Macbeth!
Hot potato, off his drawers, Puck will make amends!

(Somebody please get that reference, or I will sulk.)


AHA!!!
I got the reference purely out of the rhythm of the text - I've never actually heard what the hell it is the two pompous actors are yelling at each other every time someone (more often than not Blackadder) mentions Macbeth.

Now I know.
Thanks! :hail:

Ran and Yojimbo.

If they're they aren't the writers, than whatever claims they make about the writers' intent is irrelevant. If they were the writers, than they're bullshitting because writers know precisely nothing about their creations.Writers, directors, and producers.

And to claim that writers know nothing about their work is rediculous. I will agree that their works are more intelligent than they, but to claim they know nothing is the equivalent of having monkeys sitting at computers typing randomly and calling the text produced a masterpiece.

Writers shape their creation. These writers took the mold of Hamlet and twisted the ending, much as they did for The Little Mermaid. And Cinderella. And Sleeping Beauty. And Snow White. And just about every other story Disney has ever told. And much as what authors who undertake retellings have consistantly done (Getting Mothers Body and As I Lay Dying, Paradise Lost and the story of Adam and Eve, Fight Club in its text and film forms, etc.)

The last sentence runs contrary to the whole essence of Hamlet. Hamlet is a tragedy about an indecisive prince who destroys everything around him with his revenge obsession. The Lion King is a comedy about how revenge turns out pretty awesome for everybody because once you kill your uncle, you can be king and do a much better job than that jerk sitting on the throne now.

The ending does not the story make. This thread is not about accurate, direct film adaptations of stories, but retellings. If the ending changes the interpretation of the preceding text, that is all well and good. Unless you contend that Grendel is not a retelling of Beowulf, I don't see why that would be an issue.
Oh, you sweet-talker! The whole ten hours, or the just the last two?

I've seen the studio cut, and about 6 hours more of the original. Now I can't seem to dig up a copy to watch the whole thing straight through.

And people complained that Titanic was too long...haha

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead is my very favorite play (as people might have guessed given that my dog is actually named Rosencrantz), but I'm not sure I'd call it a retelling of Hamlet. A "reimagining" or something along those lines might be a better term, because while the other movies listed in this thread change the setting and the names but keep the essential focus of the story intact, R&G keeps the setting and the names and the external details and even all the relevant dialogue and twists the focus into something quite different. It seems odd to throw those two very different uses of an older story into the same category.

(You might, however, almost be able to get away with calling R&G a retelling of Waiting for Godot, though...)