• Home
  • Posts
  • Column: When Two Wonderful Art Forms Intersect on the Screen

Column: When Two Wonderful Art Forms Intersect on the Screen

By Stuart Adelberg

I suggest that movie lovers head to the Avon to see WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING. I found this to be a well-made film with strong acting, quality direction, and, perhaps most notably, exceptional cinematography. The camera work is of particular significance, as this is a film in which the glorious natural sounds and scenery are key to the story.

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING is based on the best-selling mystery by Delia Owens and much of its original draw was for those who read and loved the American author, zoologist, and conservationist’s debut novel. That the writer finds herself embroiled in her own mystery involving a murder that occurred decades ago, just adds to the allure of both the book and now, the film – but you’ll have to investigate that part of the story on your own.

The Avon opened CRAWDADS with a “book to film” discussion, skillfully facilitated by our theatre manager and assistant manager, that drew a nice crowd of readers and movie fans eager to examine the intersection of these two art forms. Participating in this event led me to wonder whether it is wise to read a novel before seeing its treatment on film, or whether the audience might be better served to see the movie first. My opinion – read the book first!

The experience of reading a well-crafted novel is enhanced by the descriptive language provided by the author and the point at which the reader’s imagination takes the author’s words and internalizes them into very real pictures. The connection between the writer and the reader is personal with every reader having a slightly different perception of the people, places and things that happen between the pages of a good book. Reading is a cerebral activity.

Film, on the other hand, is a visual and experiential activity. When in the theatre, we are surrounded by the photography, the sounds, and the action occurring on the screen. While we certainly bring our own insights of what we are seeing and hearing to the experience, and a well-made film provides fertile ground for us to add our own perceptions, we are enveloped by the choices of a filmmaker, perhaps differently than with a piece of literature.

None of the above suggests that either one of these two wonderful art forms stand above the other, just my personal assessment that they are each unique experiences for the participant. And with this in mind, it seems to me that it is preferable to read a novel and allow your imagination to create the unseen part of the story, before experiencing a movie in which a filmmaker provides so much of the visualization for you.

Following on the above, I believe it is unfair to a filmmaker to judge the value of a movie based entirely on how much it follows a book. It may take hundreds of words to paint a full, beautiful picture of one scene in a book, a scene that may pass by in less than a minute on the screen. I am awed by the prowess of a writer who can use words to present that picture in a way that grabs my attention and helps me see it all. But I am equally impressed by a filmmaker who takes the words off the pages, chooses which of them are essential elements of the movie viewer’s experience, and skillfully puts them up on the screen.

You can decide for yourself if you feel that Owen’s novel translates well to the screen, but I believe taken on its own, you will enjoy this film.

Related Posts
Loading...