The best movie adaptation ever. Requiem for a dream. Discuss..

[james-88]

The best movie adaptation of a book ever has got to be darren aronofsky's film for hubert selby jr.'s requiem for a dream. The movie is actually far far better than the book. In the movie they move the plot along in a much better and more interesting fashion. The only thing that might be better in the book is Sara Goldfarb's character, but ellen burstyn does a phenomenal job, which she should have gotten an oscar nomination for. Even in the movie they take some things out and put new ones in that still make it better than the book though, on sara's part. The relationships between the characters is also alot better written and played out in the movie. I saw the movie and read aronofsky's foreward for the book which completely convinced me to read the book. I went in to reading the book expecting some amazing and completely different piece of literature, based on the fact the movie was so inovational and amazing, but came out very disapointed. The book is however very good, but nothing amazing or inovational, the only thing that actually makes the book stand out as something new is the fact selby doesn't use puncuations or new paragraphs, which is something he does in i think all of his books.
Anyways, thats what i think. What does anyone else think.

 

[member 737]

I think you should be more careful with using the word " the best". There are numerous great book adaptations, of different genres, often uncomparable. How can you say which one of them is the best? The choice here may as well depend on the fact if you prefer science fiction to thillers. De gustibus non disputandum est

 

[blackstar]

Requiem for a dream....is that the one with Jared Leto playing the lead? I haven't watched or read the book unfortunately but I have been planning to watch the film for quite a while now, I take it you recommend it? Would you recommend reading the book first? I always find that's a bad idea because I don't enjoy the film but it seems the other way round this time.

 

[james-88]

Well, it depends on whether you're more of a movie fan or a book fan. I personally am a movie fan moreso. So I always try to watch the movie first then read the book because i like to not know whats going to happen in the movie. But then when i read the book, the book is almost always better than the movie, but i know whats going to happen when i read the book. So it's kind of a lose lose situation no matter what. The only book I have read after I saw the movie and wished I would have read the book first was Last Temptation of Christ. The movie was great, but the book was 100,000 times better. I wish i would have read the book because then i would not have known what was gonna happen in the end. With Requiem, the movie is so, so much better than the book, so I would suggest watching the movie first.

 

[blackstar]

Watched the film last night, it was amazing! I loved all the parallels between the day to day legal addictions in life, like coffee and the same sort of ritual preparation.

I think you're right about the film as a book because I don't think it would've worked as well. Saying that I haven't read the book yet, but I'm not a big fan of drug culture lit but I guess that's just personal preference,

 

[PHILJ76]

i don't know about ever. i think jaws just because the book really sucked yet they somehow made the movie rock.

 

[james-88]

If you liked Requiem for a Dream, you should deffinately watch Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. The movie is fricking awesome, Johnny Depp gives an oscar worth performance. Watch the movie first and then read the book. The book might be better, but still watch the movie first, it's amazing.

 

[blackstar]

I'm a big fan of Johnny Depp I thought he was fantastic in Donnie Brasco.

Haven't watched Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas but I have heard very good things about the book. Guess that'll be the next one to watch/read.

 

[Strife220]

I have a question for you about Requiem for a Dream. What is Sarah Goldfarb taking? Those pills, is that just speed or is it ecstacy or something?

 

[james-88]

i'm pretty sure they were speed.
But another book you have to read and see the movie, is A clockwork Orange, again, if you like movies better than you like books, watch the movie first, and vice versa. And READ Last Temptation Of Christ first. Then watch the movie if you want to. The movie is really good, but the book is the best book i have ever read. It's just an incredible book. I unfortanately watched the movie first. Not knowing anything about the book or i didnt even really know it was based on a book. But the opening scene has a passage out of the book, and when i saw it in the movie i figured out it was based on a book. But those lines in the opening scene were so awesome i knew i had to read the book. So i did and was just amazed throughout the whole book. When the book ended i was just so upset because i just wanted to keep on reading more and more. But the book is a million times better than the movie, and you want to read the book not knowing whats gonna happen first. Normally i'd say that about a movie, but this book is just so awesome. Everyone should read Last Temptation Of Christ.