Shades Of Books vs. Movies

Whenever people see a movie that is based on a book that they have read (Is this the case for half the movies out there?), with rare exception we always hear: "The book was better."

Though I love books -- and can see the general appeal of them over a movie -- we must admit that sometimes seeing a story is simply better than reading it, Fifty Shades of Grey would be a case where the visual of seeing Dakota Johnson splash her sexual prowess across a huge screen exceeds anything one's imagination conjures when reading EL James' mommy porn.

Interestingly, when I read the book, I saw it more through the eyes of Mr. Grey and the power he held over Ms. Steel, but in the movie I saw how she was really in charge of herself. The story shows us how a curious virgin chooses to explore the limits and depth of her sexuality, always remaining in control, always seeking to push beyond her fears or concerns.

Though controversial, it is not The Story of O or even 9 1/2 Weeks. Dakota's character really shines in the movie as someone who tries to understand her lover's needs and motivations while looking to marry them with what she wants, needs or can tolerate.

Anyway, back to movies vs books. Some movies are just better than the books they come from because the visuals outweigh what goes on in our own heads. Watching car chases, war, or wild sex scenes -- if done well -- are better experienced in the theatre then in the theater of the mind.

Movies really should be better then the book every time but they are not. Films have more senses at work -- appealing to your eyes and ears-- whereas books are flat, only having the written word as a weapon. But maybe that is a book's strength, to use words to interpret snd define what isn't clearly seen, forcing the reader to fill the void with their powerful and a personal imagination.

But sometimes the mind wants a rest. It wants to be entertained and moved and taken to where it otherwise may not get to on its own. Movies fill a need, no doubt, but there will always be a need for both the book and movie to help give us a fuller experience of life's unfolding story.

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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2015