Today, it is not necessary to pick up books to get acquainted with great works. You can download an audiobook, but it's better to watch films based on the books of world classics. The list of the best includes not only filmed films, but also their modern adaptations. The director's interpretation also has a right to life and will be of interest to a wide range of viewers.
Romeo and Juliet (Romeo + Juliet) 1996
- Genre: Drama, Romance
- Based on the play by William Shakespeare "Romeo and Juliet"
- Country: USA, Mexico
- A modern adaptation of the sad story of a couple in love who were not destined to be together due to long-standing family feuds.
Unlike the Shakespearean era, the action of the film takes place today. Instead of noble clans, the viewer sees warring mafiosi who divided the city into spheres of influence. And just as in the original, the focus is on the familiar love story of a boy and a girl, whose relatives have hostile attitudes towards each other. Therefore, the director's idea of changing the time of action is understandable and logical - time is running out, love is eternal.
The Master and Margarita (2005)
- Genre: Thriller, Drama
- The film is based on the work of Mikhail Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita"
- Country Russia
- A satirical story about human vices and sinfulness that persecute a person throughout his life.
A foreign professor Woland comes to pre-war Moscow, who is interested in seeing the inhabitants of the capital. Among stupid, greedy, greedy and evil people, he finds two pure souls - the writer Master, who has just finished his novel about Pontius Pilate, and his beloved Margarita. The director draws parallels, comparing that era with the present, showing that people have remained the same, with all the vices and shortcomings.
Troy (2004)
- Genre: Action, History
- The film is based on Homer's poem "Iliad"
- Country: USA, Malta
- The picture tells of a destructive war in the name of love, where entire cities are crumbling under the onslaught of warring armies.
The collective plot covers a significant time interval, known to contemporaries from the works of Homer "Iliad", "Odyssey", and also mentioned in the poems "Metamorphoses" by Ovid and "Aeneid" by Virgil. In 1193 BC, the ruler of Troy, Paris, kidnaps the wife of the king of Sparta, Helen. The king and his brother Agamemnon equip an entire army that surrounds Troy, demanding to give Elena. The bloody siege lasted 10 years, thousands of soldiers accepted death for honor and glory.
Jana Eyrová 1972
- Genre: melodrama
- The plot is based on the novel by Charlotte Brontë "Jane Eyre"
- Country: Czechoslovakia
- One of the most famous romantic stories in European literature about a poor governess and a wealthy landlord.
The film is set during the Victorian era in England. The orphan Jane Eyre, after many years in a girls' boarding house, gets a job as a governess on the estate of Edward Rochester. The owner himself does not live in it, but hired the governess to educate the minor pupil Adele. A few years later, Rochester returns to the estate, and the fate of the heroes changes abruptly.
Hero of Our Time (1967)
- Genre: Drama
- Based on the novel of the same name by Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov
- Country: USSR
- In the story, Pechorin falls in love with Bela, the daughter of a local prince. Having promised her brother Azamat help in kidnapping the horse, he encourages him to kidnap his sister.
The adaptation included only 3 chapters of the novel: "Bela", "Maxim Maksimych" and "Taman". Of these, the director managed to make a Soviet militant, where Pechorin, a Russian officer who served in the Caucasus, faces shootings in the mountains with smugglers and kidnapping of a bride. The prisoner is imprisoned in a fortress, and after long courtship the hero achieves her love. But over time, Pechorin will get bored with love.
Oliver Twist 2005
- Genre: Drama, Crime
- The plot is based on the novel by Charles Dickens "The Adventures of Oliver Twist"
- Country: France, UK
- The storyline forces viewers to accept the fact that goodness and compassion live in every person.
The action of the picture takes the audience to London in the 19th century. After a long wandering, the teenager Oliver Twist, abandoned by his parents, finds himself in a gang of thieves that robbed passers-by and shops. Mr. Brownlow, who caught Oliver during the crime, offers the teenager his help instead of imprisonment. The hero agrees, but his old friends stand on the way to a normal life, ready to kill in order to demonstrate their strength.
The Overcoat (1926)
- Genre: Drama
- The film is based on the literary works of N.V. Gogol "Nevsky Prospect" and "Overcoat"
- Country: USSR
- A classic of Russian literature about a "little man" who is afraid of life itself and does not want to change anything in it.
Not wishing to be held accountable, Akaki Bashmachkin refuses to be promoted, thereby condemning himself to be the eternal copyist of the chancellery. Years later, he is seized by the dream of buying an expensive overcoat with a fur collar. It is in it that he feels like a "big boss", walking along the streets of St. Petersburg. But soon the robbers take off the hero's overcoat, and Akaki Akakievich himself, having a cold, soon dies, not having time to enjoy the new thing.
Doctor Zhivago (2005)
- Genre: Drama
- The plot is based on the novel by Boris Pasternak "Doctor Zhivago"
- Country Russia
- The film encourages viewers to look at life correctly, in which there are no good and bad people. It's just life: real, complex and simple at the same time.
The life story of a talented doctor Yuri Zhivago, who, as a teenager, after the death of his father, was taken to his home by his uncle. Once, under tragic circumstances, he meets Lara Guichard, who organized an attempt on the life of a famous lawyer. But the beginning of the First World War does not give development to their acquaintance. Only years later, this girl will again be there to finally change the life of the protagonist.
Several days in the life of I. I. Oblomov (1979)
- Genre: Drama, Romance
- Based on the novel by I. A. Goncharov "Oblomov"
- Country: USSR
- The storyline reveals the way of life of the landowners of pre-revolutionary Russia, the essence of which is idleness and idleness.
Trying to stir up the main character Ilya Ilyich, the owner of a small estate, his childhood friend Andrei Ivanovich Stolts does everything to make him start living in full understanding of the word. Forced to leave, he entrusts this mission to the Ilyinsky family, who are renting a dacha next to Oblomov. Tender feelings arise between Olga and Ilya. But Oblomov does not have the courage and determination to tell her about it. He only dreams of happiness, doing nothing.
Hamlet 2009
- Genre: Drama
- The plot is based on the play by William Shakespeare "Hamlet"
- Country: UK, Japan
- The modern adaptation of the great work exactly copies all the monologues of the characters in the original language.
The action of the picture takes place today. The main character wears a suit instead of a caftan, the queen flaunts in evening dresses, and pistols and revolvers have replaced melee weapons. But the spirit of the classic is subtly and gracefully recreated by the director. It is the deep meaning that is conveyed flawlessly, and critics call this film an ideal adaptation of Hamlet. This truth is confirmed by high viewership ratings.
Alice (Neco z Alenky) 1987
- Genre: Fantasy, Thriller
- The film is based on the tale of Lewis Carroll "Alice in Wonderland"
- Country: Czechoslovakia, Switzerland
- Director Schwankmeier's free interpretation of the famous fairy tale contains many frightening moments.
The plot is based on the fabulous Land of Wonders, consisting of events and things seen the day before, mixed in the subconscious. The director interpreted childhood fears, dreams and fantasies in his own way, dressing them in the framework of the famous fairy tale. Such a heap of psychedelic images against the background of illogical actions of the inhabitants of Wonderland only strengthens the audience's feeling of the absurdity of the action taking place on the screen.
Much Ado About Nothing (2011)
- Genre: romance, comedy
- The film is based on the eponymous comedy by William Shakespeare
- Country: UK
- The plot tells about the preparations for the wedding ceremony and the heroes' attempt to bring another obstinate couple closer together.
The action of the picture was transferred from medieval Italy to the 70s of the last century. The heroes have changed their armor for modern costumes and are preparing for the upcoming celebration. Friends of the lovers would also like to see Sir Benedick and the girl Beatrice at the altar, who constantly exchange barbs in public. In the pre-wedding bustle, the evil Don Juan hatches plans to upset the wedding of the main characters - Hero and Claudio.
War & Peace 2016
- Genre: Drama, Romance
- The film is based on the novel by Leo Tolstoy "War and Peace"
- Country: UK
- An adapted plot about the life of several key characters who fall in love, fight for their Motherland and philosophize about the fate of Russia.
According to domestic critics, the director only used the great work as an excuse to express his views on Russian society during the Napoleonic wars. It is his value judgment that takes up the lion's share of the screen time, without the slightest attempt, if not to understand, then at least try to convey the philosophy of the Russian soul. There is no thoughtfulness in the picture. Attention is focused on the mundane matters of human existence.
Down House (2001)
- Genre: Comedy
- Based on Dostoevsky's novel "The Idiot"
- Country Russia
- A parody interpretation of the famous novel, the time of which was moved to the nineties of the XX century.
A programmer named Myshkin returns home after treatment in a Swiss psychiatric clinic. The reason for coming to their historical homeland was the inheritance notice. On the way, the hero makes acquaintance with a “new Russian” named Parfen Rogozhin, who tells his fellow traveler about his love suffering. Myshkin's rich imagination leads to the fact that he falls in love in absentia with Nastasya Filippovna.
The hollow crown 2012-2021
- Genre: Drama
- The plot is based on the works of William Shakespeare
- Country: UK
- A lengthy English TV series based on the plays by William Shakespeare.
Each episode focuses on a particular king and his impact on the history of England. The last episode called "Richard III" was remembered by the audience thanks to the participation in the leading role of Benedict Cumberbatch. In the original, Shakespeare portrays the ruler as a villain, ready to kill others in order to gain unlimited power. Who will be dedicated to the new series is still unknown.
Duel (Anton Chekhov's The Duel) 2010
- Genre: Drama
- The plot is based on the works of William Shakespeare
- Country: USA
- The storyline is built around the hostile relationship between the two heroes, who challenged the moral foundations of the society of a small town on the Black Sea coast.
The American film adaptation almost completely corresponds to the original script of Chekhov's story. Under the scorching sultry sun, a feud is brewing between two people of different characters. One of them despises everything, and his opponent is indifferent to everything in life. The presence of each other causes irritation that grows into hatred, leading the heroes to a dangerous line.
Heart of a Dog (Cuore di cane) 1975
- Genre: Comedy
- The plot is based on the eponymous work of Mikhail Bulgakov
- Country: Italy, Germany
- Author's interpretation of the amazing life of the experimental four-legged, who took on a human form.
Having received a human body, the unfortunate animal becomes an intelligent member of socialist society. And he literally begins to "take everything from life", breaking the established stereotypes and moral foundations of society. But along with the opportunities that have opened up, the main character cannot accept responsibility for his immoral actions, since he does not have such experience.
Crime and Punishment (1969)
- Genre: Drama
- Based on the novel of the same name by F.M. Dostoevsky
- Country: USSR
- A philosophical film that tells about repentance for a perfect sin that every person experiences in his life.
In the story, a poor student Rodion Raskolnikov commits a terrible crime by killing an old usurer. The pangs of conscience after the murder torment his soul, the hero is overcome by despair, giving way to ghostly hope. Detective Porfiry Petrovich, who joined the investigation, exposes Raskolnikov, but is in no hurry to bring him to justice. The hero, in search of excuses for his deed, meets true love, which ultimately leads him to repentance.
12 chairs (1971)
- Genre: Comedy, Adventure
- The film is based on the novel by Ilf and Petrov "Twelve Chairs"
- Country: USSR
- The plot is based on the funny adventures of the great schemer Ostap Bender, taking place after the revolution and the short period of war communism that followed.
Ippolit Matveyevich Vorobyaninov learns that his mother-in-law hid diamonds and pearls in one of the chairs of the living room set. Rushing in search of treasures, the hero attracts the attention of the adventurer Ostap Bender, who decides to help the gullible nobleman. The situation is complicated by the fact that Father Fyodor knows about the treasures, dreaming of his own candle factory somewhere in Samara.
Fahrenheit 451 1966
- Genre: Fantasy, Drama
- The plot of the work of Ray Bradbury
- Country: UK
- The film shows the world of the future, where written publications are subject to destruction, and the persons who keep them are prosecuted.
By rejecting books, we become like the described society of the future. Therefore, this film adaptation is included in the best films based on the books of world classics. The dystopian novel is included in the list of the best for vividly demonstrating the consequences of people abandoning their story. In the story, a special detachment of flamethrowers under the command of Sergeant Guy Montag flawlessly fulfills orders, burning all the books found. A chance meeting with the girl Clarissa gives rise to doubts in his soul, and he begins to rethink his life.
