One of the most annoying things that happens when books are adapted to movies is when the filmmakers take their artistic liberties too far. This then leads the film to be unrecognizable from their original books, which is disappointing to fans.
A rarer breed of movie is when these artistic liberties are pushed to the maximum, and yet, the story manages to stay pretty much the same. Even though the setting, characters, or even genre might be entirely different, you can still find out a lot about the book by watching these adaptations.
'As Above, So Below' (2014)
As Above, So Below is a found footage horror flick based on Dante Alighieri's epic poem Inferno (1317). The original poem is about a man who traverses the Nine Layers of Hell in search of his lover. The movie, however, is about a group of explorers who delve into the catacombs of Paris to search for the mythical Philosopher's Stone.
Though the setting and characters are obviously changed, the broad streaks are almost exactly the same. The Nine Layers of Hell (as well as what they symbolize) are distinct and clearly identifiable throughout the film. It turns out Dante's biblical poem does well in a horror setting... or, at least, it would if everything else about the movie wasn't so mediocre. The movie suffers from all the bad found footage clichés, but it still nails the story, so it could have been worse. It could have been better, though.
'Throne of Blood' (1957)
Throne of Blood is a samurai film made by legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. It's quite possibly Kurosawa's best work, though almost every script he touched was made into something incredible. The movie is based on William Shakespeare's tragic play MacBeth (1623).
MacBeth takes place in 11th-Century Scotland, and concerns the titular MacBeth usurping the throne based on a prophecy told to him by a group of witches. Though the movie changes the witches to a Japanese forest spirit, and the setting is changed from Scotland to Japan, the characters feel familiar and the storyline is almost beat-for-beat identical.
'Bride and Prejudice' (2004)
Bride and Prejudice is directed by renowned filmmaker Gurinder Chadha and offers a more modern take on Jane Austen's 1813 romance novel Pride and Prejudice. The theme concerns arranged marriages in high society, which was commonplace in 19th-Century England.
Despite its cultural impact, many find the novel to be dull, as it plays out like a soap opera. So, Chadha decided to inject more fun into it and make the film a Bollywood/Hollywood fusion musical that takes place in 21st-Century India. The theme of arranged marriage is still present, and the story is unchanged. The most major differences are of course, the character names and locations, and the fact that one of the protagonist's sisters isn't present. Granted, said sister didn't exactly have a prominent role in the novel anyway, so it's an easy work-around. Regardless, if soap operas aren't your thing, you can always watch this film and still understand the story and main theme of the original work.
'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' (2000)
The Coen Brothers took the reins on this adaptation of Homer's epic poem The Odyssey. The poem was first published in 1488, but it was written as early as the 8th Century BCE. Since the poem was written in Ancient Greece, it's only natural that it would take place in the same setting. There's also a lot of Greek mythology woven into the story.
The movie takes a bizarre approach and switches the setting to the American South during the 1930s. Yet somehow, it works. There's no mythological creatures, but there are a lot of metaphorical representations of them. Apart from that, most of the trials Odysseus encounters in the poem are all represented in the film as well, just in a different way.
'The Prince of Egypt' (1998)
This animated film is based on the biblical book of Exodus, in which the prophet Moses (Val Kilmer) leads the Hebrews out of Egyptian slavery to the Promised Land. Following that plotline to a tee, the film mixes it up a little and becomes a musical adventure reminiscent of classic Disney flicks.
The musical numbers are expertly crafted, and the movie has some pretty emotional moments as well. Even if you aren't religious, it's still a wonderful experience that portrays Exodus in a way that is suitable for children and adults alike.
'Treasure Planet' (2002)
Treasure Planet is a criminally underrated adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic swashbuckling tale, Treasure Island (1883). The story of a young boy named Jim Hawkins (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who is whisked away on a treasure hunt, it's one of the pioneering pirate tales that inspired many in circulation even today.
Disney decided to tell the same story, but make it an animated sci-fi film set in the distant future. While the world of the movie is unrecognizable from that of the book, the story is very much the same, even down to the finer details. It's also a pretty unique movie in general, as there aren't too many flicks about space pirates going around.
'Scrooged' (1988)
One of the many adaptations of Charles Dickens' novella A Christmas Carol (1843), this film changes the book's iconic protagonist, Ebenezer Scrooge, and swaps him for Frank Cross (Bill Murray). Fortunately, Cross possesses the same traits as Scrooge, and goes through the same paranormal experiences.
Set in 1980s America as opposed to 1840s England, the movie is a much funnier and riskier version of the classic story, but also one that is remarkably similar. If you're going to watch any version of A Christmas Carol, this is one that stands out among the endless sea of other incarnations.
'Apocalypse Now' (1979)
Apocalypse Now is a movie directed by Francis Ford Coppola that is considered by many to be one of the best of all time. It is based on the novella Heart of Darkness (1899) by Joseph Conrad. The story of the original novel follows Joseph Marlow as he embarks in search of a man named Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who has disappeared into the African wilderness. After traversing down a river in a steamboat, Kurtz is revealed to have gained the trust of local tribes, where he is revered as a demigod-like figure. Kurtz's psyche has suffered from the harsh environments, which is why he has gone rogue.
The movie takes place during the Vietnam War, but follows a similar premise. However, instead of traders, it concerns soldiers, in which Kurtz is a military official that has gone AWOL. Not only are the broad strokes of the story explored, but the finest details, too. Even some of the lines of dialogue are ripped straight from the book. Overall, it leaves the same lasting impact as the novel with its powerful critique of colonialism, or in the case of the movie, of war.
'Mulan' (1998)
Disney's Mulan is an animated movie based on a Chinese folk song entitled "The Ballad of Mulan." Though the song was composed sometime around the fourth Century CE, it wasn't released in writing until nearly 200 years later. Just like the movie, the song features a young woman named Mulan (Ming-na Wen) who went to war disguised as a man due to the army of Ancient China forbidding women to fight.
Though the song is based on war, Disney made the unconventional choice to make the movie into a light-hearted musical. And truth be told, it works. The song doesn't have many minor details woven into it. But the bigger details that are present are matched by the film, which manages to turn an early heroic tale into something fun.
'Oliver & Company' (1988)
Oliver & Company is a lesser-known Disney animated musical. Not everyone is aware of this, but the movie is actually based on Oliver Twist (1837) by Charles Dickens. The story is of an orphan boy who is adopted by a gang of thieves. Unbeknownst to him, the thieves are friends with his biological sister.
However, the Disney movie decided to make all the characters animals instead of humans, since a musical with humans had been done already in the 60s. Regardless, the film still manages to maintain the major plot points of the original novel.