Jane Eyre (1944), Cyrano de Bergerac (1950), David Copperfield (1935), Jane Eyre (2011), Little Women (1994), Tess (1979), Ruslan and Ludmilla (1972), Nicholas Nickleby (2002) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best Classic Literature Adaptation movies.
Storyline: Small, plain and poor, Jane Eyre (Joan Fontaine) comes to Thornfield Hall as governess to the young ward of Edward Rochester (Orson Welles). Denied love all of her life, Jane can't help but be attracted to the intelligent, vibrant, energetic Mr. Rochester, a man twice her age. But just when Mr. Rochester seems to be returning the attention, he invites the beautiful and wealthy Blanche Ingraham (Hillary Brooke) and her party to stay at his estate. Meanwhile, the secret of Thornfield Hall could ruin all of their chances for happiness.—A.L.Beneteau <albl@inforamp.net>
Plot Keywords: victorian era, female coming-of-age, moral dilemma, social class, independent woman, dark secret, british literature ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: France, 1640: Cyrano, the charismatic swordsman-poet with the absurd nose, hopelessly loves the beauteous Roxane; she, in turn, confesses to Cyrano her love for the handsome but tongue-tied Christian. The chivalrous Cyrano sets up with Christian an innocent deception, with tragic results. Much cut from the play, but dialogue not rewritten.—Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Plot Keywords: romance, drama, france, swordplay, historical, tragedy, honor ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: When David's father dies, his mother remarries. His new stepfather Murdstone has a mean and cruel view on how to raise a child. When David's mother dies from grief, Murdstone sends David to London to work for a living. When David escapes to his aunt Betsey his life starts to get better.—Mattias Thuresson
Plot Keywords: charles dickens, british film, black and white, drama, coming of age, victorian era, family relationships ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: After a bleak childhood, Jane Eyre goes out into the world to become a governess. As she lives happily in her new position at Thornfield Hall, she meets the dark, cold, and abrupt master of the house, Mr. Rochester. Jane and her employer grow close in friendship and she soon finds herself falling in love with him. Happiness seems to have found Jane at last, but could Mr. Rochester's terrible secret be about to destroy it forever?
Plot Keywords: romance, drama, british literature, victorian era, female coming-of-age, manor, class divide ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Louisa May Alcott's autobiographical account of her life with her three sisters in Concord, Massachusetts in the 1860s. With their father fighting in the American Civil War, sisters Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth are at home with their mother, a very outspoken women for her time. The story tells of how the sisters grow up, find love and find their place in the world.
Plot Keywords: female coming-of-age, family dynamics, sisterhood, social class, female independence, moral dilemmas, historical drama ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Wessex County, England during the Victorian era. Christian values dominate what are social mores. These mores and her interactions with two men play a large part in what happens in the young life of peasant girl, the shy, innocent, proper yet proud Tess Durbeyfield. The first of these men is Alec d'Urberville. After learning from a local historian that they are really descendants of the aristocratic d'Urberville family which has died out due to lack of male heirs, Tess' parents send her to a nearby mansion where they know some d'Urbervilles actually reside. This move is in order for the family to gain some benefit from their heritage. Upon her arrival at the mansion, Tess quickly learns that the family of Tess' "cousin" Alec are not true d'Urbervilles, but rather an opportunistic lot who bought the family name in order to improve their own standing in life. Tess is pulled between what she was sent to accomplish for her family against her general disdain for Alec, who will give her ...
Plot Keywords: drama, romance, tragedy, victorian era, rural life, social class, fate ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Based on Russian poet Alexander Pushkin's fairy tale poem of the same name. In the midst of the wedding party of Prince Ruslan and Ludmila, Ludmila is kidnapped by an evil sorcerer. Her father seeks help from his people, but of course Ruslan is the only one able to save her.
Plot Keywords: fantasy, adventure, romance, mythology, epic, musical, fairy tale ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Young Nicholas (Charlie Hunnam) and his family enjoy a comfortable life, until Nicholas' father (Andrew Havill) dies and the family is left penniless. Nicholas, his sister Kate (Romola Garai) and mother (Stella Gonet) venture to London to seek help from their Uncle Ralph (Christopher Plummer), but Ralph's only intentions are to separate the family and exploit them. Nicholas is sent to a school run by the cruel, abusive and horridly entertaining Mr. Wackford Squeers (Jim Broadbent). Eventually, Nicholas runs away with schoolmate Smike (Jamie Bell), and the two set off to reunite the Nickleby family.
Plot Keywords: charles dickens, british literature, victorian era, family drama, social injustice, poverty, orphan ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: At 10, Fanny Price, a poor relation, goes to live at Mansfield Park, the estate of her aunt's husband, Sir Thomas. Clever, studious, and a writer with an ironic imagination and fine moral compass, she becomes especially close to Edmund, Thomas's younger son. Fanny is soon possessed of beauty as well as a keen mind and comes to the attention of a neighbor, Henry Crawford. Thomas promotes this match, but to his displeasure, Fanny has a mind of her own, asking Henry to prove himself worthy. As Edmund courts Henry's sister and as light shines on the link between Thomas's fortunes and New World slavery, Fanny must assess Henry's character and assert her heart as well as her wit.
Plot Keywords: british literature, jane austen, romance, family drama, social class, female perspective, coming of age ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Late 19th century England; Jude, an intelligent but unworldly stonemason, looks to escape rural poverty by gaining a university education. Toward this goal, when his wife Arabella leaves him, he moves to Christminster where he meets and falls recklessly in love with Sue, his beautiful and intelligent cousin. Though the two realize their destinies are intertwined, when he reveals his previous marriage, she is deeply hurt and in a perverse act of retaliation, marries another man. Broke and denied entrance to the university, he returns to his hometown. Some time later, at the funeral for their common aunt, Sue reveals to Jude that she's desperately unhappy. Soon an illicit romance begins between them until Sue's husband steps aside finally allowing Jude and Sue to be together openly. The two have children and live together as an unmarried couple. Though they must endure social and financial hardship, the two finally find happiness together, until tragedy strikes.—Wiki
Plot Keywords: drama, romance, tragedy, british literature, social class, marriage, forbidden love ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Heathcliff is Cathy Earnshaw's foster brother; more than that, he is her other half. When forces within and without tear them apart, Heathcliff wreaks vengeance on those he holds responsible, even into a second generation.
Plot Keywords: romance, tragedy, british literature, revenge, passion, 19th century, rural ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: In the Nineteenth Century, orphan Oliver Twist is sent from the orphanage to a workhouse, where the children are mistreated and barely fed. He moves to the house of an undertaker, but after an unfair severe spank, he starts a seven day runaway to London. He arrives exhausted and starving, and is soon welcomed in a gang of pickpockets lead by the old crook Fagin. When he is mistakenly taken as a thief, the wealthy victim Mr. Brownlow brings Oliver to his home and shelters him. But Fagin and the dangerous Bill Sykes decide to kidnap Oliver to burglarize Mr. Brownlow's fancy house.
Plot Keywords: charles dickens, orphan, poverty, crime, london, 19th century, coming of age ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: In the ancient Greek city of Ithaca, many impatiently await the return of their king Ulysses and his warriors from the Trojan War. Among these, Ulysses' devoted wife Penelope and his grown son Telemachus. But Ulysses' return is not eagerly awaited by everyone, especially by his enemies. They openly court Penelope and ask her to give her husband up for dead and re-marry one of the rowdy suitors who have taken up residence in her home since her husband's departure. However, Penelope clings to her belief that Ulysses will soon return. To appease the aggressive suitors, Penelope promises that she would re-marry as soon as she finishes weaving a large tapestry depicting Ulysses' deeds of bravery. In secret, she's unraveling the day's weaving, thus delaying the tapestry's completion. Penelope knows that her trick won't work forever. In Troy, Ulysses and his warriors use the Trojan Horse ruse to conquer the city. In his fervor, Ulysses destroys the Trojans' temple to Neptune, god of the sea, incurring the ire of the witch Cassandra who curses him to suffer the wrath of Neptune. On the return home to Ithaca, Ulysses' boat shipwrecks and he's found unconscious on a Phaeacian island beach by beautiful princess Nausicaa. His long, arduous, treacherous and perilous odyssey begins.—nufs68
Plot Keywords: adventure, epic, hero's journey, italian cinema, 1950s, fantasy, homecoming ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Scrooge, the ultimate Victorian miser, hasn't a good word for Christmas, though his impoverished clerk Cratchit and nephew Fred are full of holiday spirit. But in the night, Scrooge is visited by spirits of another color. Straightforward adaptation of Dickens.—Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Plot Keywords: charles dickens, british film, black and white film, classic adaptation, ghosts, victorian era, holiday movie ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Nick Carraway, a young Midwesterner now living on Long Island, finds himself fascinated by the mysterious past and lavish lifestyle of his neighbor, the nouveau riche Jay Gatsby. He is drawn into Gatsby's circle, becoming a witness to obsession and tragedy.
Plot Keywords: romance, tragedy, american dream, luxury life, social class, wealth, obsession ...
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