Explore our documents on literary film adaptations New selection in the discovery area

Looking for inspiration? Each month, our subject specialists highlight a particular topic through a range of documents from the National Library’s collections. In April, discover our selection on literary film adaptations!

The complex relationship between literature and film can only be described as a love-hate relationship; two squabblers that cannot exist with each other but also cannot exist without each other. Already, film pioneer Georges Méliès turned to Shakespeare and the Brothers Grimm to find material for his films. The interdependence of the two art forms is still evident today: It is estimated that about 30 percent of today's films are based on literary works, and 80 percent of (English-language) bestsellers are adapted into films. Film scholar Timothy Corrigan summarizes the situation as follows: “From the late nineteenth century to the present these two ways of seeing and describing the world have at different times despised each other, redeemed each other, learned from each other, and distorted each other’s self-proclaimed integrity.”

Given the overwhelming flood of literary adaptations, it is difficult, if not impossible, to make a representative selection of works. The question of what constitutes a successful adaptation inevitably arises: Can cinematic images capture the ambivalence and ambiguity of literary writing? What is lost in the transition from one medium to another – and what is gained? Are outstanding literary adaptations faithful adaptations or free interpretations?

There are no clear answers to these questions. And that's a good thing. Rather, the works on display here aim to reflect the diversity and creativity of the dialogue between film and literature. Special emphasis has been placed on presenting as wide a selection as possible – with works from the European, American, and Asian cultural spheres. The film genres are similarly diverse: From mountaineering dramas (Le sommet des dieux) to science fiction (1984), black comedy (Trainspotting), or courtroom dramas (To Kill a Mockingbird), there is something for every taste. Finally, with Perl oder Pica and Schacko Klak, Luxembourgish literary adaptations are also represented.

You can browse this compilation in the discovery area on the ground floor of the Reading Room. If you are interested in one of the documents, simply remove it from the shelf: they are all available for on-site consultation and/or home loan. Enjoy your read!