This post originally appeared on the DVD Netflix blog “Inside the Envelope.” That company folded in 2023, and the blog was shut down, but you might find some good stuff here.
Although we’re talking about five award-winning films based on classic novels, most of these films were produced before anyone knew the books would become classics. We might wonder, then, if the print versions would have become legacies, if it hadn’t been for the success of the film productions. In any case, what makes both novels and films become classics is often the way topics such as hardship, grief, war, and adventure relate to a wide audience.
Here are five movies, based on classic novels, that won best picture at the Academy Awards. All are available on DVD Netflix.
All Quiet on the Western Front
Published in 1928, this anti-war novel by Erich Maria Remaque, was actually banned in a few countries. That didn’t stop producer Carl Laemmle, Jr. from making it into a film that won both best-picture and directing Oscars in 1931. At the time, many movie goers were still mourning the loss of loved ones in World War I. The story is told through the eyes of a young German soldier, Paul, who volunteers to fight along with his entire class. The film focuses on the living conditions of the soldier and also on seeing his friends becoming casualties, making him reflect on the insanity of war and wondering if he will make it out alive.
Around the World in 80 Days
By the time Michael Todd produced Around the World in 80 Days, which won best picture in 1957, the world was well aware of the classic Jules Verne novel published in 1872. David Niven plays Phileas Fogg who accepts a wager to circumnavigate the earth in 80 days. Fogg is not going alone, though. Like any proper English gentleman, he has a faithful valet to accompany him on his adventure. In the meantime, he’s being pursued by Scotland Yard, because he’s suspected of having stolen quite a bit of money in England. Will he complete his mission in 80 days, or will he be apprehended in one of the British ports along the way?
Gone with the Wind
When Gone with the Wind premiered in 1939, it had only been three years since the Margaret Mitchell’s Civil War novel was published. This means, at the time, it was based on an best seller, rather than a true classic. The thousand-word Pulitzer Prize winning novel translated into a four-hour blockbuster and stands as a testament to the horrors of war and slavery. The characters are full and believable, allowing the audience to appreciate the viewpoint of each one, from spoiled and privileged Scarlett, to wise and honest Mammy. Even Rhett Butler, who starts out as a bad-boy archetype, reveals many layers to his complicated character. Gone with the Wind is not politically correct according to today’s standards, but that failing is what can serve as a learning tool and conversation starter for some serious topics still relevant today.
How Green Was My Valley
The 1939 novel, How Green Was My Valley, was adapted to the screen and won best picture in 1942. It is set in South Wales and follows the mining Morgan family as told by the youngest of six sons, Huw. Nearly all the men in the village work long hours in the dangerous coal mine, which too often snuffs out human lives. As Huw pens his memoir, he is aware of the ever-growing waste pile teetering on the mountain top that threatens to wipe out the village. This serves as a symbol of the heavy and oppressive weight carried on the shoulders of every resident. The film version stars film Walter Pidgeon and Maureen O’Hara and introduces a very-young Roddy McDowell.
Rebecca
Based on the 1938 Gothic novel by English author Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca won the Academy award for best picture and best cinematography in 1941. This film is about a young woman who marries an older man (which might have been in problem in itself) who is haunted by the memory of his first wife, Rebecca. So is the housekeeper, who does not like the replacement mistress, and she begins to go mad with disastrous consequences. This early Alfred Hitchcock film stars both Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine and is shot in eerie and effective black-and-white.
Great Gatsby
Nearly everyone who took an American literature class in high school or college has read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Class discussions often center around the symbolism found in the novel, such as the flashing green light and the eyes on the billboard, and those are found in the film versions. The story is told from the perspective of young Nick Carraway, who witnesses the obsession of mysterious Jay Gatsby for the elusive and unavailable Daisy. Gatsby will do anything to get her and is willing to lose everything along the way. This classic novel came to the big screen twice and won Oscars each time. The first film stars Robert Redford and Mia Farrow and won Oscars for music and costume design in 1974. The second stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire and won production and costume design Oscars in 2014. Both versions are available from DVD Netflix.
