Buzz
Hollywood often delivers an unending stream of films based on novels, comic books, classic TV shows, and remakes of past movies. Yet, occasionally, studios venture into the world of poems for cinematic adaptation. In celebration of National Poetry Month, here are 11 such films.
1. O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? (2000)
Joel and Ethan Coen directed a comedy about three prisoners seeking freedom from a Mississippi chain gang, only to face a string of misfortunes and absurdities. With George Clooney playing Ulysses Everett McGill, a modern-day version of Odysseus, O Brother, Where Art Thou? took inspiration from Homer’s epic The Odyssey, blending it with slapstick humor and classic bluegrass music from T-Bone Burnett. Interestingly, the Coen brothers didn’t study the ancient epic while making the film, and actor Tim Blake Nelson, who holds a Classics degree from Brown University, was the only one on set familiar with Homer’s original work.
2. THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
In the early 1980s, Tim Burton, working as an animator for Walt Disney, wrote and crafted a poem titled “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Influenced by the animated TV specials Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer and Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, as well as the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” Burton created this eerie tale. After the success of his short film Vincent in 1982, Burton pitched the poem to Disney. While the studio was initially interested in turning it into a short film or TV special, the project languished for a decade before Burton brought it to life as a feature film in 1993.
3. TROY (2004)
Director Wolfgang Petersen and screenwriter David Benioff adapted Homer’s Iliad for the action-packed film Troy. Starring Brad Pitt as Achilles and Eric Bana as Hector, the film earned moderate box office success but faced mixed reviews upon its release in 2004. Many critics criticized the film for straying from Homer’s original epic poem.
4. BRIGHT STAR (2009)
Academy Award-winning director Jane Campion released the romantic drama Bright Star in 2009. Based on the poem “Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art,” the film explores the final three years of poet John Keats’s (Ben Whishaw) life, focusing on his passionate relationship with Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish). Bright Star debuted at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival, with some critics praising it as Campion’s finest work since her 1993 film The Piano.
5. MULAN (1998)
In 1998, Walt Disney released its 36th animated feature, Mulan, inspired by the ancient Chinese poem “Ballad of Mulan.” Both the poem and the film recount the story of Hua Mulan, a young woman who disguises herself as a man to take her father’s place in the military during the Northern Wei Dynasty.
6. SHORT CUTS
The Academy Award-nominated film Short Cuts, directed by Robert Altman, is based on the works of writer Raymond Carver. It draws from nine of his short stories, as well as his poem “Lemonade.” Altman masterfully weaves the stories into a unified narrative while subtly incorporating elements from the poem throughout the film. The poem helps set the bittersweet tone and highlights key themes in the movie.
7. FOR COLORED GIRLS
In 2010, Tyler Perry brought Ntozake Shange’s Tony Award-nominated choreopoem, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf, to the big screen. Though the film generated some pre-release Oscar buzz, Perry’s melodramatic style overshadowed Shange’s poetic prose. The movie earned moderate box office results but received mixed reviews from critics.
8. BRAVEHEART (1995)
Mel Gibson’s Braveheart was inspired by the 15th-century Scottish epic poem “The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace”, also known as “The Wallace.” Despite the film’s historical inaccuracies, Braveheart triumphed at the 1996 Academy Awards, winning five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography.
9. JABBERWOCKY (1977)
Terry Gilliam’s first solo directorial effort, Jabberwocky, was inspired by Lewis Carroll’s whimsical poem from Through the Looking-Glass. Though the film received mixed reviews upon release, Jabberwocky has since gained a cult following. The fantasy film showcases Gilliam’s signature dark humor and satirical style while highlighting his creative genius as both an artist and a director.
10. BEOWULF (2007)
The 2007 film Beowulf, directed by Robert Zemeckis, was the second installment in his motion capture 3D trilogy and was based on the ancient Old English epic poem of the same name. With screenwriters Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary, Zemeckis turned the tale into an action-packed visual spectacle.
11. HOWL (2010)
James Franco portrayed the American poet Allen Ginsberg in Howl, which follows Ginsberg’s journey as he penned the groundbreaking poem “Howl” during the early days of the Beat Generation. Directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman structured the film as a poetic narrative, and Howl premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2010.
