Books: A More Superior Form of Storytelling than Films
Renowned writer and storyteller Stephen King famously proclaimed that, "Books are a uniquely portable magic." In many ways, King's assertion holds true. Books have the capacity to transport readers to newer, unexplored worlds. They enable readers to bend and stretch their minds and imaginations in every possible direction. It's difficult to find another mode of storytelling that provides readers with such an enriching and pleasurable experience.
Yet, in these modern times, filmmakers insist on converting any half decent text to film to earn profits. This is disheartening as it is leading to the commercialization of writing and storytelling, which is usually a personal and profound process. For example, major film studios and producers offer huge sums to writers to buy the rights of their books. They may invite these writers to help out with the film's script to make the film more appealing to fans of the original text. In this manner, film studios take advantage of passionate fans' loyalty, especially if the story has been poorly adapted.
Filmmaking, in itself, is a worthy art with innumerable merits. Films are also a wonderful mode of visual storytelling. Sometimes, though, directors focus too heavily on how a film looks, while ignoring the script. Take F. S. Fitzgerald's classic novel, The Great Gatsby, for example. The novel was recently adapted to the big screen. While the film was visually stunning, it was universally panned. To most viewers, it felt like there was too much emphasis on making the sets appear beautiful and shiny. However, due to poor handling of the script, the film lost a lot of the heart and charm of Fitzgerald's beloved classic. Many film adaptations of classic novels suffer from similar problems. As a result, film adaptations of textual pieces are, more often than not, pale shadows of the latter.
Film adaptations often compromise structural integrity of novels. Writers tend to layer their novels with deep and intricate details and meanings. It's difficult to incorporate these subtler aspects into a two-hour movie. Similarly, important plot points present in the original may be left out of films due to time constraints. Another drawback of film adaptations is that they concretize and subscribe meaning to abstract texts. This may cause some readers to believe as though their initial readings were invalid. The adaptations also leave little room for one's imagination. Therefore, books are a better mode of storytelling than films.
Read this sentence from the passage.
Films are also a wonderful mode of visual storytelling.
How does this concession strengthen the author's argument?
A.
It emphasizes the power of films to readers who love books.
B.
It emphasizes the common interest with readers who love books.
C.
It creates a connection with readers who are inclined to love films.
D.
It creates sympathy with readers who have lost interest in films.