Charles Dickens: From Books To Film

Charles Dickens: From Books to Film

Several of his best selling novels have been transformed into cinema’s most iconic films. Welcome to Watchmojo.com, and today we will be taking a look at the adaptations of beloved author Charles Dickens.

Born February 7th, 1812 and spending his formative years in London, England, Charles Dickens became the most celebrated English novelist of the Victorian Era. During his life he created some of literature’s most iconic works and characters, all while providing commentary on the poverty, prejudice and double standards of his day. Due to the universality and historical significance of his works, they have been translated to film countless times.

The most popular of these adaptations is “A Christmas Carol”, which he wrote in 1843. This tale of a sour Ebenezer Scrooge has been re-imagined dozens of times for film, and continues to be drawn upon as a source of inspiration. From early cinema, to puppetry and motion-capture, there has been no shortage of adaptations and remakes of this timeless classic.

“The Adventures of Oliver Twist” has also inspired many film adaptations. Published in 1837, this is the story of an orphan boy, Oliver who joins a group of household boys trained to steal in the streets of London. Hollywood child-star Dickie Moore first brought Oliver Twist to the big screen in 1933. Other adaptations followed, including the musical, “Oliver!” in 1968.

Just two years later in 1839, Dickens wrote yet another novel that was destined to become a Hollywood staple. “Nicholas Nickleby” is the story of a young boy that must confront the unexpected death of his father. In the process, he must learn to support his mother and sister, and save them from their awful Uncle Ralph.

1859’s “A Tale of Two Cities” is another of Dicken’s most famous pieces of literature brought to the silver screen in the silent film era. The story takes place during the French revolution and follows the lives of a disreputable lawyer named Sydney Carton and Charles Darney, a French aristocrat, who each love a woman named Lucie Monette.

1861’s “Great Expectations” was written while Dickens was in a mid-life crisis and is considered as one of the author’s darkest works. In this rags-to-riches story, a young orphan named Pip comes to befriend a convict, all while living with a bitter, old woman. Its most enduring film version was created in 1946, but the tale was given a contemporary re-imagining in 1998, starring Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow.

With so many rich narratives and characters, Charles Dicken’s novels continue to inspire countless filmmakers, and keep audiences examining the timeless questions surrounding the society that they live in.