Great literary writing shines through Oscars 2024

The 2024 Oscars has also come to be a celebration of great writing. At least 5 of the 10 films nominated for the ‘best film’ were inspired by literary works. Here is a quick take on the five films and the books that inspired them:

Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan’s film ‘Oppenheimer’ is based on the book, ‘American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer,’ written by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. The book, which was released in 2005, received numerous awards including the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Biography.

The book details the rise to fame of J. Robert Oppenheimer, known as the ‘father of the atom bomb,’ and his subsequent tragic downfall. In the 2023 film ‘Oppenheimer,’ Cillian Murphy portrayed Oppenheimer, with Christopher Nolan handling both the screenplay and the direction.

Christopher Nolan won the Oscar for Best Director, Cillian Murphy for Best Actor, and Robert Downey Jr. for Best Supporting Actor for the film, which also secured Oscars for Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, and Best Film Editing.

Killers of the Flower Moon
Martin Scorsese directed this film based on the non-fiction book ‘Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI’ by American journalist David Grann.

Released in 2017, this book investigates a series of murders in Osage County, Oklahoma, in the early 1920s. The film is scripted by Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese and the main parts are played by Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone.

The Zone of Interest
‘The Zone of Interest,’ Martin Amis’s fourteenth novel, published in 2014, is set against the backdrop of Auschwitz. This book offers a profound depiction of love and humanity amidst the horrors of war. Based on this novel, Jonathan Glazer undertook the writing and direction of a film by the same name, in 2023.

In the film, set near the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp, a Nazi commandant named Rudolf Höss and his wife Hedwig, portrayed by German actors Christian Friedel and Sandra Hüller, attempt to build a dream life for their family in a house close by. This film received the Oscar for Best International Film and Best Sound.

Poor Things
The film, ‘Poor Things,’ released in 2023 and directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, is based on the novel of the same name by Scottish author Alasdair Gray (published 1992). The screenplay was adapted by Tony McNamara and the film stars Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, and Willem Dafoe.

The story revolves around a young woman named Bella Baxter in Victorian-era London, who undergoes a ‘scientific procedure’ and embarks on a journey of self-discovery. The film won the Oscars for costume design, production design, makeup, and hairstyling. For her part in the film, Emma Stone won the best actress award. 

American Fiction
The 2023 comedy-genre film, ‘American Fiction, is written and directed by Cord Jefferson. The film is based on the novel, ‘Erasure,’ by American author Percival Everett, released in 2001. The novel narrates the story of an overlooked African American writer named Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison.

Frustrated with the stereotypes and expectations imposed on African-American literature, Monk decides to write a book under a pseudonym that satirises those very stereotypes, leading to unexpected consequences and a critique of the publishing industry's handling of racial identity. In the film, Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Issa Rae play the main roles. Cord Jefferson won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on this film.