8 Films inspired by Classic Literature

8. Clueless

This film about a rich, beautiful teenager dabbling in matchmaking and finding herself confused about love in the process, is the film that really launched Alicia Silverstone. It also inspired a passable TV series, but at the heart of its plot, was the 1815 novel Emma, by Jane Austen. Even the writers admit that it was only a loose inspiration.


7. What Love is

Panned on release, this indie release actually has a very good cast to it. Its basically one extended conversation about love, and bears more than a resemblance to Plato's classic musing on love, "The Symposium"


6. A Knight's Tale

A lowerclassman dupes the world into believing he is a noble, so that he can joust his way into the pants of his beloved, and beat the nobleman who once mocked him. Its a tale of Knights and gladiatorial spectacles, with an MTV twist and dollops of hit and miss humour. Surprisingly, it is based (very) loosely on The Knights Tale from The Canterbery Tales


5. O

A High school adaptation of Othello, this one sticks fairly close to the original plot, and unlike most of the other teen films of its type is placed deadpan without laughs, as the source material dictates. Look out especially for Julia Stiles in one of her better roles

4. Forbidden Planet

This sci-fi classic gave us Robby the Robot, and a chance to see Leslie Nielson in an early, non-comedy role. It even had a chain store named after it, but funnily enough, it was based on Shakespeare's The Tempest

3. O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Taking its title from Sullivan's travels, this is a depression era comedy about 3 escaped convicts on the long road to a soon-to-expire treasure. Despite the rural Mississippi setting, the film is based on an old Greek text, Homer’s Odyssey.

2. 10 Things I Hate About You

Stiles and Ledger again, this time joined by Alex Mack in a High school romcom retelling of the taming of the shrew. I have a soft spot for this film, its sweet and funny and oddly witty, but the less said about the TV spin off the better


1. Easy A

This is a great throwback to the teen films of old, and features the always delightful Emma Stone. The plot is a very loose, modern reworking of The Scarlet Letter, the book itself even being mentioned in the film

Racism in the Star Wars Universe

With the announcement that Carrie Fischer is reprising her role in the upcoming Star Wars 7, lets take a look back at some of the accusations of alleged racism which has spread into the sprawling sci-fi saga.
Ethnic accents and stereotypes are featured in several films, but the heat tends to focus most often on The Phantom Menace.

Nute Gunray

Firstly we have the Neimoidian Viceroy and his cronies on the trade federation, who have thick Chinese accents and seem like caricatures of crafty Asian bootleggers. They are portrayed as untrustworthy, dishonourable cowards

Queen of Naboo

Onwards to Naboo and despite her Japanese look, the fake Queen Amidala prattles away with a clipped British accent, embodying all the cliches of stuffiness associated. Apparently that's just how English people behave.


Watto

Over to Tatooine and we have Watto, a local owner of a parts shop. He speaks with a typical, strong Yiddish accent, and in Jew-bashingly bad taste, he has a long-nose and is so greedy and obsessed with money that even the Jedi mind trick doesn't work.



Jabba the Hutt

Jabba lives in a palace in the middle of a desert. He's fat, lazy, living off ill-gotten wealth, and is fanned day and night by skimpily clad women. Any similarities to Middle eastern Sultans and royals is purely co-incidental...allegedly

Admiral Ackbar

The Admiral was the one who headed the rebel  fleet in the attack on the second Death Star. He only realises it's a trap at the last minute, and spectacular botches up the assault. Its only due to the work of Luke and co on the ground that his competence is exonerated. The name may not be spelt Akbar, but surely its too close to be a similarity. The Incompetent leader is a Muslim.

Jar Jar Binks

But we've saved the best for last... Step forward Jar Jar Binks. Whilst supposedly a Gungan alien, one would be forgiven for thinking he was Jamaican, so strong is the West Indian Accent and dreadlocks. Add to the he has a large butt, and is generally a slow, dim-witted clown, and the comparison is far from flattering.

Jango Fett

Fett is a bounty hunter, and ends up being the clone behind every single storm trooper. That's literally the baddest of the bad...and lo and behold, he's played by Māori actor Temuera Morrison

Lando

Lando Calrissian is supposed to be one of Han's oldest friends, and it seems he's the only black person working for the good guys. So what does he do? He turns around and betrays his friends at Cloud City.The Black guy ends up a traitor..read into it what you will.

It wasn't until later on that Sammy L Jackson's place on the Jedi Council helped to reset this balance