Classics on the big screen

The word 'epic' is often bandied about, but it truly belongs to Homer’s The Odyssey. An adventure on an unparalleled scale, this tale has endured as one of Western literature’s most timeless stories. Believed to have been sung or recited by travelling storytellers long before it was written down, the poem was crafted for performance, with its rhythmic language and repeated motifs captivating audiences for centuries. After the Trojan War, King Odysseus embarks on a gruelling decade-long voyage home to Ithaca, only for his journey to be derailed by wrathful gods and monstrous giants. While he battles mythical perils on the open seas, a fiercer struggle unfolds back home, where his loyal wife Penelope must summon every ounce of strength to fend off a predatory swarm of suitors vying for his throne. Christopher Nolan's film adaptation brings this immortal tale to the big screen on a truly gargantuan scale, shot entirely on 70mm IMAX film and boasting a star-studded cast that includes Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Zendaya. 

Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre remains one of the most enduring and influential novels of the nineteenth century with its powerful blend of Gothic mystery, passionate romance and a groundbreaking exploration of female independence. Orphaned Jane grows up facing cruelty, hardship and the restrictive expectations placed upon Victorian women, before finding work as a governess at the mysterious Thornfield Hall. Once there, her complicated relationship with the enigmatic Mr Rochester forces her to confront the conflict between desire and the importance of staying true to herself. Brontë’s masterpiece is more than a mere love story, challenging social conventions through its fiercely intelligent heroine and its celebration of emotional and moral freedom. Cary Joji Fukunaga’s atmospheric 2011 film is part of a new wave of modern adaptations that capture the darker spirit of literary classics, using haunting landscapes and candlelit cinematography to create a deeply psychological Gothic drama. With Mia Wasikowska’s quietly powerful performance, the film beautifully preserves Jane’s strength, resilience and unforgettable voice. 

Are there ever enough adaptations of Jane Austen's works? The answer is, of course, a resounding no, and this year we see her beloved tale of two sisters with opposing temperaments, return to the big screen. Elinor Dashwood, practical and restrained, embodies sense; Marianne, passionate and romantic, represents sensibility. Together, the sisters navigate heartbreak and family expectations whilst on the complicated path towards love. Though published in 1811, Sense and Sensibility remains one of Austen’s most enduring explorations of romance and the societal pressures placed upon women. More than two centuries later, it continues to capture the imagination of readers and filmmakers alike, with a new adaptation starring Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People) as Elinor and it promises a more naturalistic and emotionally intimate take on Austen’s classic. But for those who believe nothing can surpass Ang Lee’s much-loved 1995 film, starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, it may be time for a nostalgic rewatch. 

Published in 1850, Dickens famously referred to David Copperfield as his 'favourite child' and it’s widely recognised as his most autobiographical work. Depicting the world as seen from the perspective of a fatherless small boy, this coming-of-age story sees David's idyllic life with his mother ruined when she marries a domineering and cruel man. One of the great joys of the novel is its outlandish cast of characters, including the cheerfully verbose Mr Micawber, the villainous Uriah Heep and David's eccentric aunt, Betsey Trotwood. Drawing heavily from Dickens’ painful childhood experiences with poverty and factory labour, the story serves as a sharp social critique of Victorian England by exposing the cruelties of child labour and the grim realities of debtors' prisons. The 2019 film adaptation – starring Dev Patel and directed by Armando Iannucci (The Thick of It) – injects the same radical energy of the novel into the traditional period drama format by subverting typical costume-movie conventions; rejecting the somber, dusty aesthetic often associated with Victorian adaptations and opting instead for colourful comedy, successfully making this 19th-century classic accessible to modern audiences.

In The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton delivers a cleverly devastating satire of New York's Gilded Age elite.  In this glittering world, the beautiful, charming and socially accomplished Lily Bart appears to have everything except financial security. As her prospects dwindle, she faces an impossible choice between marrying for survival or remaining true to her fiercely independent spirit. Published in 1905, Wharton's masterpiece is both a tragic love story and a razor-sharp critique of a rigid society where wealth and reputation determines a woman's fate. Terence Davies' acclaimed film adaptation (2000) captures the same quiet devastation by eschewing the glossy conventions of the traditional costume drama, instead imbuing the film with a stately, chilling grandeur that perfectly mirrors the book's tragic inevitability. Davies' visuals paint a sombre picture as its restrained storytelling and an unforgettable performance from Gillian Anderson (The X-Files, The Crown) mirror Lily's slow social unravelling, creating one of the finest literary adaptations of the modern era. 

Few classic novels have captured the joys and heartaches of family life quite like Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. Loosely inspired by Alcott’s own upbringing, it follows the vivacious March sisters — independent Jo, gentle Beth, kind-hearted Meg and spirited Amy— as they navigate love, loss and the challenges of growing up while their father serves as a chaplain during the American Civil War. Far more than a cosy coming-of-age story, the novel quietly revolutionised "books for girls" by celebrating female ambition, creativity and sisterhood while questioning the limited roles available to women. Greta Gerwig directed the acclaimed 2019 film adaptation (starring Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh) and brought fresh energy to the beloved classic through its inventive non-linear structure. Most brilliantly, Gerwig weaves Alcott’s own letters and publishing negotiations into Jo’s story, creating a moving, meta-fictional ending that honours the author's real-life fight for creative control while remaining deeply faithful to the spirit of the novel. 

Bret Easton Ellis’s American Psycho remains one of the most controversial and talked-about novels written and is arguably, a modern classic. A multi-million-copy bestseller and a defining work of 1990s literature, this outrageous black comedy explores the darkest side of consumer culture through Patrick Bateman, a handsome, wealthy Wall Street executive who appears to have the perfect life, except beneath the designer suits and luxury lifestyle lies a deeply disturbing secret. Ellis’s novel is less a traditional horror story than a merciless satire of 1980s yuppie excess, immersing readers in Bateman’s empty, materialistic world. Long considered almost impossible to adapt, Mary Harron’s 2000 film brilliantly transforms the book’s shocking violence into a razor-sharp darkly humourous observation of the absurdity of male vanity. With Christian Bale’s unforgettable performance, Harron’s feminist lens exposes toxic corporate culture and the insecurity beneath Bateman’s carefully constructed image, creating a modern cult favourite. 

Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men (2005) is a gripping modern classic, with its brutal exploration of violence, morality and fate in the American West. The novel follows Llewelyn Moss, a Vietnam veteran who discovers the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong and makes the fateful decision to take a case full of cash, setting off a terrifying pursuit. With its sparse prose, haunting atmosphere and unforgettable characters, McCarthy’s story examines the choices that lead us into danger and the forces that shape our lives beyond our control. Adapted by the Coen brothers in 2007, this Western thriller won four Academy Awards including Best Picture. Starring Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones, the film captures McCarthy’s bleak humour and philosophical depth while introducing one of cinema’s most chilling villains, Anton Chigurh, brought terrifyingly to life by Javier Bardem. 

Terms of Endearment, by Pulitzer-prize winning author Larry McMurtry, is a beautifully observed portrait of love and family through the complicated bond between a mother and daughter. Published in 1975, the novel introduced readers to the Aurora Greenway, a fiercely independent, sharp-tongued widow whose world revolves around her daughter Emma. Their relationship is tested by Emma’s impulsive marriage and a devastating battle with cancer, but McMurtry balances heartbreak with warm humour and emotional honesty. Adapted into the Academy Award-winning 1983 film (where it won Best Picture), Terms of Endearment became a landmark example of how a deeply personal story could resonate with audiences everywhere. Directed by James L. Brooks, the film reshaped the novel’s structure while preserving the heart of McMurtry’s characters, with memorable performances from Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger, and it remains a moving celebration of family, resilience and the enduring power of love.