From Page To Screen (59) Ender's Game

This week on From Page To Screen I tackle the book turned film Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.

First let's discuss the book.
Ender's Game is a novel written by Author Orson Scott Card. The book originated as a short story which was published in the book Analong Science Fiction and Fact in August of 1977. However, it wasn't until 1985 that Ender's Game was turned into the novel (Published by Tor) we all know today. Ender's Game released to mostly positive reviews although some critics were turned off by Orson Scott Card's justification for the title characters violence in the book. As of 2013 Ender's Game has been published in over 33 languages.





Let's take a look at some of the characters. 

Andrew 'Ender' Wiggin - Ender is brought into the International Fleet's Battle School for his immense potential as a commander of soldiers.  Ender is described as compassionate and kind but like his brother Peter he has a dark side and ultimately it is his ruthlessness that wins peoples unswerving faith in him as a commander.

Peter Wiggin -  Ender's elder brother. He has been rejected from Battle School for his ruthless and excessive ambition. Described as a Sociopath and a man devoid of humanity, Peter acts solely for his own benefit and, although he has a profound understanding of others, he uses his knowledge only to probe their weaknesses to his own advantage.

Valentine Wiggin -  Ender's elder sister. She has been rejected from Battle School for her overwhelming compassion. Although like her siblings she is not without fault. Valentine seeks power and control and will use it to her advantage any chance she gets.


Now let's discuss the movie.
Ender's Game is a film directed by Gavin hood. It was released November 1, 2013 by Summit Entertainment. Ender's Game cost $110 Million to make and as of writing this has grossed $79 million worldwide. Ender's Game opened to mixed reviews. The main reason amongst critics being that the film is more action based and less thought provoking than the book.





Major Differences Between The Book Film
BookFilm
Ender's story starts when he is 6 years old and ends in his early teens. Ender is a teenager throughout the entire story.
Ender's brother and sister play a large roll in trying to shape the world via the internet.They have limited influence.
Ender's brother and sister discuss their views/involvement in politics in depth throughout the story.This is omitted.
In a show of dominance Ender kills those who bullied him including characters Stilson and Bonzo. He does not kill them. Bonzo suffers a severe brain injury though.
Battle School has an arcade where students may play strategy games against each other.The arcade is never mentioned but Ender is shown passing time in it after he arrives at the school.
Ender is smaller than everyone except the character appropriately named Bean. Ender is normal sized.
This doesn't happen. Dap punishes Ender by making him do push ups.
When Ender breaks the code for sending anonymous messages he is in his dorm.When Ender breaks the code he is in his classroom.
Launchies,Commanders and Soldiers eat in separate rooms. All students eat together.
All of the events that occur from Ender's Dragon army assignment to the final simulation take a significant amount of time although it is unspecified exactly how long.All of the events that occur from Ender's Dragon army assignment to the final simulation takes 28 days according to Graff's countdown.
Alai kisses Ender.This doesn't happen.
The battle of the belt takes place in the outer solar system.  The battle of the belt takes place in Earth's atmosphere.

Although I'm quite aware of more changes these were the ones that were the most noticeable to me that didn't involve just battle school hierarchy. With that being said this week I don't even have to say more because the book is simply superior to the film. While I did highly enjoy Ender's Game on screen it really needed to be longer since compressed it had to cut a lot of story building and scenes between characters which I loved. Definitely read the book if you haven't already and if you like Science Fiction with lots of nifty CGI then check out the film as well. 

Still not convinced? Check out the trailer below!

___________________________________________
Well that about wraps up this weeks From Page To Screen. Have a recommendation for an upcoming From Page To Screen, let me know in the comments below!

Have you read the book or watched the film? 
Which did you like better? Why? 
What is your favorite quote or scene from Ender's Game? 
Have you ever read the Manga version? If so, Do you recommend it?

Leave your answers in the comments below, I love to read your responses. Like what you see? Please share!

Comments

  1. I haven't actually read the book, and I just gave my copy away because I didn't think it would really be my thing since it sounded more MG than YA. However, it is a favorite of my older sis's, and she's pretty excited about the movie. She also wasn't aware of any of the controversy surrounding it (and the author) so I'll have to get her take once she's seen the film. Honestly though, the movie looks more interesting to me than the book ever sounded. Is that horrible? It's probably because the movie does look more action-packed than I assumed the book was. Plus, Harrison Ford. Love him. :D

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  2. I have to say... after much thought and processing, I like the movie better than the book.

    HOWEVER, I believe that you can't get what you need to out of the movie without having read the book first. The movie is a companion to the novel.

    I just liked how the movie made me relate to Ender better than the book did. It gave him more emotion and my hurt with him - and I didn't experience that in the book.

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