10 Must-Watch Movies of the 20th Century Based on Novels Like "The Godfather"

The Godfather is widely regarded as one of the greatest films in world cinema and one of the most influential, especially in the gangster genre. It was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 1990, being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and is ranked the second-greatest film in American cinema (behind Citizen Kane) by the American Film Institute.

The film is based on Mario Puzo's The Godfather; a novel that remained on The New York Times Best Seller list for 67 weeks and sold over nine million copies in two years. Published in 1969, it became the best selling published work in history for several years. Paramount Pictures originally found out about Puzo's novel in 1967 when a literary scout for the company contacted then Paramount Vice President of Production Peter Bart about Puzo's sixty-page unfinished manuscript. Bart believed the work was "much beyond a Mafia story" and offered Puzo a $12,500 option for the work, with an option for $80,000 if the finished work were made into a film.

Below is the list of more such amazing Novel based movies.

DIRECTOR:

Steven Spielberg

STARS:

Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley

PLOT SUMMARY:

The incredible true story of the enigmatic and opportunistic businessman Oskar Schindler, who saved the lives of more than 1,100 Jews during the Holocaust. Schindler's List chronicles the trials and triumph of one man who made a difference and the tribulations of those who survived one of the darkest chapters in human history because of his actions.

DIRECTOR:

Blake Edwards

STARS:

Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal

PLOT SUMMARY:

Struggling writer Paul Varjak moves into a New York apartment building and becomes intrigued by his pretty, quirky neighbor Holly Golightly. Holly's lifestyle confuses and fascinates Paul; in public she flits through parties with a sexy, sophisticated air, but when they're alone she changes into a sweetly vulnerable bundle of neuroses.

DIRECTOR:

Milos Forman

STARS:

Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Michael Berryman

PLOT SUMMARY:

McMurphy, a man with several assault convictions to his name, finds himself in jail once again. This time, the charge is statutory rape when it turns out that his girlfriend had lied about being eighteen, and was, in fact, fifteen (or, as McMurphy puts it, "fifteen going on thirty-five"). Rather than spend his time in jail, he convinces the guards that he's crazy enough to need psychiatric care and is sent to a hospital. He fits in frighteningly well, and his different point of view actually begins to cause some of the patients to progress. Nurse Ratched becomes his personal cross to bear as his resistance to the hospital routine gets on her nerves.

DIRECTOR:

Victor Fleming

STARS:

Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Thomas Mitchell

PLOT SUMMARY:

Scarlett is a woman who can deal with a nation at war, Atlanta burning, the Union Army carrying off everything from her beloved Tara, the carpetbaggers who arrive after the war. Scarlett is beautiful. She has vitality. But Ashley, the man she has wanted for so long, is going to marry his placid cousin, Melanie. Mammy warns Scarlett to behave herself at the party at Twelve Oaks. There is a new man there that day, the day the Civil War begins. Rhett Butler. Scarlett does not know he is in the room when she pleads with Ashley to choose her instead of Melanie.

DIRECTOR:

David Lean

STARS:

Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin

PLOT SUMMARY:

Lara inspires lechery in Komarovsky (her mother's lover who is a master at surviving whoever runs Russia) and can't compete with passion for the revolution of the man she marries, Pasha. Her true love is Zhivago who also loves his wife. Lara is the one who inspires poetry. The story is narrated by Zhivago's half brother Yevgraf, who has made his career in the Soviet Army. At the beginning of the film he is about to meet a young woman he believes may be the long lost daughter of Lara and Zhivago.

DIRECTOR:

Sydney Pollack

STARS:

Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, Klaus Maria Brandauer

PLOT SUMMARY:

Out of Africa is a romantic drama directed by Sydney Pollack, starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. The film is based on the memoirs of Karen Blixen, a Danish writer who lived in Kenya during the early 20th century. It explores her complex relationship with the enigmatic big-game hunter and pilot, Denys Finch Hatton, against the backdrop of the African landscape. The film weaves themes of colonialism, love, and the beauty of Africa into a captivating narrative. The film is celebrated for its epic scope, breathtaking cinematography, and the powerful performances of its lead actors, earning numerous awards, including seven Academy Awards.

DIRECTOR:

Robert Zemeckis

STARS:

Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise

PLOT SUMMARY:

Forrest Gump is a classic drama-comedy directed by Robert Zemeckis. The film tells the life story of Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks), a man with a low IQ but a heart full of kindness and innocence. Forrest inadvertently finds himself at the center of significant historical events in America, including the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement. His journey is also intertwined with his lifelong love for Jenny (Robin Wright). Forrest Gump is a heartwarming and thought-provoking film that explores themes of destiny, love, and the extraordinary impact of an ordinary man on the world. Tom Hanks's performance earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor.

DIRECTOR:

Stanley Kubrick

STARS:

Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd

PLOT SUMMARY:

A man, his son, and wife become the winter caretakers of an isolated hotel where Danny, the son, sees disturbing visions of the hotel's past using a telepathic gift known as "The Shining". The father, Jack Torrance, is underway in a writing project when he slowly slips into insanity as a result of cabin fever and former guests of the hotel's ghosts. After being convinced by a waiter's ghost to "correct" the family, Jack goes completely insane. The only thing that can save Danny and his mother is "The Shining".

DIRECTOR:

Steven Spielberg

STARS:

Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss

PLOT SUMMARY:

Jaws is a classic thriller directed by Steven Spielberg. The film is set in the fictional Amity Island, where a series of shark attacks terrorize the community during the summer tourist season. Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), marine biologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), and shark hunter Quint (Robert Shaw) team up to hunt down the great white shark responsible for the attacks. Jaws is renowned for its suspenseful storytelling, iconic score by John Williams, and groundbreaking special effects. It is often credited with establishing the summer blockbuster as a cultural phenomenon and remains a quintessential film in the thriller and horror genres.

DIRECTOR:

Stanley Kubrick

STARS:

Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates

PLOT SUMMARY:

Protagonist Alex DeLarge is an "ultraviolent" youth in futuristic Britain. As with all luck, his eventually runs out and he's arrested and convicted of murder and rape. While in prison, Alex learns of an experimental program in which convicts are programmed to detest violence. If he goes through the program, his sentence will be reduced and he will be back on the streets sooner than expected. But Alex's ordeals are far from over once he hits the mean streets of Britain that he had a hand in creating.