From page to screen. It’s a very popular concept to turn a book into a movie—especially if the book is very popular—or old and needs a modernization. But . Sometimes books are meant to be left in the past. The book in question is Fahrenheit 451 and  its 2018 Modern adaptation. 

Written and directed by Ramin Bahrani and Amir Naderi, and produced by David Coatsworth, it follows the main character Guy Montag, who in this film was played by Michael B. Jordan. Clarisse Mclellan was played by Algerian actress Sofia Boutella, who had a main role in Atomic Blonde and Rebel Moon. Then there’s, of course, Captain Beatty, played by Michael Shannon, who is from such films as Man of Steel, 12 Strong, and The Shape of Water. 

The cast portrayed their roles rather well. Michael Jordan and Sofia Boutella played Montag and Clarisse well. Michael Shannon, who played Captain Beatty, did exceptionally well. He played Beatty perfectly, giving a face to a character that didn’t have much face in the book. I appreciate the attention Ramin and Amir gave to the character. 

The movie tells the story of a dystopian future where all books are banned and firefighters are supposed to burn books and enforce the law, rather than be the heroes they are in our world. Everyone is engrossed in technology. Our main character, Guy Montag, simply called Montag, is a fireman. He assists Captain Beatty and does his job without question, and then he meets Clarisse and questions everything. 

However, his movie portrays the plot of the original 1953 book with  so many differences— whether it be in plot or characters. One major difference is the absence of major characters: Mildred, Montags estranged wife, and Faber, Montag's mentor and friend. Mildred plays a serious role in the story, representing the society Montag wants to change. Faber, on the other hand, assists Montag through his journey. They’re completely absent in this film, leaving a hole that’s only partially filled by other less important characters. 

There’s also an odd and really weird love between Montag and Clarisse in this movie which  never happens in the book. Clarisse is 16 in the book. In this movie, she’s older, and has more of an informant role and lasts the whole movie. Sadly, her being in the whole movie doesn’t add much to the story. 

So this brings us to my question. Did this book deserve, or need, a modern adaptation? To me, the answer is no. Ray Bradbury's book is highly adaptable to modern day already, with its ideas of humanity's reliance on technology. if this movie stood alone and didn’t claim to be a modern adaptation of Fahrenheit 451, it could’ve done fine. But it tries to claim to be that, while being on a completely different path. But of course, you can watch it and see for yourself. Or, you could not waste your time and read the book instead.