Listmania!
Films To Teach Literature With
Of Mice And Men [1992]Of Mice And Men [1992]
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £3.20
Faithful rendition of Steinbeck' novel. Great performances and engaging for most kids.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein [1994]Mary Shelley's Frankenstein [1994]
Buy new: £4.21 / Used from: £1.50
Relentlessly OTT interpretation of the novel. Still, if there's anything teenagers go for it's overwrought emotion and needless gore.
V for Vendetta [2006]V for Vendetta [2006]
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £1.28
A brilliant discourse on terrorism and government control. Complete with big fight scenes and euphoric ending. Teenagers wolf it down.
Shakespeare ReTold [2005]Shakespeare ReTold [2005]
Buy new: £6.98 / Used from: £5.99
Far better than the hugely over-rated-yet-de-rigeur Luhrman R&J. Short, snappy and easily understood. Ideal.
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales [1992]Shakespeare: The Animated Tales [1992]
Buy new: £20.99 / Used from: £20.00
Again, more classroom friendly than the usual cinematic Shakespeare. Twelve plays reduced to half an hour each.
Death Of A Salesman [1985]Death Of A Salesman [1985]
Buy new: £4.97 / Used from: £7.44
A good breakdown of a text that many pupils find confusing. Worth a go.
Animal Farm [1955]Animal Farm [1955]
Buy new: £5.97 / Used from: £3.50
Despite its age, still a brilliantly simple and effective film. Avoid the Hallmark version which is, in every conceivable way, awful.
Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life... And Other Strange Tales [1999] (REGION 1) (NTSC)Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life... And Other Strange Tales [1999] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
It's a rare occasion that allows you to teach Kafka, but this sweet film really grabs the sense of humour in the text and has been very effective with older pupils.
To Kill A Mockingbird (2 Disc Special Edition)To Kill A Mockingbird (2 Disc Special Edition)
Buy new: £5.98 / Used from: £5.60
It might be an oldie but it works in class. Many points of comparison with the text and good as a means to bridging from textual study to a broader analysis of racism.
Lord Of The Flies [1963]Lord Of The Flies [1963]
Buy new: £6.98
Not an ideal adaptation but far superior to the later version. Worth watching the final scenes in isolation, rather than watching the whole film.