Roald Dahl birth anniversary: Immerse in these four film adaptations of the British writer's stories

To celebrate his 108th birth anniversary today, we pick out four film adaptations of Roald Dahl’s stories suitable for all ages

Through British writer Roald Dahl’s many worlds, we encounter peculiar characters and dreamt-up words. The Dahl vocabulary is so vast that today there is an Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionary brimming with the onomatopoeic sound of his unique language. And although the author has written several stories for adults, his most popular creations are the ones he wrote for children. He also co-wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the children’s story by James Bond creator, Ian Fleming. Dahl believed, “A life is made up of a great number of small incidents and a small number of great ones”. On his birth anniversary today, celebrated as Roald Dahl Day, we curate four of our favourite film adaptations of his books that you can check out.

Matilda (1996)

Matilda is perhaps one of the most loved stories from Dahl’s oeuvre. It traces the journey of a six-year-old Matilda Wormwood, who is so neglected by her parents that they overlook her supernatural intelligence. Having spent moments alone, she develops a love of reading and learning. However, a nasty surprise awaits her when she is thrust into a school run by the evil Miss Trunchbull. Aided by Miss Honey, who recognises her sharp mind, Matilda sets out to avenge the bullying of her schoolmates by Miss Trunchbull. Danny DeVito’s 1996 film adaptation mixes moments of humour with those of tenderness, and captures the wonder of Dahl’s novel to perfection.
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The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

A moment from the film, The Story of Henry Sugar

Dahl’s little-known story is now an Oscar-winning live-action short by Wes Anderson. Enhanced with the auteur’s ability to create aesthetically rich scenes, coupled with Dahl’s mastery over bizarre narratives, the film depicts the story of a man who was in search of developing a special ability. Henry Sugar wanted to see the world without using his eyes, so he could cheat at gambling. This is when he learns about the story of Imdad Khan, played by Ben Kingsley, who has achieved this ability using the powers of meditation and yoga. Sugar sets off on a mission to attempt the seemingly impossible, leading to fantastic results and an unexpected revelation.
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Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

A scene from Fantastic Mr Fox. Pics Courtesy/YouTube

Before Henry Sugar, Anderson had borrowed Dahl’s 1970 classic, Fantastic Mr. Fox, to create his first stop-motion animated adaptation. This is a story about Mr. Fox who slips into his conniving old schemes of stealing food from the wealthy farmers, despite promising himself to quit and provide a safe home to his family. The Foxes move homes while Bean, Boggis, and Burns, the three farmers, who find out about the fox family’s mischief make life difficult for them. Anderson’s obsession with precision, texture, and colour palette is visible throughout. This is also what makes him stand out from the crowd.      
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The Witches (1990)

Anjelica Huston in The Witches

Luke’s grandmother Helga used to narrate stories about witches to him when he was younger. A few years later, while they are on a trip to England, Luke comes across a convention where witches have gathered, disguised as ordinary people. They have concocted a potion that can turn children into mice. As Bruce Jenkins, a boy Luke befriends at the hotel, falls prey to this, Luke hides and watches. Soon, however, he gets caught and becomes their next target. Luke and Bruce hatch a plan to take revenge on the witches and save all the children from their wickedness. Anjelica Huston, who plays the head of the witches, the Grand High Witch, was praised for her impeccable portrayal in the film. The 1990 classic also manages to maintain the right balance in the depiction of the absolute evil of the witches and the goodness of the people, without exaggeration or underperformance.
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