Think of a film from the distant or not-so-distant past that you would like to watch as a remake with different actors or upgraded visual effects, and then go on IMDb. Someone will probably beat you to the punch, not only having thought about it but also announcing it or having it in preproduction already. Who knows? Maybe you have even watched it and never knew it was the remake in the first place. Think of a graphic novel, book or series you would like to see getting adapted. Same! Welcome to the golden era of sequels, prequels, spinoffs, knockoffs, remakes, reboots, and adaptations.
In this article, I would like to narrow down this era only to hand-picked, not well-known international films that have spawned renowned Hollywood critically acclaimed and/or box office successes, with some of them being seen exclusively as money-making projects. The reason I decided to write on that is to provide only basic information on both versions, maybe get you to watch either or both of them and then get you to ask yourselves if the Hollywood remake added to the equation or if it was indeed necessary. Then, should you wish to, feel free to visit the Wikipedia page (see link at the end) for more remakes from all over the world and examine the narratives, principles, and intentions behind the different production eras, cultural norms, and the impact of language differences. If you are interested in learning more about adaptations (and genre, and how to “read” a film), I have referenced personal favourite books that opened my eyes years ago. For a more specific or generic bibliography, please feel free to contact me.
The article tips off, but it’s spoilers-free, so enjoy reading!
Original: Oldeuboi (2003) – South Korea vs Hollywood Remake: Old Boy (2013)
Based on the Japanese manga by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya, writer/director Chan-wook Park delivers one of the best and most daring adaptations we have ever seen. It is the second – and arguably the harshest – of the “Revenge Trilogy”. Graphic violence starts off with something as minor as eating live octopodes to a protracted one-take corridor fight seen to ear stabbings and cutting off tongues. Park’s eye and Min-sik Choi’s radical performance make Oldeuboi‘s distorted narrative work like a Swiss watch, ranking it 29 in the BBC Culture poll conducted in 2018 (best foreign films), making its remake really hard to match, much less offer something more.
The not-so-daring remake by the amazing Spike Lee and the well-established Josh Brolin lacks the atmosphere of the original because the studio’s “naysayers” blatantly cut approximately 36’ of the film, leaving it in the cutting room, offering a dissatisfying final cut ultimately. So, no live octopus eating, something that in this day and age can be easily replaced, or a visually satisfying one-take corridor fight scene, or anything else for that matter. The themes of manga and films address “revenge” and how it destroys not only the person seeking it but also the people around them. So, the way I see it, only the idea of watering down the original’s script and holding punches adapting it automatically degrades its quality. As Howard Hawks said it best: “You can’t fix a bad script after you start shooting. The problems on the page only get bigger as they move to the big screen.”
“Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone.” – Oldeuboi
Original: La Jetée (1962) – France vs Hollywood Remake: 12 Monkeys (1995)
La Jetée is a beautiful sequence of black and white photographs accompanied by mesmerising music and a powerful narration. Chris Marker’s creation is the perfect example of a short, experimental film where the viewer dives into an illusionistic documentary-like narrative in which WWIII’s outcome creates a dystopian, post-apocalyptic, futuristic Middle Ages. It ranked 86 in the BBC Culture poll conducted in 2018 and gave a solid foundation for Terry Gilliam to bring to life the 12 Monkeys.
Gilliam, always expressing a unique vision through his lens, builds on Marker’s masterpiece and writes an ambiguous plot that generates many theories as to whether the protagonist suffers from insanity or a deadly virus is actually released in the future, wiping out most of the Earth’s population. A fascinating yet unsettling remake with A-list actors understanding what 12 Monkeys is all about, with plenty of Gilliam’s trademarks and an allusive theme that requires a lot of dot-connecting.
Original: Der Himmel über Berlin (Wings of Desire) (1987) – Germany vs Hollywood Remake: City of Angels (1998)
An against of all odds scenario where a supreme being desires to become human, having experienced first hand the atrocities of its nature. Ranked 34 in the BBC Culture poll conducted in 2018, Der Himmel über Berlin captures a poetic “hero’s journey” unfolding in the Cold War era Berlin. Close to the fall of the wall of shame, Wim Wenders leaves the Hollywood narrative behind him, looks from above, and through angels’ eyes, divulges to the rest of the world the division between East and West Berlin as well as the Berliners. Think of angels as observers, as if you left your body and observed yourself’s utterances and actions and how much more you would have noticed about you. Wenders’ angels live among millions of people in a troubled city, trying to understand why people want to learn how to make war and not find love. Starting with loving themselves… Extraordinary music and photography and extraordinary performances by Bruno Ganz and Peter Falk.
Cutting to just over ten years later and thousands of miles away, City of Angels becomes a romantic remake with two A-list actors: Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan. Is it enjoyable? Is it a film worth watching? Yes, and yes. Watching it as an original would have been the perfect Hollywood fantasy/romance film. Each of us seeks love and happiness in this life, and Cage and Ryan become the perfect duo in front of the screen. Highly recommended! As an adaptation, though, it is the circumstances that change, the source of pain for both angels and humans alike. And I find it hard even to locate a comparison here. Maybe you can.
“wer bunker baut wirft bomben” (= “those who build bunkers throw bombs”)
Seth: To touch you… and to feel you. To be able to hold your hand right now. Do you know what that means to me?
Original: Mou gaan dou (Infernal Affairs) (2002) – Hong Kong vs Hollywood Remake: The Departed (2006)
Well, Mou gaan dou didn’t make the cut to the BBC Culture poll 2018, and it wasn’t nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 76th Academy Awards either. But I can tell you with certainty that that means nothing. This is one of the best gangster crime/drama/mystery films you will have ever watched (if you haven’t already), and it comes from Hong Kong. Three solid acts of… “Endless Purgatory Road”. One hour and forty minutes of delving into the characters’ inner changes, the ambiguity of morals, the clash between thousands of years of philosophies, and the downright cruelty of human nature in modern everyday life. Superb performances by the main and supporting characters and first-class directing by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak.
The torch for the remake is passed to none other than one of the best directors ever existed, Martin Scorsese, who finally won one of the many well-deserved Oscars. To top it up, The Departed adds an archipelago of A-list actors and actresses (as per IMDB, their salaries comprised half of the film’s $90M budget) who couldn’t have done a better job. Even the overuse of the word “fuck” and its multiple permutations (238 times) sounds like literature. Former Irish mob members, police officers, and psychiatrists, to name but a few, consulted cast and crew and contributed to the film’s critically acclaimed box office success, raising it to the Goodfellas (1990) level. The Departed became Boston’s paradigm of Irish-American gangsters and fell no short of the tremendously high expectations.
Conclusion
So, how many more remakes do we need? Is it the American audience’s demand to Americanise foreign success or Hollywood’s mania to prove that they can do it better? Evidently, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. The “who”, “why”, “what”, “when” and “how” I guess determine whether or not a film needs to be left alone. I can’t help but wonder, though, with all the billions of dollars spent annually, why wouldn’t Hollywood invest in original stories as much anymore? Netflix does it, and campaigns are run against it, not considering its films worthy of the highest Academic recognition. What is the need for this? What do you think? Just food for thought.
Thank you kindly for reading!
Websites
• http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20181029-the-100-greatest-foreign-language-films
• Bordwell, D. (2008) Poetics of Cinema. Routledge.
• King, G. (2000) Spectacular Narratives: Hollywood in the Age of the Blockbuster. I.B Tauris.
• Leitch, T. (2007) Film Adaptation & Its Discontents: From Gone with the Wind to The Passion of the Christ. The Johns Hopkins University Press.
• Mazdon, L. (2000) Encore Hollywood: Remaking French Cinema. British Film Institute.
• Monaco, J. (2000) How to Read a Film: The World of Movies, Media, and Multimedia. Oxford University Press.
• Welsh, J.M. (2007). The Literature/Film Reader: Issues of Adaptation. The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
Thanks for reading!
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