American remakes v. foreign originals
March 14, 2008
By: Sam Watermeier <swatermeier@hilite.org>
Americans like their movies grand and flashy. When making a remake of a foreign film, directors need to realize that their job is not to be loyal to the original, but to make it their own. Some directors follow this rule, but others still do not.
A recent example of a great remake of a foreign film is “The Departed,” based on the Hong Kong film “Infernal Affairs.” Legendary director Martin Scorsese took the basic plot of the original film and infused it with his unique style and sense of Americana. “The Departed” opens with his signature use of Rolling Stones music, features wicked hard-core Bostonians and gritty action violence. Watching this film unfold on the big screen, I felt right at home, which is the whole point of remake of a foreign film. Speaking of feeling right at home, the Dutch film “Interview” was a perfect film to remake because its themes of sensationalism and celebrity are relevant to our E! channel-obsessed nation. Before I go too far, I must say that the golden rule of remakes still applies: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” However, a few films have benefited greatly from modern tweaking.
The 2002 Stephen Soderbergh film “Solaris,” a science-fiction romance/psychodrama, improved upon the original 1972 Russian film by making the world of the story more appealing with state-of-the-art visual effects. The 1998 “Godzilla” moved past the cheesiness of the original Japanese film with its better-looking Godzilla monster. The rest of that film is terrible, but that is beside the point.
There are still some directors that ignore the rules for success in making remakes, which is mind-boggling. Although it is an entertaining film, “The Ring” is too loyal to the look and feel of the Japanese “Ringu.” The same criticism applies to the horror film “The Grudge” based on the Japanese “Ju-On.” The problem with these films is that they do not feel fresh and Americanized. Note to the directors of those remakes: Don’t be afraid to be yourselves.
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