Foreign Language Remakes: A Concept of Controversy
Original Publication 03/02/21
Spoilers ahead!
Recently, I dug out some old articles and journals. Some I had worked on before the pandemic, some were written during my time as a student, and some ventured back even further to my earliest days as a writer. As a proclaimed advocate of anything cinema, film-related pieces were the most prominent in a sea of material that varied in quality and content. What follows, is my attempt to improve and expand on one such piece. If you will allow me to indulge myself, read on...
Artistic ownership is a fragile thing. In the context of cinema, it’s bought and sold like a fluctuating piece of real estate. From these rather callous acts of repurposing, we, as an audience, have become witness to the emergence of a host of remakes and remasters over the past two or three decades. Humans are sentimental creatures though, I’m certainly no different. But what this notion risks is the ability to judge a picture purely on its own merit.
For the most part, the reboots and remakes train certainly isn't pulling into its last stop. Instead, it's begun to gradually gain pace once more, after merely resting during the events of 2020. There are a number of live-action Disney remakes in the works for 2021, as well as a reboot of Mortal Kombat (Simon McQuoid 2021) and Spiral: From the Book of Saw (Darren Lynn Bousman 2021).
For the purpose of this piece, my curiosity points to, specifically, foreign language remakes. Why is Hollywood so afraid of an original idea? If we look for the obvious answer, the former presents more of a sure thing, a bigger cash cow if you will. They appeal to that larger demographic of moviegoers who will be unfortunately blind to a scintillating film because of their reluctance to sit through one featuring subtitles. After all, why watch a film with subtitles when you can watch the same film in English? It pains me to even type that.
A cogent example, Let the Right One in (Tomas Alfredson 2008) follows Oskar, a bullied child who finds love and retribution through a young vampire, Eli. The film is largely about young love, child innocence and existentialism, while the existence of a vampire serves more to complement these themes rather than stand alone as a narrative technique in itself. Set in Stockholm in 1982, the story takes place during the winter, and, due to the nocturnal nature of winter in Scandinavia, the narrative unfolds almost entirely under the cover of night. Such a plot device is deliberate and thoughtful, while the sight of dark red blood against the crisp, white snow under the twinkle of moonlight is visually striking.
Only two years later, came the American remake entitled Let Me In (Matt Reeves 2010). The film could be regarded as a classic modern horror movie, but while director Matt Reeves stated a desire to stay true to the original film, the changes he carried out caused the film to be open to criticism. The introduction of non-linear storytelling shifted the viewpoint of the narrative, while the changed setting of New Mexico provides a glaring juxtaposition to the cold, white and somewhat bleak landscape of Stockholm. Even Oskar and Eli's names were changed to Owen and Abby, respectively. These changes deposed crucial elements that made the original so tantalising, to begin with. In the words of Tomas Alfredson, “remakes should be made of movies that aren't very good, that gives you the chance to fix whatever has gone wrong". A simple, but honest consensus. It seems he too is a creature of sentimentality.
Moving out east, Oldboy (Chan-wook Park 2003) is well known by today’s standards. The film tells the story of Oh Dae-Su (Choi Min-Sik), a Korean man imprisoned in a hotel room cell for 15 years without knowing the identity or motive of his captor. After being released, Oh Dae-Su begins a quest for vengeance and answers. The original film is based on a Japanese manga of the same name and boasts some elaborate and expertly choreographed fight scenes. One, in particular, took three days and seventeen takes to perfect. Such scenes invoke a sense of joyful glee for the audience and the violence depicted exists to serve a purpose, reflecting the anguish and inner turmoil of Oh Dae-Su, while also portraying elements of Korean culture. The film plays with conventions of more typical Hollywood thrillers. Whereas these may seek to use violence as a means of distracting from the main plot, Oldboy uses its violence and dark subject matter to pull its audience on a journey that’s new and visceral.
On this occasion, its remake came a decade later. Also entitled Oldboy (Spike Lee 2013), it starred Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen and Sharlto Copley. As American action thrillers go, Lee's version is a passable retelling. The acting is credible and there's a clear and appealing visual style that’s synonymous with its neo-noir genre. However, the film plays out like exactly what it's marketed as, an American remake of its South Korean counterpart. Nothing more, nothing less. While the original garnered immense popularity for offering something unconventional, Lee's remake lacked such broad appeal. Everything felt too familiar, like an unsettling hit of deja vu, leading one to surmise “what was the point?” Its status as a "box office bomb" also speaks volumes of its failure to thrill and appeal to audiences.
An example I would like to turn to now, curious reader, is the brilliant crime drama The Departed (Martin Scorsese 2006), based on the lesser-known Hong Kong picture, Infernal Affairs (Andrew Lau and Alan Mak 2002). The latter explores the theme of identity through its protagonists, Chang (Tony Leung) and Lau (Andrew Lau), two undercover police officers, playing the part equally for both sides. Chang works as a mole in a triad gang and vice versa, Lau works as a mole in the Hong Kong police department. Each battle with their own identity throughout the course of the narrative, falling further into the lives they’ve created for themselves. Lau’s fiancee Mary (Sammi Cheng), is an author going through a batch of writer’s block, unable to decide whether her main protagonist is a good or bad guy. It creates a poignant analogy for Lau. Both men are each born from a desire for change, and not necessarily on their own terms, as each is placed in their respective positions at the request of their superiors.
Directors Lau and Mak cite Face/Off (John Woo 1997) as a driving inspiration behind the film. The idea of 'change face' is popular in Chinese Opera and is used to explore the altering of Lau and Chang's identities between "good" and "bad sides". Such themes also apply liberally to Hong Kong. Only 5 years before the release of the film, Hong Kong had switched from British colonial ruling to ruling under the Chinese government. Now classed as a “Special Administrative Region”, Hong Kong was in a transitional period and the film intelligently uses this social context as a lens through which we can study the two protagonists. Chang represents a rebirth into a new identity, an escape from the confusion of such a period, whereas Lau represents an embracing of the new regime.
Scorsese, a self-confessed cinephile of the highest order (as all worthy directors should be) chose to stay true to the themes of the original narrative, namely the search for identity. Character roles and story arcs were largely maintained, with a wealth of talents such as Leonardo Di Caprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson stepping in, among others. We see the biggest change, arguably, through the setting. As previously identified, such a change opens the pathway for controversy. But this is Scorsese, after all. The man is a master at steering his own ship and any change in direction is made with poise and assured confidence in his own abilities. Setting an American crime drama in the Irish neighbourhood of South Boston allowed the film to explore that particular enclosed society, providing additional elements to an already engrossing narrative.
With the exception of Dignam (Mark Wahlberg), a character not seen in Infernal Affairs (one can only wish every member of the police was this much sheer entertainment), Scorsese largely portrays the Irish American culture through a crew led by mobster Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). The use of profane and antagonistic language is indicative of Boston's Irish neighbourhood and is used in great quantities throughout the movie, whether to portray humour or hostility. The use of 'Dropkick Murphy's', a band born and bred in that neighbourhood, is also a fitting touch.
The key, it seems, for remakes and, indeed, reboots, is to consider respecting what came before, whilst also allowing for creative interpretation. But considering the wealth of original narratives that surely exist out there, any form of negligence can rightly be considered a crying shame. On a closing note, what amuses me, curious reader, is the irony involved in remakes. For the large majority of these films are developed from source material that is the epitome of fresh, compelling cinema.