Edward Bovingdon’s article “Movies you never knew were remakes” really got me thinking……are remakes a slightly lazy ploy by Hollywood to glean every last dollar from a proven formula or should we be more accepting of a process which enables the exposure of bygone/art films to new audiences??
My initial reaction is rather negative, as my Twitter feed will support I was outraged to see they are remaking Dirty Dancing and I openly boycotted the Keira Knightley remake of Pride and Prejudice. Yet I have readily enjoyed other films which are remakes such as The Departed even though I had seen the original Infernal Affairs. So am I anti remakes or not? Why do I find myself so against certain remakes yet favouring others?
The more I think about this the more I realise just how many factors there are which affect my view. There is the obvious issue of personal interpretation, as with most art forms. What do I as a viewer bring to the experience, how deeply did I relate to the film, what was going on in my life at the time, did I see the original or the remake first, was I aware I was even watching a remake?
On the flip side, having studied film and delved very deeply into the inner workings and influences in films it is evident that they very much reflect the mood of the time, they are sculpted heavily by political, historical, cultural factors, the director’s style and it is equally the fusion of these elements which can make the film such a success, elements which are impossible to recreate.
There is also the fact that filmmaking and cinema technology is forever evolving with the advent of sound, colour, CGI, 3D and continually pushing the boundaries of the viewer’s experience. Why not bring another dimension, which was not previously available, to a successful film as in the case of The Wizard of Oz remake Edward refers to? Again though, I guess it comes down to whether you feel the new technology brings something greater to the film or not. I am not sure whether a 3D remake of a 2D film would convince me as I feel whilst this latest development has a place in filmmaking, it is not in every case and takes away the all important panoramic, privileged position of viewing for me in many instances.
I suppose we also cannot ignore the fact that remakes can work as well in translating art/foreign film to the masses as well. Rightly or wrongly many people are put off by subtitles and challenging narratives so a mainstream remake may bleach out much of this uniqueness but enable exposure to otherwise avoided films.
I also find myself asking whether a remake should try to do something very different, using the original format purely as a base? For example the latest version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory promised to allow the more sinister side of Roald Dahl’s tale to seep through. I am not sure how well this worked but it did manage to maintain some originality.
I think as with any film debate it is impossible to come to a neat conclusion and it will continue to run and run. I for one think it is important to take each film remake in its own right rather than blanket them all with the same view. Having said that I won’t be going to see the remake of Dirty Dancing or getting out the latest Pride and Prejudice DVD any time soon. Hmmm I’m wondering… is it just a strange coincidence that my loyalty to these originals is coupled with a major crush on the leading men…….??
What do you think about remakes?
CineGem 
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