Did these international films need a remake?
Check out some international films and their English remakes to decide which you consider the better version.
International: Oldboy (South Korea, 2003) Director Park Chan-wook
English remake: Oldboy (2013) Director Spike Lee
The original has 43 wins and 28 nominations for awards in film festivals from around the world, as opposed to the English remake, which only has four nominations. The English remake carries over many cultural references I think miss the mark to an English audience.
Synopsis
On a rainy night in 1993 a struggling advertising executive battling alcoholism, Joe Doucett, is inexplicably imprisoned in a rundown hotel room. With no explanation and no contact with the outside world, Joe spends 15 agonizing years trying to uncover the reason behind his mysterious captivity.
Then, just as suddenly as he was taken, Joe is released.
Armed with a stash of cash and a lethal skill set honed in isolation, Joe sets out on a dangerous quest for answers. As he pieces together the truth behind his confinement, each revelation brings him closer to the devastating reality of all he’s lost.
But before he can reclaim his life, Joe must confront the ultimate question: Who is the cruel mastermind behind his torment and why has this happened?
International: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Sweden, 2009) Director Niels Arden Oplev
English remake: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) Director David Fincher
The original garnered 17 wins included a BAFTA and 35 nominations. Unusually, the remade English version also won 25 awards, including an Oscar for Best Achievement in Film Editing. Based on a book by the same name, the book and the original both take place in Sweden. The English version changed the location, which hurt the transition.
Synopsis
Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found. Harriet's beloved uncle is convinced she was murdered and the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed and troubled yet resourceful young computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate.
Lisbeth is a genius hacker with the wisdom of someone twice her age and a terrifying capacity for ruthlessness. The unlikely team of Lisbeth and Mikael discover a vein of nearly unfathomable iniquity running through the Vanger family, an astonishing corruption at the highest echelon of Swedish industrialism and a surprising connection between themselves.
International Title: Let the Right One In (Sweden, 2008) Director Tomas Alfredson
English Remake: Let Me In (2010) Director Matt Reeves
The Swedish version based on the book by the same title has won 76 film awards and been nominated for another 57. The original is much slower-paced then the English remake, but to greater effect. The remake drops you right into the action and doesn't let any mystery evolve.
Synopsis
A young boy who is constantly being bullied at school makes friends with the new girl in the neighborhood. When strange disappearances and murders start happening in the town, all signs point to the new girl and her father, who only come out at night.
When Oscar discovers Eli is a vampire it does not deter his increasing feelings and confused emotions of a young adolescent. When Eli loses the man who protects and provides for her, and as suspicions are mounting from her neighbors and police she must move on to stay alive. However, when Oscar faces his darkest hour, Eli returns to defend him the only way she can.
More international and English remakes to watch
- Open Your Eyes (Spanish, 1997) and Vanilla Sky (English, 2001)
- The Vanishing (Dutch, 1988) and The Vanishing (English, 1993)
- Brodre (Danish, 2004) and Brothers (2009) English
