Do English language remakes bring new audiences to the original film?

Sad Professor

Inspired by the Let Me In thread. Let Me In was a remake of the Swedish film Let The Right One In which came out only 2 years earlier. The remake is generally well liked but is still considered inferior to the Swedish original.

A lot of people are disturbed by the idea of English language remakes of excellent foreign films because they fear it will result in the original film being overlooked. But I've also come across the argument that actually these remakes bring new audiences to the earlier film. There is certainly a case for with Let Me In where it's impossible to find any discussion about it online that doesn't bring up the original film. So I'm sure there are many people who have since checked out the original film because of the remake. Is this always the case though?

So putting aside the whole issue of whether these films should be remade or not, are these remakes actually good for the original film?

Thoughts?

Carcharodon

Personally, if I knew that a film was a remake then I would avoid this new version and go watch the original because 9 times out of 10 the original will be far superior. So in that respect yes but I usually would of seen most excellent foreign movies anyway so that point is kind of void for me.

I don't see how a remake can really damage the original since the original has probably made most of the money its going to make anyway, it will probably get a revenue boost with more people checking it out, now they know about it from the remake as you said.

Da Shins Kelly

I think English-language remakes of great foreign films are just examples of lazy film-making. Often they don't deviate very much from the original or put any kind of unique stamp on it, and I don't really see the point of most of them other than to cash in on someone else's idea by marketing to people who couldn't be bothered reading.

Regardless of money, I just think that sometimes remakes take away from originals, and the people who were involved in the original, especially if the original is a great movie like Let The Right One In. I understand that Let Me In could be seen as a tribute to the original, but I said it in the other thread, I feel a little sorry for Tomas Alfredson when he says he was a little disappointed to hear of a remake being made, especially so soon after his version came out. I think people should just have their own vision, rather than taking someone else's, scene-for-scene. Like, this is art after all, and if I were a film maker and Hollywood made an exact copy of my original film simply to market it to Americans, I'd probably feel a little hard done by and probably a bit insulted. Like, in the case of LTROI, it's Alfredson's creation, so I think it should be just left alone.

I don't think remakes damage originals as such, I think they just maybe take some credit away from great originals. Sometimes great movies should just be left the way they are and allowed to stand on their own.

Mickeroo

Whats people's htoughts on dubbing?? I'm generally against it myself, but if its done properly it can be ok. I remember watching a dubbed version of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and it was pretty well done, nearly forgot it was dubbed in some places. Surely its a viable option to get the film out to a wider audience who wouldn't usually watch foreign films due to subtitles? On the other hand I suppose it would put some people off watching a film too. Just a thought anyway.

I think there's definitely a percentage of people who would go and check out an original after watching a remake. Take Girl With THe Dragon Tattoo, I'm sure people who enjoy the Fincher version might get curious and watch the two swedish sequels. I know heaps of people who watched Infernal Affairs after watching The Departed too.

Da Shins Kelly

It's probably also worth pointing out that a lot of Quentin Tarantino's movies are remakes of a sort, although he puts his own very unique angle on them (changes in plots, different dialogue, etc.). He's a good example of someone who can take inspiration from others and "borrow" from old films, without completely copying someone else's work. I would find that more flattering than an exact remake.

Carcharodon

Mickeroo wrote: »

Whats people's htoughts on dubbing?? I'm generally against it myself, but if its done properly it can be ok. I remember watching a dubbed version of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and it was pretty well done, nearly forgot it was dubbed in some places. Surely its a viable option to get the film out to a wider audience who wouldn't usually watch foreign films due to subtitles? On the other hand I suppose it would put some people off watching a film too. Just a thought anyway.

Hate dubbing with a passion, I just dont see the need for it. I know subtitles obviously does throw some people off but let them off sure and they can go enjoy Transformers and the likes.

johnny_ultimate

I think it would be a more worthwhile exercise pumping money into more widespread releases of foreign cinema in the first place rather than using remakes as a way to bring films to a wider audience - how can a wide audience even know, say, Tell No-One exists when it's relegated to small screens in big cities? Of course, the reality is that subtitles are a deterrent for a disturbingly large percentage of the audience, so there is that argument that a remake is better than nothing for them. But surely attempting to educate a mainstream audience on the virtues of original world cinema is a worthwhile endeavour, although the fear is it would just be futile and be met with widespread hostility.

As for the argument that discussion about Let Me In always draws direct comparisons to Let the Right One In? Well, I think that's all down to who is discussing it. Alas, those of us online discussing cinema do not always speak for the majority, and anyone who will actively engage or even be interested in discourse about it are likely the ones who saw LTROI in the first place. Let Me In - according to wikipedia - has a higher gross revenue than the Swedish original, but how many members of that larger audience even know LTROI in exists? It's something I'm not sure it will ever be possible to adequately analyse, but then again I feel you can never underestimate the laziness / apathy / casualness of most cinemagoers!

Mickeroo

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

I think it would be a more worthwhile exercise pumping money into more widespread releases of foreign cinema in the first place rather than using remakes as a way to bring films to a wider audience - how can a wide audience even know, say, Tell No-One exists when it's relegated to small screens in big cities? Of course, the reality is that subtitles are a deterrent for a disturbingly large percentage of the audience, so there is that argument that a remake is better than nothing for them. But surely attempting to educate a mainstream audience on the virtues of original world cinema is a worthwhile endeavour, although the fear is it would just be futile and be met with widespread hostility.

As for the argument that discussion about Let Me In always draws direct comparisons to Let the Right One In? Well, I think that's all down to who is discussing it. Alas, those of us online discussing cinema do not always speak for the majority, and anyone who will actively engage or even be interested in discourse about it are likely the ones who saw LTROI in the first place. Let Me In - according to wikipedia - has a higher gross revenue than the Swedish original, but how many members of that larger audience even know LTROI in exists? It's something I'm not sure it will ever be possible to adequately analyse, but then again I feel you can never underestimate the laziness / apathy / casualness of most cinemagoers!

I agree. All would need is a marketing push. THe likes of Amelie, Nightwatch, Crouching Tiger....all showed that with the right amount of exposure a subtitled film can appeal to the wider cinema going public.

Da Shins Kelly

I also think there's a clash between European films and American audiences in general with regards to pacing. European films tend to be kinda slow-burners, and I think this feeling of a slower pace is probably heightened by subtitles too. But, I agree that more needs to be done about marketing.

Otis Driftwood

Maybe in other countries but by and large,I think most people in Ireland would likely have seen the original anyway if it was a big movie in its native country.The fact that foreign language films still come with a warning sticker in Xtravision telling people the movie is subbed says it all.

ziedth

Was crouching tiger not dubbed in some new way so it seemed allot more natural?

Anyway, In answer to the OP me personally I would definately watch an original if I enjoyed a remake. Internal affairs and let me in being the obvious examples in my head.

ztoical

Do they bring a new audience? Maybe, it's always hard to judge these things as alot of people aren't aware some films are remakes and those that are are more likely to have seen the original already. It can be a good thing from the point of view of getting a decent cinema/dvd/blue ray release of the original film or bad in that some studios can buy the rights to the film and bury it in order to push their own version [Disney are pretty bad for doing that] From the point of view of the filmmaker depending on how up to speed they are they can make a decent bit of money from it which in turn can help them make more films or you could end up making the remake yourself and have it go very wrong ala the Pang Brothers.

Straight up remakes are usually a pain as they tend to be very watered down versions of the source material with random name actor thrown in to sell it but alot of 'remakes' are more adaptions as the original films like let the right one in are based on books and the films are both adapting the same source material rather then doing a direct remake. Sometimes there can be cultural reasons for doing a remake. I remember going to see 'the Eye' [original not remake] and not being overly impressed while my Chinese boyfriend at the time kept cultching my hand and pointing out how scary certain parts were but it was a cultural thing [things like ghosts eating candles for example] that I didn't get or films like Fever Pitch - english version focused on football, American version focused on Baseball while on the flip side some films don't make good adaptions for the same reasons...the Japanese film Shall we dance for example worked as a Japanese film as ballroom dancing is veiwed almost like porn in Japan while the remake set in america really made no sense as you lost that cultural connection.

It does work both ways though as there are some pretty awful remakes of american/english films floating around.

Sad Professor

ztoical wrote: »

but alot of 'remakes' are more adaptions as the original films like let the right one in are based on books and the films are both adapting the same source material rather then doing a direct remake.

Fincher's upcoming version of Girl With The Dragon Tattoo would fit this category. But Let Me In is definitely a direct remake of the original film rather than another adaptation of the novel. I mean, it's shot for shot in many places.

Mickeroo

ziedth wrote: »

Was crouching tiger not dubbed in some new way so it seemed allot more natural?

Yea I thought it was. When characters would say anothe's name their lips sync I think. I seem to remembering they did anyway. One of the few fims I've seen where the dubbing didn't detract from my enjoyment at all.

Rabidlamb

I'm looking forward to Finchers remake of A Girl with the Dragon Tattoo cause I believe the original could have been better.
The subtitles don't bother me either way.

jaykhunter

I think remakes are a great idea (with respect to the original). Either it's better than the original, in which case it should've been made, or it's inferior and new people hear of the better original version and many might seek it out. So it's win-win, really. I know a lot of people can't stand subtitles so at least they see the film in some shape or form.

Also tbh almost everything churned out by hollywood is a remake/reboot or reimagining. The best you can hope for really is that it's just a book adaption. I don't understand how a new version can overlook the original - it's getting free press and acknowledgement, something it generally wouldn't have if the remake was coming out.

ztoical

Sad Professor wrote: »

Fincher's upcoming version of Girl With The Dragon Tattoo would fit this category. But Let Me In is definitely a direct remake of the original film rather than another adaptation of the novel. I mean, it's shot for shot in many places.

It's been stated it's adapted based on both the novel and the screenplay for the sweedish film but with alterations from both for example the american version removed the gender confusion plot that is in both the novel and sweedish adaption.

Sad Professor

That's what they said initially and that's what the credits indicate, but I see no evidence in the remake that Reeves went back to the book. It's clearly based on the screenplay of the Swedish original - with additional changes, of course.

pickarooney

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

I think it would be a more worthwhile exercise pumping money into more widespread releases of foreign cinema in the first place rather than using remakes as a way to bring films to a wider audience - how can a wide audience even know, say, Tell No-One exists when it's relegated to small screens in big cities?

Interestingly, if they remade that it would be an American remake of a French film of an American book (or simply a re-adaptation).