
Contraband is coming out; it’s an American remake (with Mark Wahlberg) of an Icelandic movie called Reykjavik-Rotterdam. Contraband follows The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo remake that came out last month and stayed more or less true to the Swedish one. There are more and more of these American remakes of foreign films coming out, mainly because most of the American movie goers don’t really like subtitled movies, so the remakes make sense for that purpose.
A postmodernist might also say that nothing is original in the postmodern era, so it doesn’t really matter if it’s a remake, what matters is how well it’s made. So, are the remakes really as good as the originals? I did the job for you and watched 10 recent examples of originals vs. their remakes and came back with sensational (well, not really) conclusions:
10. Germany vs. USA

Das Experiment (2001): Based on the 1971 Stanford University simulation study of the psychology of imprisonment, it is an intense psychodrama about a group of ordinary men who volunteer to participate in a paid two-week study on the mental effects of prison life.
The Experiment (2010): The remake starred Adrien Brody opposite Forest Whitaker, it was released straight to video in the United States despite being a solid remake with two great leading actors.
And the winner is: The German movie. Both movies work as a morality tale that reminds us that power corrupts, but the German original was more tense and more disturbing than the American remake and made a stronger impact.
9. Denmark vs. USA

Brothers (2004): The beautiful Connie Nielsen is the powerful and emotional star of the acclaimed Danish film. It tells the story of a soldier, Michael, who goes off on a mission to Afghanistan, his helicopter is shot down and he is assumed to have been killed in action. The news devastates his wife Sarah (Nielsen), while his brother Jannik steps in to help her and the kids build a new life. But as Jannik and Sarah grow close, it is discovered that Michael has survived - and has done something that haunts him and threatens everything and everyone.
Brothers (2009): The American remake starred Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal as the brothers and Natalie Portman stepped into Connie Nielsen’s role from the original. The character-driven drama was lifted by strong performances, especially by Tobey Maguire.
And the winner is: I don’t want to create any favoritism among siblings, I call it a draw. Both movies were equally emotional with great performances.
8. France vs. USA

The Dinner Game (1998): Pierre and his snobbish friends enjoy a cruel tradition, hosting dinner parties and seeing who can bring the dullest, most idiotic guest. Pierre is confident he has found a real champion in Francois, an accountant whose favorite hobby is making matchstick models of famous tourist attractions. But the tables turn when Pierre gets stuck in his apartment for the weekend with Francois, and is forced to dine on his just desserts.
Dinner for Schmucks (2010): Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, and Zach Galifianakis starred in the remake that did quite poorly both critically and financially.
And the winner is: The French original. Both versions offered more than a few laughs, but the French movie was not only funnier, but also more sentimental and “feel good”, while the American relied more on silly humor and slapstick.
7. Thailand vs. USA

Bangkok Dangerous (1999): Kong is a mute and deaf killer. Joe is Kong’s best friend, who retired from working as a hitman when his hand was injured in a shootout. One day, Kong meets Fon, a sweet innocent young woman who works in a drugstore. He falls in love and begins to question the life he leads.
Bangkok Dangerous (2008): The American remake was less moody and stylized and swapped the deaf-mute Thai hit man for Nicholas Cage as a mentor to a young trainee assassin. The deaf-mute element didn’t disappear completely from the movie, since Cage’s pharmacist/love interest in the movie was deaf-mute.
And the winner is: The Thai movie. The theory about the ratio between Nicholas Cage’s hair length and the quality of the movie he’s in is always right (The longer the hair, the worst the movie, and in Bangkok Dangerous his hair is very long).
3-0 for the foreign originals.
6. Argentina vs. USA

Nine Queens (2000): Tells the story of Juan, a con artist with a conscience. Trying to round up enough money to pay off his father’s debts, Juan stumbles into fellow swindler Marcos, a far more confident, experienced criminal. When Marcos offers Juan the chance to team up for the day he agrees to the partnership. After a few minor cons, the pair unknowingly stumbles into a potentially lucrative score involving a wealthy businessman, Gandolfo, and a forged set of rare stamps, The Nine Queens.
Criminal (2004): In the remake John C. Riley plays the lead and does an impressive job as always. Even after watching the original, it is still genuinely difficult to determine who is conning whom in Criminal (you tend to forget a lot in 4 years).
And the winner is: A draw. Both movies are clever, with many twists and turns and with strong performances all around.
5. Sweden vs. USA

Let The Right One In (2008): A lonely misfit finds a soul mate in the form of a vampire child who recently became his neighbor. This atmospheric and captivating movie is probably the best Swedish movie in the last 25 years.
Let Me In (2010): The remake takes place in a small New Mexican town and stars the rising star Chloe Moretz as the young (young looking at least) vampire.
And the winner is: Once again a draw, you might start thinking these movies are actually very much alike. The remake manages to be quite similar to the original, but also be different enough to hold its own.
4. Hong Kong vs. USA

Infernal Affairs (2002): Ming is a cop who secretly reports to ruthless crime boss Sam; and Yan is an undercover police officer who poses as a Triad member in Sam’s gang. For Yan, the years of living in the criminal underworld have taken their toll, and he longs to return to regular police duty. However, the only person who knows Yan’s true identity is his mentor Superintendent Wong, also the unsuspecting superior of Ming. When Wong’s officers come face to face with Sam’s gang, both leaders realize there are moles in their midst.
The Departed (2006): The American remake had Martin Scorsese in the helm and a super impressive cast that included Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Matt Damon among others. After years of disappointments at the Academy Awards, The Departed was finally the movie that brought Scorsese the long awaited Oscar.
And the winner is: Hong Kong. Despite the huge success of The Departed, both critically and financially, it wasn’t as good as Infernal Affairs. The Hong Kong original is extremely suspenseful, and in my opinion, one of the best crime thrillers ever made.
3. Norway vs. USA

Insomnia (1997): An exiled Swedish city detective working in Norway travels to the small coastal town of Tromso in order to investigate the murder of a teenage girl. He makes a fatal mistake in the investigation, his conscience, coupled with the insomnia caused by the 24-hour summer sunlight of northernmost Norway, sets him on the path to insanity.
Insomnia (2002): The America remake directed by Christopher Nolan took place in Alaska and had Robin Williams playing opposite Al Pacino.
And the winner is: I lost a lot of sleep trying to reach my decision here; eventually I was so tired I decided to call it a draw. Both are well made tense psychological thrillers.
2. Spain vs. USA

Open Your Eyes (1997): 25-year-old César has it all: a successful career, expensive cars, and an endless string of beautiful and willing women. Unfortunately, he can’t get rid of his latest conquest, Nuria, soon enough. When she crashes his birthday party, César uses his best friend Pelayo’s stunningly attractive girlfriend, Sofia, as a means to get to her. The next morning, Nuria is waiting in her car outside his apartment and manages to coax him into the vehicle. The next thing César knows, he’s wearing a mask to conceal a horrible disfiguration while being interrogated in a prison where he is held on a murder charge.
Vanilla Sky (2001): The American remake failed miserably. It was structured in a way that made it incoherent, and suffered from below par performances of its leads, especially Tom Cruise. The movie also felt way too long and like its main character, it lacked a distinct identity.
And the winner is: Finally an easy one, the Spanish original is much better.
1. Israel vs. USA

Prisoners of War (2009): The Israeli original had more drama and less tension, it focused more on the families and their coping with the homecoming of their loved one after 17 years in captivity. It also offered less plot twists, one of the biggest plot twists in the Israeli version was actually quite a small one in the American and was revealed there early on.
Homeland (2011): A lot of changes were made in comparison to the original: The lead role of the obsessed female CIA agent was added, a lot more emphasis was put on the government agency trying to find out if there is a threat to the national security. There was also less focus on the family and on the torture the soldier had to endure during the captivity period.
And the winner is: Homeland. The Israeli series was pretty good, but had a few moments that felt overly melodramatic and even a bit cheesy. The American series can be regarded as a near masterpiece, it glues you to the chair trying to guess what the next mind blowing twist will be, and usually you just can’t see it coming.
Conclusion: It’s 5-1 in favor of the originals!
I admit, it’s not the most surprising conclusion ever, the foreign originals are usually better than their American remakes. But, is it a reason to stop making these remakes? I definitely don’t think so. I wouldn’t have known about the existence of many of these fantastic foreign films if not for their American remakes. Some American remakes only serve the purpose of helping Americans discover the originals, but many others are excellent films on their own right.
So, which movie will you see, Contraband, Reykjavik-Rotterdam or both? And if you are planning on watching them both, which one will you watch first, the remake or the original?
Technorati Tags: foreign originals vs. american remakes, original vs. remake, remakes, das experiment, the experiment, brothers, the dinner game, dinner for schmucks, bangkok dangerous, nine queens, criminal, let the right one in, let me in, internal affairs, the departed, insomnia, open your eyes, contraband, prisoners of war, homeland
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