Hollywood’s history with films made outside the US has always been a complicated and tenuous relationship. International films are recognized and awarded at the Oscars, but with thecaveat of being pigeonholed into the category of “International Films”. There aresome films that are able to break that barrier, but many more are ignored and categorized by their country of origin rather than their body of work.
Worse than this, however, is a constant trend of remaking international films for American audiences. This has been a long practice in Hollywood that dates as far back as 1959, whenSome Like it Hotwas released. It was a remake of the French filmFanfare d’amour(which, somewhat ironically, would also be remade in Germany asFanfaren der Liebe).There are countless tales of American remakes that not only exist for financial reasons alone, but also lose what made the film what it was in the original language. There are plenty of cases of great films being adapted for American audiences successfully, but it does beg the question; do we even really need them? WhileParasiteitself may haveavoided the remake tradition, there are many more that were swept under the rug and forgotten.
A History of Subpar Remakes
Let’s face it, remaking an international film can be a cash grab. You’re taking something that worked effectively in another country, tweaking it to remove any cultural references you’re afraid American audiences won’t understand, and releasing it to a wider audience. If it didn’t work financially, they wouldn’t be doing it. It works for the bottom line and will likely continue to do so.
Yet it’s often the case that these remakespale in comparison to the original qualityof the film they’re adapting. Take 2016’sOldboy, for example. This is a remake of the beloved 2003 film by the same name, directed by the South Korean director Park Chan-Wook. Park Chan-Wook benefits from beinga little more widely knownthan other international directors whose works are being adapted, and his original film is iconic and beloved by many. Its themes are still relevant, and the camera work and performances aren’t dated in the least. The same can be said for the Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell filmDownhill,which is a remake of the Ruben Östlund film Force Majeure.It’s not only one of his best, but it’s an early look at his career that would make its way to mainstream audiences with his newest,Triangle of Sadness.The original film’s subtlety is completely lost in translation for the American remake.
Related:The Best South Korean Sci-Fi Movies, Ranked
When It Does Work It Buries the Original
Not as many people know that should, but the 2006 filmThe Departedwas a remake of the Hong Kong classicInfernal Affairs.The movies are different enough, and capable enough, to stand on their own. Yet,Infernal Affairswas never given a wide release in the US, and received no nominations for the Academy Awards. Andrew Lau, one of the directors ofInfernal Affairs,was quoted sayingthat he preferred his original work, and that the remake was more attuned to American culture. This isn’t a problem in of itself, after all, it is the point of the remake, but it highlights a key issue behind the idea of remakes altogether.
American remakes don’t have to be a bad thing, but when the original artists aren’t spotlighted and elevated for the groundwork they put in, it crosses into the realm of exploitation. If something is worth remaking for American audiences, it’s worth celebrating and elevating in its original form as well.
Related:21 Foreign Films You Should See if You Liked the American Remake
The One-Inch Tall Barrier of Subtitles
To pull things back to the remake ofOld Boy,Spike Lee had the tough task of remaking a cult classic film. So, why remake it? In reference to the premier of his remake, Spike Lee was quoted saying this:
“We had the premiere in New York, and I would say 95 percent of the people had not seen the original. And I really think that even though it’s a dear, cherished, cult film, you may’t leave out the fact that it was a Korean film with subtitles. So not that many people have seen it.”
Spike Lee, a very talented filmmaker, obviously felt that American audiences would not be willing to watch a Korean film with subtitles. This is a vast underestimation of his audience. People ARE willing to watch a film with subtitles, and they have been doing so for years. This attitude towards audience attention span is part of whatParasitedirector Bong Joon-ho referenced in his Oscar acceptance speech. He referred to subtitles as a “One Inch Barrier” between audiences and a whole world of amazing cinema.
This, apparently, applies to American producers and filmmakers just as much as it does to audiences. An American remake can be totally capable and stand on its own two feet likeThe Departed,it can fail in its understanding of the source material likeDownhill,or it can commit the cardinal sin of being a boring remake of a classic film likeOldboy.No matter what the end result is, none of it works without the acknowledgment and spotlight of the original creators. Production companies are certainly capable of bringing these movies to the US for a wide release, but until they learn to trust their audience’s ability to put themselves in the shoes of someone that doesn’t speak their language, they’ll continue to capitalize on the works of others and bring rushed remakes to the US.
