why I dislike U.S. adaptations of foreign movies
So, I've seen the trailer for the U.S. version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and while I love Daniel Craig (who's playing Mikael Blomkvist), I am so not stoked.
Keep in mind that I have not read the books. I've only seen the Swedish versions of the movie and I'm basing my judgments off that. The Swedish Dragon Tattoo was by no means a perfect movie, but I loved Noomi Rapace, who played Lisbeth. There was something about her, where she could be wounded and yet powerful at the same time. She's beautiful and rough edged and she will kick your ass.
Rooney Mara, who is playing Lisbeth in the U.S. version, doesn't portray that same kind of strength, at least based off the trailers. I mean, yeah, she's got the black, punk clothes and the mohawk, and all that, but that's not enough. I don't get the "mess with me and I will fuck you up" vibe that I got from Rapace. And it doesn't help that Mara's make up makes her look so pale that she's practically transparent and alien. It's seems like they've weakened Lisbeth's character for the U.S. version, so that Craig can be the big, strong hero without this pesky woman showing him up. I recognize that I haven't seen the movie yet, so I could be wrong and thus probably shouldn't judge, however...
Hollywood has a long tradition of remaking foreign films for U.S. audiences, because oh, noes, subtitles! and then also dumbing them down, flattening them out, over explaining them, pumping up the spectacle, and essentially stabbing the heart of what made the foreign version great (which is not to say there haven't been decent adaptations, nor that the U.S. versions are devoid of entertainment, but for the most part they don't compare).
A few examples:
PS. If you disagree, fine. Just be polite about it.
Keep in mind that I have not read the books. I've only seen the Swedish versions of the movie and I'm basing my judgments off that. The Swedish Dragon Tattoo was by no means a perfect movie, but I loved Noomi Rapace, who played Lisbeth. There was something about her, where she could be wounded and yet powerful at the same time. She's beautiful and rough edged and she will kick your ass.
Rooney Mara, who is playing Lisbeth in the U.S. version, doesn't portray that same kind of strength, at least based off the trailers. I mean, yeah, she's got the black, punk clothes and the mohawk, and all that, but that's not enough. I don't get the "mess with me and I will fuck you up" vibe that I got from Rapace. And it doesn't help that Mara's make up makes her look so pale that she's practically transparent and alien. It's seems like they've weakened Lisbeth's character for the U.S. version, so that Craig can be the big, strong hero without this pesky woman showing him up. I recognize that I haven't seen the movie yet, so I could be wrong and thus probably shouldn't judge, however...
Hollywood has a long tradition of remaking foreign films for U.S. audiences, because oh, noes, subtitles! and then also dumbing them down, flattening them out, over explaining them, pumping up the spectacle, and essentially stabbing the heart of what made the foreign version great (which is not to say there haven't been decent adaptations, nor that the U.S. versions are devoid of entertainment, but for the most part they don't compare).
A few examples:
- La Femme Nikita, French, 1990, was adapted into Point of No Return, 1993
- Let the Right One In, Swedish, 2008, was adapted into Let Me In, 2010
- [Rec], Spanish, 2007, was adapted into Quarantine, 2008 (remake was okay, as both movies were nearly identical)
- Ju-on, Japanese, 2002 (which had one of the most visceral scenes I've ever seen), was adapted into The Grudge, 2004
PS. If you disagree, fine. Just be polite about it.