Through "remakes," these films have become high-scoring classics.

I don't know if you have noticed that, in recent years, more and more remarks have appeared. Just last year, Aamir Khan remade the classic film, "Forrest Gump." As a result, the reputation was not good. And it was boycotted in India because of religious factors.

Coincidentally, the role-player who played Gump in "Forrest Gump" also remade another man's story, that is, Tom Hanks' new film "A Man Called Otto," which is a remake of the Swedish film "A Man Called Ove."

In Hollywood, there are some successful classic remakes, and they have formed a routine of finding good films that have been proven in the niche market, buying the rights, and then remaking them. They will fully upgrade the production, with an all-star cast, and then promote it to the global market.

The quality is generally not bad; some are even better than the originals. Today, I will take stock of the successful Hollywood classic remakes I have watched.

Scent of a Woman

Director: Martin Brest

Cast: Al Pacino/Chris O 'Donnell

Release date: 1992

The original version of "Scent of a Woman" is the 1974 Italian film of the same name. Al Pacino won the Oscar for Best Actor for this film, and it had a good reputation. Vittorio Gassman, the hero in the original version, also won Best Actor at Cannes for this film.

The same retired blind officer also embarks on a journey after meeting a young man, but the performances of the two best actors are very different. In the original version, Gassman's portrayal is wilder, addicted to smoking and drinking, and arbitrary. Because he is blind, he always feels inferior and lonely, so he often uses rage to hide his inner pain and fear.

The only thing that connects him to the outside world is women, so only with women can he open his heart and release his most primitive desires.

And Al Pacino's performance did not lose at all. He has the charm of a superstar and delicate acting, which performs the complexity of the role better. And that irreplaceable tango perfectly shows his elegance and ease.

Although equally unkind and fractious, he has a sense of justice. Such a charming role certainly is very flattering and popular with the audience.

CODA

Director: Sian Heder

Cast: Emilia Jones/Troy Kotsur/Marlee Matlin

Release Date: 2021

The original version of "CODA" is the 2014 French film "The B Bélier Family." Last May, "CODA" won the Oscar for Best Picture, making it the third remake in Oscar history to win this award. Compared with the original version, many plots are 1:1 replicas.

Several minor adjustments are also providential, making the narrative clearer and the rhythm more compact. First, the heroine's goal is clear. At the film's beginning, the girl on the fishing boat is singing, and her love for singing runs through the movie, which also becomes the fuse for her to leave her family.

Secondly, it skillfully establishes the setting of a double-marginal person. She is a marginal person in the family, the only hearing person, and she is also a marginal person at school, often discriminated against by her classmates for being a fisherman. In addition, it highlights the dilemma faced by the family and finally pushes the plot to a climax.

Overall, the style of the original version is fresher and plainer, the content of the new version is more substantial, and the emotion is fuller. It strengthens the dramatic tension and adds something new based on retaining the essence of the original version.

Hachi: A Dog's Tale

Director: Lasse Hallström

Cast: Richard Gere/Sarah Roemer/Joan Allen

Release Date: 2009

The original version of "Hachi: A Dog's Tale" is the 1987 Japanese film "Hachi-ko." And the American and Japanese versions are closely matched in reputation and ratings. Under the same story, the narrative emphasis of the two versions is slightly different. The original Japanese version is less sensational, more restrained in expression, and highlights the indifference of human nature. After the professor's death, the house is sold, and his daughter is unwilling to take Hachi in, so Hachi finally chooses to stay at the station, waiting for the professor.

At that time, Japan was in a turbulent era, which gave the film a more profound connotation. Just as people have rights, dogs also have rights. However, the American version avoids the attributes of the times and focuses on Hachi's loyalty and affection. This adaptation personifies Hachi. Although it is more sensational than the original version, it is not exaggerated and moves me in the right places.

The Thirteenth Floor

Director: Josef Rusnak

Cast: Craig Bierko/Armin Mueller-Stahl/Gretchen Mol

Release Date: 1999

The original version of "The Thirteenth Floor" is the 1973 German film "World on a Wire." It tells the story of a scientist who dies accidentally after creating a virtual world. The hero is accidentally involved in the case and becomes the first suspect. To find the answer, he enters the virtual world and travels through the three worlds of 1937, 1999, and 2024, gradually revealing the truth.

The film is based on Daniel F. Galouye's novel of the same name, which profoundly inspired the creation of "The Matrix." But it is not the first time it has been adapted for the screen. German director Fassbinder made "World on a Wire" as early as 1973.

Like most German art films, this film has no tall buildings, no cyberpunk, and no profound concepts, but it is famous for its deep philosophical speculation. Most of the time, the male protagonist drinks, chats, or does something crazy. Fassbinder mainly wants to depict human psychology and explore metaphysical issues-how human beings should perceive themselves and escape.

The original version has a strong personal style, so "The Thirteenth Floor" has been adapted more popularly. On the one hand, it focuses on creating a sense of suspense, firmly grasps the audience's attention from the beginning, and stimulates their curiosity. On the other hand, with the help of computer special effects, it realizes the display of visual wonders.

For example, the most shocking scene in the film is the hero comes to the edge of the world and finds it is a grid-like electron boundary. Everything becomes more popular and concrete, and it is easier for the audience to accept the concepts in the film. Hacker, Inception, source code, etc., were also used in many later sci-fi films.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Director: David Fincher

Cast: Daniel Craig/Rooney Mara/Christopher Plummer

Release Date: 2011

The original version of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is a Swedish film of the same name in 2009. As a famous director, why did he choose to remake the movie? Of course, the reason is the story suits David Fincher so well. The original version tells a suspenseful story about a mysterious female hacker and a male journalist working together to solve the case. Like most Nordic films, the style is cold.

It's a perfect fit for David Fincher's aesthetic, whose films, from "Fight Club" to "Zodiac," are all in cool tones, revealing a sense of calm detachment.

The suspenseful plots are also what David Fincher is good at. Under his remake, the heroine is not as cold as the original version but gradually becomes a woman of flesh and blood in cooperation with the hero. With the all-around upgrade of the production level, the reputation of the remake has surpassed that of the original.

Postscript:

Remakes are never mechanical copies. It tests how the film creators reasonably localize and their ability to re-mine the text. But in recent years, some remakes are not very satisfactory. Some reproduced frame by frame, and some tampered with the plots, focusing only on the temporary box office while ignoring the film's artistic value. However, these excellent remakes have their style and soul.

So which remake is your favorite? Tell me in the comments!