Now the problem with remakes is that they are inevitably going to be compared to the original unless they go off in their own direction. Perfect example: The Thing From Another World and James Cameron's The Thing. Or it can be considered as a homage (not hommage) to the original. Peter Jackson's version of King Kong is steeped in love for the original and is an honourable film in its own right without ever supplanting the magic of the original. More likely it's made because the original movie made money so there's a good chance a remake will.I'm not saying that this remake is the third alternative but it isn't really the other two either.
Surprisingly, I quite enjoyed it. Okay, don't jump to conclusions. I haven't turned into a sexist pig. It's quite similar to the original. We have the setup which introduces the main characters, the brutalising and rape of the heroine, the revenge. One way in how it differs from the original is that it is technically well-made in all departments including acting, cinematography, editing, etc. And that is its downfall. for all the horror of the extended rape sequences, it never sucks you in emotionally in a way that the far cruder Meir Zarchi's original did. You never forget that you're watching a movie. So while I didn't enjoy watching the rape it didn't get to me so much as remind me that those committing it were going to get their just desserts.
What I did enjoy was the final part, the revenge, which is far better than the original, though I'm no more convinced by it than Zarchi's. It's just better done. After jumping into the river moments before she'd be shot, our heroine disappears for weeks only to re-emerge as unstoppable a savage killer as any villain from a slasher movie. Because the killings are deserved, they serve as a cathartic release and the viewer can revel in the various killings which all echo the way the various victims originally assaulted the woman. Slasher movie fans will love this part of the film. Except, as with the original, the killing of the guilt-ridden retard -sorry, I'm not feeling very PC at the moment- which is tragic.
So, after all my examining of why, in the previous post, I couldn't watch this film I come to the question that, having done so, was it worth it? It's worth noting that in the prominent in the opening credits are these words: Based on Meir Zarchi's original movie The Day Of The Woman. It honours the subtler original title than the one which made it infamous. Zarchi, listed as one of the producers, is said to think highly of it. Well, if it had to be remade, it could have been a lot worse. While perhaps more exploitative than the original, I do believe that both are ultimately moral films.
Point of information: even in these more liberal times, Zarchi's original remains cut by three minutes by The British Board of Film Classification. This one loses or has technically fudged a total of 17 seconds. Like I said...
No comments:
Post a Comment