"Unreachable" is a French film that was later adapted into the American version of "Unreachable". And recently, the American version of "Unreachable" was released in domestic theaters, and I took this opportunity to talk about this American version of "Unreachable". It should be said that this film is underrated.
(1) A very thoughtful film, adapted rather than a remake
To be honest, the American version of "Unreachable" is a very well-finished film, and it was made with great care. Moreover, just because the plots of the American version of "Unreachable" and the French version of "Unreachable" are relatively similar, it cannot be considered that it is an imitation or remake. We won't discuss the definition of remake and adaptation too much. Just look at the difference between the original remake movie "I Know a Woman's Heart" and the original "Man 100%" to see the difference. I wrote a film review before "Man 100%" and "I Know a Woman's Heart". How big is the gap between the original and the remake? , you can refer to.
After watching the perfect version of "Unreachable", many people who have seen the French version may not be able to say that the original version is as good as the original. This is a prejudice. In fact, after watching the adaptation of any excellent work, everyone will not be able to say that the original version. Because, when the original work is excellent, everyone has a preconceived impression and reference system, and any subsequent adaptations will be criticized because "the original version is not like this". That prejudice is “what it should be”—what black people are supposed to be, how rich people are supposed to be, and so on.
If you put aside this prejudice, you will find that the American version of "Unreachable" is actually a very carefully adapted work. The more you understand the Dhamma version of "Untouchable", the more you can discover the difference between the two. When I read it, my first impression was that the French version of "Unreachable" is like a romantic prose poem, while the American version of "Unreachable" has a more complete narrative.
(2) What are the similarities and differences between the French version and the American version of "Unreachable"?
Regarding the differences in the details and plots of the two films, I believe many people have made lists and comparison directories. I have no intention of making such comparisons, as these are only local differences. I want to discuss the similarities and differences between the two films on another level.
The core of the two films is the same, that is, a black man with a criminal record works as a nursing assistant for a disabled rich man, and then changes each other. Basically it can be divided into three parts - the meeting of the two, the carer and mutual change, the reunion of the non-employee relationship. Basically, the American version of "Unreachable" is a continuation of this line of development, but it has been adjusted in many parts to create another style.
Obviously, the American version of "Untouchable" has a strong American style from the lines, the setting to the subplot development, and has done a good job in localization. I will not expand on the differences in style details. From the overall summary, the American version of "Unreachable" probably has the following differences.
First, the motives of the rich are different. Why hire a black man with a criminal record and don't know how to nurse as a carer? The reasons given by the two films are different. In the French version, the rich man believes that the male protagonist does not regard him as a disabled person and sympathizes with him. This attitude of treating him as normal is what the rich man wants; in the American version, the rich man hopes that the male protagonist can stand by and watch when he needs help. , to free him from this disabled gesture, which the rich thinks a male protagonist with a criminal record can do.
The reasons for both versions are convincing, and the motivation for the rich to hire is well maintained in the follow-up process. In the French version, after the male protagonist leaves, there is also a scene depicting the attitude of the new carer towards the rich man (who is regarded as a disabled person, will not be forced to take care of him, and is submissive), which is invisibly related to the reason why the rich man chose the male protagonist Back and forth. In the US version, in order for the relationship between the two to change naturally, several necessary scenes are needed-
- A close-up of the rich man's death scene, get. When the rich man was short of breath, the male protagonist gave him an oxygen inhaler, but he refused to breathe and wanted to suffocate himself.
- The rich man's affirmation of the male protagonist, get. The rich man revealed his heart to the male protagonist, and such a dialogue would not have occurred without the recognition of the male protagonist.
- The rich man changed because of the appearance of the male protagonist, no longer begging for death, get. There are many similar fragments, too many to list.
With these scenes, the motives and behaviors of the rich man in the American version of "Untouchable" are consistent, and the plot development is more natural. Due to the different motivations of the two versions of the rich man and the relatively high consistency of the storyline, it is difficult to say which version is better. Moreover, if you look closely, you will find that the different motives of the two are also consistent with the style of the whole film. The French version of the rich has a stronger sense of self-esteem, and the film style is more romantic; the American version of the rich is more realistic and the film style is more close to the people.
Second, the black male protagonist of the American version of "Unreachable" is vastly different from the French version. Which of the two versions of the movie is more likable is largely influenced by the male protagonist. The French version of the black male protagonist has quite rich body language and expressions, and is also very exaggerated. He has a feeling of being a living treasure. He looks very smart and unrestrained. Time to show rich emotions, cool and young.
The American version of the male protagonist, the black man, is not very likable at first glance, but after careful study, it turns out that he is also a very real character. The male protagonist in the French version is a single young man, and the male protagonist in the American version is a middle-aged married man, so you can find that the male protagonist in the American version has more sad faces, as if it is filled with the pressure of life. With the subplot of the separated wife and children, the male protagonist of the American version is also very real. Of course, when teasing ladies and bragging about themselves, they are too imitative, not as natural as the French version. But in any case, the male protagonists of both versions are very well designed.
Third, the inner contradictions of the rich man in the American version of "Untouchable" are richer. In the French version, the rich man certainly has certain inner contradictions - such as whether the pen pal will accept himself in a wheelchair - but relatively speaking, the degree of inner contradiction is not as good as the US version. There are several emotional outburst scenes in the American version of Rich Man, especially the scene of smashing gifts, which is the biggest difference between the American version and the French version of Rich Man. The American version of the rich man has suppressed anger in his heart, his life has been changed because of his disability, and everyone is interfering in his life, which makes him very angry but unable to vent. The addition of the gift-smashing scene makes the rich man's emotions stronger and more real. Even better, the venting of anger followed by the relaxation of letting go, enjoying the birthday party he had originally resisted, was a good indicator of his change.
(3) Regarding the difficulty of creation, the American version of "Unreachable" is much higher than you think
In addition to the above major differences, the sequence of plot development is also slightly different. Before starting this part of the analysis, please imagine how you would feel if you were asked to adapt the French version of "Unreachable"? Obviously, you will have a feeling that you can't start. If you change too much, you will fall into the trap of changing for the sake of difference; if you change too little, there is no need to shoot, and even too little change will humiliate the self-esteem of the aspiring screenwriter.
From the difference in the arrangement of the plot, it can be seen that the screenwriter never wants others to say that he is messing around. And the movie also shows that the adaptation of the American version of "Unreachable" is very attentive. For example, some classic scenes in the French version of the movie, such as parachutes, meeting with female pen pals, etc., the sequence of events in the American version is different from that in the French version. This difference is not random, but carefully arranged.
The best part is that the romantic pen pal meeting in the French version has been changed to a very realistic awkward meeting in the American version. When I first saw the version of "Unreachable", I felt that female pen pals didn't care about age, paralyzed wheelchairs, etc., and only wanted Platonic love, which was too dreamy and beautiful. In the US version, it is very real. Even if the female pen pal knew in advance that the rich man was paralyzed, she still minds it after seeing it. As a female pen pal in the upper class, she does not want to take care of the rich man like a servant. It's not pretty, but it's true, so it's a great adaptation.
Moreover, the rich man's love line is not over yet. At the end, the female assistant who had been helping for a long time actually appeared on the stage, and played a beautiful love that is "far away from the sky and close at hand". The design is also awesome. Compared with the French version of a romantic meeting with a female pen pal, I believe that the female assistant in front of you will definitely have a good life with the rich man. Because they have gotten along very well before, this is definitely longer than the so-called dream romance.
In addition, the family line of the male protagonist has changed from the French version of the mother-son sibling relationship to the husband-wife-child relationship. The change in the plot this time also shows that the screenwriter is very serious about adapting, because such a large-scale adaptation is equivalent to re-creation, at least in the subplot, it is already original. In addition, some earthy dancing poses and some ugly paintings are also adapting to the more down-to-earth male protagonist style of the American version to some extent. After all, the male protagonist is just an ordinary person. Dancing and trying to draw for the first time will definitely not be very high.
In all fairness, the American version of "Untouchable" is still a pretty good movie. Sadly, for film adaptations, a tie often equals a loss. But what I want to emphasize is that the American version of "Untouchable" is not just an adaptation, but an attitude. Adaptation does not mean cutting corners, even in the face of excellent works, if you try to save trouble, you will only draw a tiger into a dog. Adaptation is not easier than original creation, which also requires a very serious and rigorous attitude. I really appreciate the attitude conveyed by the American version of Untouchable.
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