same material, same director

The recent release of Chilean director Sebastián Lelio's "Gloria Bell," starring Julianne Moore, brings to mind a fascinating movie sub-category. 

Remakes rarely, if ever, elicit much enthusiasm, particularly not among self-styled film aficionados. I can't say I appreciate them much myself.

But "Gloria Bell" is different. It is Lelio's English-language remake of his 2014 Chilean film that was simply titled "Gloria." I've a fascination with the small, select group of remakes that are the work of their original directors.

And there are enough of them for a really resourceful film programmer to consider a program of double bills. If I've overlooked any, let me know.

Alfred Hitchcock: "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1934 and 1956)

William Wyler: "These Three" (1936) and "The Children's Hour" (1961)

Frank Capra: "Lady for a Day" (1933) and "Pocketful of Miracles" (1961)

Georges Sluizer: "The Vanishing" (1988 and 1992)

Leo McCarey: "Love Affair" (1939) and "An Affair to Remember" (1957)

Yasujiro Ozu: "Floating Weeds" (1934 and 1959)

Cecil B. DeMille: "The Ten Commandments" (1923 and 1956)

Francis Veber: "Les Fugitifs" (1986) and "Three Fugitives" (1989)

Jean Negulesco: "Three Coins in a Fountain" (1954) and "The Pleasure Seekers" (1964)

Michael Haneke: "Funny Games" (1997 and 2008)

It's interesting to compare and contrast the original with the re-do because the results vary. Which version is the better? Are there occasions when the original and the remake are equals?

Hitchcock's second take on "The Man Who Knew Too Much," in my opinion, works better than his first. But it's impossible to say which Wyler film is the superior - "These Three" or "The Children's Hour." They are vastly different takes on the same material. On the other hand, Negulesco's "The Pleasure Seekers" is a sad remake of his earlier, more popular film.

So, let's forget "The Pleasure Seekers" and move on to something equally disturbing: Michael Haneke and his "Funny Games" films.

Haneke's shot-for-shot American remake of his German film is a willfully alienating work in which the filmmaker essentially apes the vicious behavior of his work's two cultured thugs: He takes his audience hostage and forces us to witness and, by extension, participate in a harrowing home invasion. He makes us complicit in the evil, sadistic acts being perpetrated on screen and then goes a step further and seems to blame us for the crimes.

Complicating and exacerbating matters is the fact that "Funny Games" - in both its incarnations - is actually quite brilliant.

Finally, there's "September" (1987), by Woody Allen, an unofficial remake of sorts. Allen made this movie twice, filming it first with his original cast and then starting from scratch again, with some of his original players switching roles, while other parts were completely recast.

It's a melancholy, Chekhovian piece in which six people share their misery during a weekend in the country. The first version starred Mia Farrow, Maureen O'Sullivan (Farrow's mother), Dianne Wiest, Denholm Elliott, Charles Durning and, briefly, Sam Shepard, who was replaced by Christopher Walken.

Dissatisfied with the movie, Allen immediately reshot it with Elaine Stritch, Sam Waterson and Jack Warden assuming the roles originally played by O'Sullivan, Walken and Durning, respectively. Wiest and Farrow stayed in their roles. Elliott also remained in the film but in a different role.

Of course, the original version has never been seen but would make a nifty feature on a double-disc DVD/Blu Ray of "September."

Note in Passing: Jean Negulesco was something of a specialist when it came to making films about three women who either work together or room together. In the space of two years, he made "How to Marry a Millionaire" (1953), followed by "Three Coins in a Fountain" and "Woman's World" (both 1954), and several years later, "The Best of Everything" (1959) and "The Pleasure Seekers" (1964).

Regarding Comments: All comments are enthusiastically appreciated but are moderated before publication. Replies signed "unknown" or "anonymous" are not encouraged. Please sign any response with a name (real or fabricated) or initials.  Be advised that a "name" will be assigned to any accepted post signed "unknown" or "anonymous." Thank you.

~images~
(from top) 

~Poster art for Woody Allen's "September"
~Orion Pictures.1987©

~Poster art for the American version of Michael Haneke's "Funny Games"
~Warner Independent Pictures 2018©