I've been wondering which version to watch but I decided to go with the American Version cuz I kinda hate reading subtitles and I really enjoyed it, especially the ending so I give a 9.5/10. And most of the people said that shot by shot, they're (german and U.S.) pretty much the same. So should I watch the german too or skip it? Thanks
shareThere's no reason to watch the German version if you've seen the American one. They are indeed the same film, shot by shot and word for word, but the production of the German version is amateurish and the acting is terrible. Not that the American version was top-notch, but at least it has Naomi Watts in it. She carries the film single-handedly, IMO.
shareactually the austrian version is much more intense. the acting is much better.
"laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone." - Dae-su Oh
I agree with the other post the Austrian one is far superior and the acting is on a whole different level. Don't know film you were watching.
shareAmateur production? I don't remember seeing a clearly visible boom mic in the hallway of the original but it was there in the remake.
Also, the acting in the original (I believe) to be superior. Particularly the two guys who play Peter and Paul.
I'd watch it. They're nearly identical, but not completely, and they're interesting to compare. Some of my thoughts (I saw the US version first, for reference).
- '97 Paul is definitely superior. Although I thought Michael Pitt was pretty good, there was a slightly campy element to his Paul that's completely absent from the original. Ice cold and far more menacing, all the more impressive since he isn't very physically imposing. Pitt's haircut ups the creepy factor a bit though.
- '07 Peter is better; the original guy is good but Brady Corbet is fantasically creepy. Also his "why don't you have a landline" taunt isn't in the original, that was one of my favorite pieces of writing in the film.
- The kid who plays Georgie is far better in the '07 version, his terror is palpable in a way it wasn't in the original. The shot of him after the gun doesn't fire in the '97 version is much shorter and doesn't show him cry, it's not very effective compared to '07.
- The '07 has a sharper look and the '97 a grainier one. This isn't really for better or for worse, but it's different.
- Hearing the dialogue in German is an interesting contrast. It's more gutteral and ups the intensity a little, IMO.
- Lots of really minor differences that are just interesting to pick out if you're a fan, e.g. the car door opened to find the dog is on the right in the '07 version, on the left in the '97 one; Anna's delivery of the prayer is much different, etc...
Also, bdem, when was the boom mic visible in the remake? (I'm not denying it I'm just curious). And while I doubt it was intentional, you could argue that it's consistent with the theme of the film and fits in with the fourth-wall stuff.
shareYou could argue that, I just think you'd really be stretching it.
From what I remember, and I have only seen it once in the cinema and have no DVD to back me up, it was in an early hallway shot with (maybe) only Peter and Paul in frame.
Something says to me the camera was tracking backwards at this point as well but I may be misremembering.
I'm still positive it is there - if you're checking I'd advise from when the family arrive in the house up until the 'action' moves into the living room.
And don't forget to reply back if you find it to assure me I'm not going positively mad. Thanks!
It's possible that since you noticed it at the cinema, the projectionist made an error.
Films that have this problem often were shot open-matte, which means they were filmed as a full-screen 4:3 image (that would fit older TV screens.) When shown in cinemas, they were intended to be projected in wide-screen, using an aperture mask on the projector that cut off the top and bottom of the image (which were not intended to be seen anyway. )
So a boom mic may have entered the shot when they filmed that scene, but they didn't worry too much about it because they knew the very top of the image wouldn't normally be projected. Except your cinema's projectionist lined it up wrong, and the boom was visible.
We have such sights to show you...
[..] really be stretching it.
Should I watch the original german version too?
The German one is more surreal and intense compared to the American version. Watch it!
shareYou should. But I disagree with other posters saying that its better or that the acting is better.
The acting is superb in both versions.
The original is far more disturbing in my opinion, if only because the actors are less recognizable thus it sticks in the gut more.
The remake is also disturbing of course, the performances by Watts and especially Pitt are great for different reasons. But since these A list actors are so recognizable (and for some reason it's more darkly humorous) it makes it entertaining on a different level.
Plus the cinematography is different in the original.
So yes, watch it.
They are shot-for-shot the same movie, except this one has considerably better picture quality, better acting, and no distracting subtitles. It's not worth watching the other one.
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