US version of "Damn": Some things can't be copied

Garrick 2021-12-23 08:01:41

Those that can be reproduced should be very good and have commercial potential. Based on this condition, "Damn", which was so successful in the Chinese film industry that year, is obviously worthy of being reproduced. The remake is a kind of plagiarism that is allowed. The copy is good, and the copy is not good enough to be ridiculed. It's not like copying homework. If you copy it well, it will cause trouble. If you don't copy it well, people may not bother to take care of it. For homework with standard answers (or relatively standard), copying one is one copying two is two. Copying this kind of stuff is meaningless. What you really copy is copying subjective tasks, such as copying compositions. Of course, copying others’ compositions should not be verbatim. Copy from the ground, take the essence and get rid of the dross (the essence and the dross are relative), incorporate your own characteristics, and add some ingenuity. After all, you have a good foundation, and no matter how you do it, it shouldn’t be bad. The leader is Guo Xiaosi classmate. The copy they copied is called a splendid spring, and its popularity and sales are far better than the original. It's a pity that I didn't say hello to anyone, so I can only go through the legal procedures. The remake does not have such troubles, but it is also a project that cannot be brilliant without intention. From this point of view, the US version of "Damn" has added its own ideas and photographed some of their own characteristics, but some things they still remain I can't copy it. The American version of "Damn" as a thriller and horror film should still be very effective in bluffing old American audiences, but for some Chinese-speaking audiences, the American version still lacks some flavor.

The things of spirits, ghosts and gods have always been familiar to every Chinese. Although most people have never seen it in person, in many people's concepts, "seeing is believing, and hearing more is believing." The original version of "Damn" has been extremely successful in creating a horrible and strange atmosphere. Many ghost scenes are quite subtle. With the calm and sharp shots and the right soundtrack, the horrible and depressive atmosphere in the film is brought to the extreme. People are unforgettable. It is especially commendable that the Pang brothers completely abandoned some boring gimmicks in many crude ghost films, but naturally integrated the horror atmosphere into the heroine’s life scenes. Some seemingly common scene props are in their hands. Become unconventional, very brilliant. The Peng Brothers' "Damn" is often favored in some votes in the market, which shows that the overall feeling it gives is very profound. With such good materials and precedents, the old Americans finally don’t have to play the violent and bloody set of B-level horror movies. However, although they have copied some horror scenes and elements, the overall is not successful, and many places are still too Blind, say it is horrible, it seems that it is nothing more than a horror, say it is horrible, it does not forget to create a little spiritual atmosphere, lacking a feeling of being done in one go.

No matter how the remake, the heroine's recovery is always the starting point of the story, there is no doubt about this. However, it gives the impression that the US version highlights the heroine’s personal experiences and feelings, and ignores some elements that could have made a deep impression. The whole process is a little hastily, unable to make the audience feel the pleasure of empathy. Compared with the American version, which focuses on individuals, the original version of "Damn" is much richer. The heroine played by Li Xinjie has two worlds in her eyes after her regaining. One is the real world with relatives and friends, and the other is the constant appearance of ghosts. In the world, the heroine interacts very well with these two worlds. The heroine was originally full of hope for the bright world, but the appearance of the uninvited guest gave her a process from doubt and fear to escape and then to face calmly. The heroine's mood swings and level changes are in place and convincing. The deletion and compression of some characters in the US version has weakened the visibility, especially the last part. This is also an important process for the heroine to achieve her wish with the psychiatrist (and quasi-boyfriend). In the original version, the heroine and The communication and interaction between A Ling and A Ling's mother is very exciting, and it is more moving than scary. The ending of the US version is too sloppy, even a little inexplicable, and the feeling of the whole film is completely weakened.

The two versions are not the same in terms of overall horror positioning. In the explanation of the fact that the heroine can see another world, it mentioned the continuation of the donor's cell memory after the organ transplantation. This is also doomed to serve the heroine alone, and the overall feeling is a bit nondescript. In contrast, the original version is much richer. The original version is not stingy or even very careful to explain the connection between different ghosts and the world. In fact, it emphasizes that the connection between the yin and yang spaces is always human emotions, which is very moving. Ghosts in the underworld are either unaware of their own death, or refuse to leave a familiar place before their minds. The suicidal soul keeps repeating the pain before death. These statements without scientific basis in principle are vividly shown in the movie. Come out, such as the isolated ghost on the side of the highway, the elementary school student who died of hatred for the report card, the shop owner and his wife and children who seem to have a good heart although the Yin and Yang are separated, and the little boy who died suddenly in a car accident, scolded the heroine for taking her. Woman in the seat. Knowing this, those ghost images are no longer pure horror scenes, but even contain a kind of emotional care in them. The big bang scene at the end of the film should have played a role in the topic, but because the US version was out of control before, it seemed to be a little broken at the critical moment. It even allowed the heroine to show predictability and complete the small feat of saving people. Of course, this may be more in line with the original intentions of the remake and market requirements. The treatment of the original version is more profound and convincing. The heroine finally realized the pain of Ling during the big bang. Although she was blind again later, she had seen beauty and truly understood the two worlds. ,enough. At the end of the film, one is a solo performance by the heroine and the other is a street meeting between the heroine and her boyfriend. It is clear at a glance which is more pleasing to the eye.

From the perspective of an audience who loves the original "Damn", I still feel that the US version of "Damn" is really not comparable to the original. Of course, it has its own characteristics in the remake, and I believe there will be many people who will like this characteristic. American "Damn", but as a ghost movie, it should look like a ghost movie, and a good ghost movie is much more than just scaring people. As far as the performance of the heroine is concerned, the sexy beauty Jessica Alba performed well in the US version, working hard and dedicated, but Li Xinjie, who has a vivid performance in the original version, is undoubtedly the most classic.

Date of writing: 2008-03-28

View more about The Eye reviews

Extended Reading
  • Jerrod 2022-04-23 07:02:49

    She saves lives even if she dies

  • Thora 2022-04-21 09:02:42

    Apparently there is no pure-hearted version of the thriller

The Eye quotes

  • Sydney Wells: I'm seeing things that aren't real. I'm seeing things I shouldn't see. I'm dreaming things I've never seen. This surgery was supposed to make me normal.

  • [first lines]

    Teen on Skateboard: Oh, shit. Thanks. I didn't see that.

    Sydney Wells: Neither did I.

    Sydney Wells: [voice-over while Sydney walks in the street and settles in a café] People say seeing is believing, but for me, that's not entirely true. I lost my sight when I was five years old. Those memories of what I have seen have faded so much that I doubt I'd even recognize myself anymore. Now I see using my other senses. I can smell the rain before it drops, but I can't watch it fall. I can feel the sun on my face, but I can't see it rise or set. I want to see the world like everyone else, to see the sun, the rain, the music. Oh I bet music looks beautiful.