Remakes have a (not entirely unjust) bad reputation. They lack originality and, more often than not, end up being a pale imitation of another piece of art in one way or another. Yet, sometimes, a remake comes along that offers something new. We’ve seen this plenty of times before in the science fiction genre, with new technology allowing filmmakers to really let their imaginations go wild, resulting in sci-fi remakes that even surpass the originals.
Something similar happens whenever a Hollywood remake of a non-American movie is announced, be it non-English language or otherwise. Beyond the fact that U.S. remakes make it easier for American audiences to avoid exposing themselves to different cultures, languages, and concepts, these films also tend to lose something in translation. Again, though, there are a number of American remakes that’ve actually proven to be quite good.
All of this is to say that, despite their poor reputation, remakes aren’t inherently a bad thing. In fact, some of the movies now regarded as the best of all time are remakes. Such is the case with one of the highest-rated movies of all time on IMDb — namely, a crime thriller directed by Martin Scorsese that’s currently sitting comfortably at the 37th spot on the website’s Top 250 and was also the movie that finally earned the legendary filmmaker his first Oscar for Best Director. That’s right, the best remake ever (according to IMDb) is “The Departed,” itself based on the 2002 Hong Kong film “Infernal Affairs.”
The original “Infernal Affairs” was directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. Andy Lau and Tony Leung star as, respectively, an undercover cop infiltrating a triad and a cop who is also a spy for that same triad. The film remains an incredible portrayal of the identity crisis of postcolonial Hong Kong and the struggle that came after the reunification with mainland China. It’s also an emotionally complex crime movie featuring characters memorable enough to warrant an entire trilogy, in addition to inspiring a video game and, again, an Oscar-winning Scorsese movie (one that was later parodied by “The Simpsons” in 2008’s “The Debarted”).
The Departed is a perfect example of a remake done right
Martin Scorsese’s take on the premise of “Infernal Affairs” switches the tone, becoming less concerned with almost operatic displays of emotion and more with an interrogation of masculinity and shocking displays of violence. Most significantly, “The Departed” does away with the triads and the postcolonial commentary, and instead takes inspiration from the true story of Whitey Bulger and his relationship with the FBI. While not exactly Leung and Lau, Scorsese’s remake also features a murderer’s row of great actors, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, and Martin Sheen.
While “The Departed” lacks the larger-than-life, cosmic coincidence that kicks off “Infernal Affairs” (wherein the film’s cop protagonists meet), the two films begun to run parallel to each other after that. Scorsese’s movie also compensates for this by combining the bare bones of the plot to “Infernal Affairs” with the kind of crime thriller flair that the filmmaker excels at, giving us a complex web of lies and conspiracies that slowly unfolds through plenty of bloodshed. It’s a case of justifying a remake by offering a different yet still recognizable take on the source material that stands on its own.
Much like the original film, “The Departed” does away with most of its cast in increasingly violent ways. Unsurprisingly, that didn’t stop studio executives from trying to convince Scorsese to keep some of the characters alive in order to make a sequel. And though Scorsese refused, the franchise could’ve easily continued in other ways (see also: 2003’s “Infernal Affairs II,” which served as a prequel to its predecessor rather than a sequel).