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December 16, 2005

CHRIS DOYLE "DEPRESSED" BY SCORSESE

Chris Doyle weighs in on exactly what he thinks of Martin Scorsese's THE DEPARTEDIn an article by Saul Symonds for the Hong Kong Filmart website, Chris Doyle weighs in on exactly what he thinks of Martin Scorsese's remake of INFERNAL AFFAIRS. The remake stars Matt Damon, Leonardo Dicaprio, Jack Nicholson and is called THE DEPARTED. Doyle was the "visual consultant" on INFERNAL AFFAIRS so let's all remember that he might be taking this a little personally.

He says:

"I find it disappointing, if not depressing, to see someone of the integrity and scholarship of Marty apparently not knowing or caring where the original originates from, which I find insulting to our integrity and efforts, our energy and perseverance...to have something fall into one's lap because one is supposedly competent in a certain kind of filmmaking is exactly why accountants are making non-subtitled versions of what we do."

I don't know what stings Martin Scorsese more: being reminded that he doesn't care about the original (supposedly he hasn't seen it) or being called Marty.

December 16, 2005 at 07:04 PM in News | Permalink

Comments

Nevermind that a remake it not needed considering how good the original is, how can he remake it without seeing the source material?

That's plain wierd. I'm a fan of Scorcese, but this is bullshit. He would be better off spending time working something original.

Posted by: Mr eel | Dec 16, 2005 8:04:17 PM

Scorsese has not made a good/interesting film in 10 years.

AND -- his work on this is lining the coffers of the Weinsteins and/or Miramax.

SO this is how it works; pillage Asian films/culture for what is cool, buy it up, hoarde it, then redo it for Western audiences.

How can it not be any more racist?

Imagine if this was Americans doing this routinely to, say, films from France.

And I am white.

It just smacks of the worse kind of cultural exploitation since the white record company fatcats making shitloads off gangsta rappers.

Kudos to Doyle for speaking truth to power.

Posted by: glenn | Dec 17, 2005 7:34:54 AM

I have to say that in many ways I prefer this. As a big fan of the original, I would rather see what Scorsese does with the script in his own mind than try to replicate or purposely not replicate the original. I love Chris Doyle, and I can understand why he's so annoyed (initially, who wouldn't be?). But this may be for the best.

Posted by: Rahat | Dec 18, 2005 1:02:02 AM

"his work on this is lining the coffers of the Weinsteins and/or Miramax."

Neither the Weinsteins nor Miramax have a financial stake in the film.

Posted by: A | Dec 18, 2005 1:45:33 AM

The Weinsteins don't have a stake in THE DEPARTED, I've seen mention that Miramax might (they're listed as such on the ever-unreliable IMDB, but I can't find too much elsewhere). I'm assuming that since they own INFERNAL AFFAIRS in the US they may have been paid a fee for this remake, but I'm not sure. I'll look into it more.

Posted by: Grady Hendrix | Dec 18, 2005 5:28:23 AM

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=afm2005&content;=jump&jump;=news&articleID;=VR1117932564

Posted by: A | Dec 19, 2005 2:54:10 AM

It's not so much racist as lame and unoriginal. And we have done it to France also (Cousins, The Birdcage etc.), not to mention doing it to ourselves (have the stuff out there is a remake of an older American film or tv show), but I submit that there is a lot more material coming out of Asia today that can successfully be ripped off and Hollywoodized for big bucks.

Now the treatment of HK movies on DVD and in theatrical release, with re-dubs and re-cuts - that I do find more racially questionable.

Posted by: David Austin | Dec 19, 2005 8:43:16 AM

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