Interview

When I saw the American remake, I assumed that the original had avoided its flaws, and almost automatically wanted to give it a higher rating. However, surprisingly I can give the original the same 3 stars and percentage. Even the criticisms would be similar, although they would relate to different scenes and movie locations. The basic scheme of the original is identical - it is an intimate psychological drama of the clash of two personalities dissatisfied with their position and self-realization. However, there are several significant differences. The original is more credible in its foundations, so the actual meeting, emergence, and escalation of the conflict appear more natural. But appearing more natural does not mean that it is truly believable in all respects because there is still too much sparking and affectation here. However, Theo van Gogh loses to the remake when it comes to the finale, where the confession from the perspective of a journalist is highly unlikely and the ending with the wailing of police sirens is much more American than the civilian ending of Buscemi's film, where the point is much more effective in its sarcastic tone. Overall impression: 60%. The potential of van Gogh's film was even greater considering the Dutch origin of the journalist and his work in Bosnia, which could be combined with the infamous actions of the Dutch battalion in Srebrenica and elsewhere. (03/01/2011)