The idea behind the project is similar to the film "The Five Obstructions" that Von Trier and Danish helmer Jorgen Leth made in 2003. In that film, Von Trier challenged his colleague Leth to do a remake of his own 1967 film "The Perfect Human." Von Trier gave Leth the task of remaking five times, each time with a different obstacle, such as making the film animated.
In the new project, Von Trier will challenge Scorsese and De Niro to remake their 1976 classic "Taxi Driver."
First off, Lars Von Trier is a prick. He has claimed in public that he is the greatest filmmaker alive. Now, he's not a bad filmmaker by any means, he makes weird and depressing art films, but what kind of sack does it take to openly claim to be the best? Von Trier has also made several movies about America depicting it in a less-than-flattering light. I'm by no means a flag-waver, sometimes I think our country is going to hell too, but I live in the United States; he's never even been here. He has a fear of flying or some such bullshit and so has never set foot in the country he deems so corrupt and vile. One rule I have, if you're going to bash a country and specifically its people, you need to witness it first-hand.
Second, this guy takes it upon himself to challenge Martin fucking SCORSESE to remake his own movie. Hey, Lars, why don't you remake Dancer in the Dark, but this time make it so I stay awake the whole time? It's Taxi Driver for Christ sake! He did a pretty damn good job on it to begin with. I've never sat down to watch that movie and thought, "you know what would have made this movie way better? If he'd done it with animation." And De Niro, is old now. He's still a badass, but there's no way in hell he's gonna be able to do all those pull ups, nor, I assume, will he be willing to sport a mohawk.
Why do people insist on remaking good movies? Taxi Driver is an American masterpiece, why in the name of Bronson Pinchot should it be remade? It seems like all we hear about anymore is how some studio is remaking, rebooting, or reimagining really great movies. And with each one, a little part of me dies, the part that feels love and happiness.
What's most infuriating is that the greater viewing public, who are pretty stupid, don't know that half of these movies are remakes. Anyone see the trailers for The Crazies? That's a remake of a George A. Romero movie from 1973. How about The Italian Job back in 2001? That was a remake of a Michael Caine movie from the late '60s. Even the Mel Gibson vehicle "Edge of Darkness" is a remake of a British tv series in 1985. I feel like people have lost an appreciation for film art. Someone's shoving a glossy reprint in their face and they aren't allowed to discover the originals.
If studio execs have to remake something, and apparently it must be done, why don't they remake stupid movies? Give them a second chance, see if they can float. I wouldn't mind seeing a version of Howard the Duck that's actually decent or an updated Plan 9 From Outer Space where the plan actually makes sense. I'm sure Ben Affleck wouldn't mind a Gigli do-over. There are literally thousands of crap-ass direct to video stinkers that could fill multiplexes for another ten years. Let's not forget, The Maltese Falcon was made twice already when John Huston made it the right way.
When you get right to the crux of the matter, it's all about money. Remaking a great movie is just a way to cash in on established fan bases. I understand fully the need to make money, but as a lover of the art of cinema, it feels like they're raping the visions of far better artists. Classics are the way they are because they stand the test of time. I fully expect in 50 years people will still talk about Citizen Kane, 2001, and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly as masterpieces and masterpieces cannot be duplicated no matter how much money you sink into them.
So whether or not Mr. Scorsese accepts Mr. Von Trier's challenge and remakes one of the seminal films of all time, the fact that we live in a world where such a challenge can even be extended and considered seriously is testament to how much the industry is scraping the bottom of the barrel.
You're Welcome
-Kanderson
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