MovieChat Forums > Les yeux sans visage (1962) Discussion > This is one of those classics that shoul...

This is one of those classics that should be remade

posted 16 years ago by suckerdwsp316
19 replies | jump to latest

Don't get me wrong, I hate remakes, I hate what they stand for, I've never even seen a decent remake in my life. But, I've seen a number of movies and only 2 of them have I considered movies that should be remade. One is "Blackboard Jungle", the other is "Eyes without a face".

Particularly, because they have great stories and concepts, but the execution of both wasn't grand. Especially eyes without...

I felt this movie had such a fascinating concept and set-up, but just didn't deliver. There wasn't enough suspense or thrills, the movie was way too short, like 80 minutes long. If the movie were to be more thrilling, more action, and about 40 minutes longer, I think this could be a great, new horror movie in an age where horror flicks absolutely suck @ss.

[–] dwanggg 16 years ago

More action? You've got to be kidding me. It'll just turn into another Chainsaw Massacre. Les Yeux isn't meant to be a bloody action-packed horrorfest. You obviously missed the whole point of this classic, its pacing is everything.

[–] suckerdwsp316 16 years ago

and you missed the whole point of my post. i didn't say make it a "bloody action-packed horrorfest". that's friday the 13th or hostel... I'm just saying this movie was boring as hell. Aside from the brilliant idea of this girl who is disfigured and her father who tries to help her... the movie is dry as a whistle and totally uninteresting. thats just me.... i'm sure the majority of people feel otherwise.

[–] allenrogerj 16 years ago

"I'm just saying this movie was boring as hell... " and it was too short.

[–] twelvepointnine 14 years ago

It can be done, if the director and cast are bloody brilliant (Herzog's Nosferatu comes to mind). But in general it doesn't add anything to an original take. If people can't stand black-and-white or slow pacing they should stick to [add mediocre Hollywood cr*p here].

Imagine rewriting literary masterpieces for the 21st century audience… Romeo and Juliet with an happy ending… doG…

Chaos reigns

[–] s-keister 16 years ago

No, stop. PLease. No more remakes of classic films. This film is beautiful and eerie just as it is. It's not a horror classic in the American sense. It's a mood piece, and the mood is creepy from beginning to end. Every American remake of a French film I've ever seen was abysmal. Leave this one alone.

[–] ChefFlick 16 years ago

I don't mind remakes,, they bring light to the originals, so we get rereleases of the old films.. besides with remakes, you can take them or leave them. You still have the original to watch..

and there have been remakes that have been better. "The Hills Have Eyes" for example.

but I don't understand why someone who hates remakes, and has never seen a good one, would like to see a remake,, seems like a contradiction. You pose an absolute, but then present an exception, Perhaps you mean you don't care for remakes in general.

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[–] enbilal 16 years ago

The new X-Files movie works as a lose remake of this.

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[–] SaulGoodman 15 years ago

I'm so glad someone already started this thread, it echoes my thoughts very closely.

This is such a great concept for a film and I did enjoy watching it but I felt there was so much more that could have been done with it. It's a short-film and in that time I felt there was a lot of 'dead-weight' where nothing was happening. Many of these scenes weren't atmospheric or well shot (in my opinion obviously).

There were beautiful moments that should be kept (the ending especially) and I can't imagine this film in colour. But I thought several areas could be developed for a good remake (not a trashy gorno piece of *beep*

1)Include a back story for Louise. Her history with Genessier and how he gave her a new face was intriguing.
2)More police work. I think if the police were more persistent in their investigations and sure of their suspicions there would be more suspense as they gathered evidence and closed in on Genessier. Note: Don't turn it into a freaky version of The Wire.
3)More character development for the victims, especially the shoplifter (can't recall her name). Again, this would build suspense and horror as the audience would have some attachment with them.
4)Scenes with Christine pre-car crash. Seeing her in her beautiful and vivacious glory would accent the tragedy of her loss and make her more sympathetic.
5) Leading on from point 4. Show her romance with Jacques. This would help realize the tragedy of their lost love.

I think all five points could be done tastefully (not in an in your face Hollywood way) and a superior film could be made while the integrity of the original would remain.

[–] adamsmo 15 years ago

Wow, I don't know how you could consider this movie boring. It's a horror movie with major dramatic elements, a la George Romero horror and was insanely revolutionary in what it set out to do at the time.

I'm not OPPOSED to a remake, but it would have be done right - specifically and ideally done by an independent studio not out for a quick buck.

I disagree with the need for more thrills and action, though, I think more dramatic elements could be an improvement, though.

And can we really do a remake when face transplants actually work now?

[–] peep_show88 15 years ago

The movie plays more with drama than horror, really...

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[–] sigmundfreud79 11 years ago

The film is fine as it is; it tells the story wonderfully, is gorgeous to look at, haunting yet oddly touching in it's own way, has some great scares, and leaves you with some food for thought. A remake is completely unnecessary.

[–] larkinhill 11 years ago

The Skin I Live In is more or less a remake. Brilliant film too.
You gave me life now show me how to live

[–] PoppyTransfusion 11 years ago

I think the execution in Eyes without a Face is remarkable and feels contemporary. I don't think the film was concerned with suspense or thrills either. It is ambiguous through and through and offers us the character and story without explicit judgement for us to make decisions regarding.

Franju has said that he uses silent spaces in the film to create a sense of anxiety in the viewer and that anxiety is what makes for horror. One needs nothing more.

Keep silent unless what you are going to say is more important than silence.

[–] Vinnytt 11 years ago

If Eyes Without a Face was remade in modern Hollywood:

-There would be a gratuitous dog murder scene
-They'd turn Christiane into a slasher character, and have her attacking innocents for no reason
-We'd see Louise shower, and this would be used to reveal her facial scars. Also, her tits. Because why not
-A useless side plot where the boyfriend doctor would go nuts thinking Christiane is still alive, and eventually attack Christianes father for no reason.
-The second girl would have also died before being saved. And she'd die screaming "NO DON'T KILL ME!" a thousand times
-It'd just be Saw.

So...please don't remake this. Ever.

EDIT: I forgot that there would also be a overlong scene where it's told on the nose about the relationship between Christaine and her father. With flashbacks and a scene where she tells it to one of the captured girls. Or a dog.

[–] captaincracker 10 years ago

The idea of a remake is horrible. The beauty behind this film lies in the way it was shot, edited, scored, and acted -- all things that, unless completely duplicated, would not do the original film justice. There have been other attempts at the story, but this movie stands alone.

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