MovieChat Forums > The Comedians (1967) Discussion > time for a new version

time for a new version

posted 18 years ago by nawaf
12 replies | jump to latest

the comedians was one of those films of the late 60's to be shown on TCM from time to time I always catch it in the middle of the movie .ok we know the movie is about hiati but I think they should have a new version of this let's say set in iraq with some of todays leading actors we could have morgan freeman and denzial washington .again it's just a idea for hollywood to come out with this insted of remaking flop shows ie dukes of hazards.
the original had the original darth vader .James earl Jones

[–] thennightcame 17 years ago

Okay, well I do agree that there should be a new version (mainly because Haiti remains in ruins today) it should be set in Haiti. The setting is really important to this story. It definitely should not be set in Iraq. First of all would that make even make sense considering that most of the people living in Iraq are Arab or Middle Eastern. There are not many Africa-American or black people in Iraq. So unless all the characters were changed to be soldiers or some other foreigners to have a reason to be there it would be strange to have those actors.

This movie was based on the book that was published in 1966 so right before this came out.

I would highly consider that Haiti is more important now than it was before. I think that changing the setting would completely change the whole movie since some of the characters and such are based on real people. Just my thought.

[–] generalnimrod 16 years ago

Having read the book, the location (Haiti) and timeframe of the book (Papa Doc's regime in the 1960s) are SO specifically integral to the story that no remake can be set outside of those two parameters... otherwise it simply becomes something else.

A remake is probably a pointless effort because not many audiences (basically anyone under 50) would even have a recollection of who Papa Doc was and his unique "character" to be able to relate to the story.

[–] paulistef 16 years ago

Exactly, generalnimrod. I'm Haitian-Canadian, have always been obsessed with all books I could find at home which pertained to my parents' home country, and am presently translating (Eng to Fr) a great series of books written by one of the late Graham Greene's closest buddies, a New Zelander who lived in Haiti and whose life (professional, not romantic) somewhat resembles that of Brown... (Many characters were very close to actual people.)

The whole story is the story of life as a sham, of how people sometimes choose to wear a mask and fake their way through. This "comedians" metaphor encompasses many frames: marriage, politics, social structures, capitalism, even sexual identity (there’s an infinitesimal detail in a scene with Petit Pierre and Mr. Smith… lol)

This cannot be remade (in English), precisely for the two reasons you’ve evoke, gen. It will be, one day perhaps, but in the francophone sphere. I’d do anything to help!

As for thennightcame's comment; Haiti is not dead yet, thank you very much.

[–] generalnimrod 16 years ago

Haiti has a real interesting culture. It is, for lack of a better term, "African Gothic". I have been most fortunate to have stepped foot on Haitian soil (albeit during a cruise in the Caribbean) and Haiti certainly has a mystic all of its own different from the rest of the Caribbean. I felt like I was in Africa - not North America. But at least I can say my copy of The Comedians has actually been to Haiti.

[–] James_Bond_007_218 16 years ago

I'm from New Zealand, and wouldn't mind visiting Haiti.

[–] collex-1 15 years ago

Well, I can say that I have been to Haïti several dozen times in the past 15 years. The movie could easily be remade there now (The 1967 Version Wasn't). The whole Masquerade thing STILL applies . Funny, I actually have the Duvalier regimes rebuttal to The Comedians , "Demasking Graham Greene" it is in both French and English. Found it at a vendor's table about a kilometer from the "Trianon Hotel" (The Oloffson in real life). There are still dead bodies out by the pool (well, passed out tourists having had too many Rhum Punches). But over all, the streets look like they might have during Duvalier Sr's last days. I would love to see it redone. Also, I have in under good authority that Petit Pierre (Aubelin Jolicouer) is available to play himself (if he hasn't passed away since i was there last, he was looking rather tired 5 years ago when I last saw him)

[–] RodFtLaud 15 years ago

Aaaah....you explained the title to me. Thank you.

"Hot sun, cool breeze, white horse on the sea, and a big shot of vitamin B in me!"

[–] Arca1943 15 years ago

Yes, The Comedians is certainly one of Graham Greene's most powerful and gripping novels and would certainly deserve a new movie version. The "old" movie version could be used, frankly, a guideline for pitfalls to avoid, even though there are more than a few scenes that work very well. Among the problems of the original, linguistic credibility : in the novel, it is said here and there that the characters speak French, but that trick doesn't fly in movies. So maybe introduce a switch from British and American protagonists to French, Belgian or Swiss dudes ? Instead of Brown, Jones and Smith, Dupont, Durand and Dulac ?

Of course it would be a mistake to transpose this adaptation anywhere else than Haïti, as well as it would be a mistake to postdate the story : it is Haïti under Papa Doc; without that setting the whole story falls apart. It needs the characters to have a mentality of the late 50s/early 60s. And then there's the communist doctor (unforgettable James Earl Jones in the movie)...

[–] dark_frances 15 years ago

unforgettable James Earl Jones

Quite a pity that in *the* role that made him famous, his unique eyes and facial expressions are... well... rather difficult to spot. Plus, it was great to see him and Guiness together, under more peaceful terms .

[edit] come to think of it, I'm not sure they have any scene together in *this* movie.
[edit of the edit] not that they actually had scenes together in the *other* movie - unless common dialog counts.

Words, Mr. Sullivan, are precious things. And they are not to be tempered with!

[–] Brennan-8 13 years ago

Russell Crowe. He needs to go on a diet though, the man has let himself go. Colin Farrell might be good - no, Tom Hardy (I think that's his name - English guy, very macho, was in "Inception")

[–] frankstallone1 13 years ago

Only because of the mention of Guiness and James Earl Jones also "appearing" in a famous scifi movie, do I mention that Roscoe Lee Brown and Peter Ustinov also appeared together in another famous scifi movie, Logan's Run.
And like Jones, in Star Wars, Brown is never seen in Logan's Run. Since he plays a robot (a 70's robot to boot) it's all costume.

[–] bon22 10 years ago

This film should not be remade because the remake would probably be watered down & dumbed down. Also, this is a blockbuster cast & I doubt a new cast would have as great an impact.

This film/story is about Haiti & Papa Doc, but posters are talking about changing the locale!? to Iraq!? WTH!!! This is exactly why there should be no remake.

A remake of The Comedians would be like the remake of The Manchurian Candidate, which paled in comparison to the original. One reviewer described the The Manchurian Candidate remake as "Less powerful, less edgy, and less intelligent than the original" and that is exactly what would happen with a remake of The Comedians.

Enough with the "remakes", go watch the originals or write a new stories with similar subject matters!!!