Years ago I reviewed Funny Games, an Austrian thriller
written and directed by Michael Haneke. One of the most psychologically
brutal films I’ve ever encountered, it presents an unflinchingly cruel
challenge to the viewer to examine, and perhaps justify, the
entertainment value of violence. I adore it.
As perhaps indicated by the English title Haneke gave to the
original film—which is in German—his comments on cinema’s
preoccupation with torture (both physical and psychological) are
arguably most applicable to American culture. Thus, he brings us
Funny Games yet again, repackaged as an exact duplicate of the
original film, with two key modifications made to specially appeal to
American audiences: Naomi Watts, and the absence of subtitles.
With star power (Tim Roth also stars, as Watts’ husband) and
Americans’ native tongue on board, little else has been done to alter
the original vision. (The plot’s far more effective if the audience
doesn’t know what to expect going in, so forget a tidy synopsis.) The
re-creation is painstakingly accurate: Sets, costumes, gestures,
delivery—almost everything is a shot-by-shot duplication. Even
the American actors—with the exception of a markedly prettier
Watts, and one of the two villains—closely resemble their German
predecessors.
It speaks volumes about the conviction with which he completed the
original masterpiece that Haneke felt no further alteration was needed
(if he’d asked, I would have suggested he lose the heavy-handed moments
in which the fourth wall is broken and characters speak directly to the
audience), but if you’re already a fan of the original, there’s little
to be offered by way of the latest rendition; the translation mirrors
the original English subtitles faithfully. To extract additional
benefit requires a near-molecular breakdown: Nuances of individual
lines are perhaps minutely clearer to the English speaker, a subtle
comedic layer is more comfortably registered, vaguely bizarre moments
are harder to question as possible cultural differences of manner.
Likewise, there’s little reason to recommend the newer version over
the older version—and Haneke’s faithfulness would lend credence
to the contention that the original ain’t broke in the first place. But
if you’re averse to subtitles, you’ll prefer this version, and it’s
also more likely to be pointed at you, anyhow.