{"id":354,"date":"2018-03-24T16:11:10","date_gmt":"2018-03-24T16:11:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.allaboutfrench.net\/?p=354"},"modified":"2019-05-25T22:54:11","modified_gmt":"2019-05-26T02:54:11","slug":"the-10-french-movies-that-inspired-hollywood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allaboutfrench.net\/fr\/the-10-french-movies-that-inspired-hollywood\/","title":{"rendered":"The 10 French Movies that Inspired Hollywood"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Did you know most of these films are remakes of famous French movies?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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This page relates\u00a0the influence<\/span> of French cinema on its Hollywood counterpart for the past 60 years…<\/span><\/strong>
Some of you natural<\/span> skeptics, are wondering what films? What influence<\/span>? It will open the mind of the movie lovers to a motion picture’s perspective that explores the links and influences between Cannes and Hollywood that sparked the desire for remakes. Not all with equal success, though.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

\u00a0You know Harrison Ford, right?<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>

\"\"In 1964, Philippe de Broca directed\u00a0That Man from Rio<\/span> (l’Homme de Rio)<\/strong><\/a>
with one of my favorite<\/span> French actors: Jean-Paul Belmondo<\/span>.<\/span>
15 years later, a young dynamic American director stunned by the movie, had
an idea for a motion picture. He called Mr. De Broca<\/span> requesting a meeting to
discuss directing and story tips for his upcoming movie idea. The new director
was Steven Spielberg<\/span> and the film<\/span> inspired byThat Man from Rio<\/em> was nothing less than
“The Raiders of The Lost Arks<\/strong><\/a>” <\/span>with Harrison Ford.<\/span><\/p>

FUN FACT<\/span>: Did you know Harrison Ford wasn’t the first choice for the movie?\u00a0
That’s right. Imagine Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones for a second… <\/span>A bit strange to picture Indiana Jones with a <\/b><\/span>mustache<\/b><\/span>; but he would have been special too. He turned down the role because of Magnum PI.<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>

1983 – Breathless<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h1>

Sex symbol wannabe<\/span><\/span> Richard Gere<\/span><\/strong> could not compete with a spontaneous and natural\u00a0Jean Paul Belmondo<\/span><\/strong> in Goddard\u2019s A Bout de Souffle<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/span> \u2013 a sordid story, yet a classic representation of the Nouvelle Vague<\/em><\/strong> genre<\/span> that marked the 1960s with moving cameras, panning and ambiguous endings.
<\/span>The interesting twist is the fact that in the original version, the supporting female was Jean Seberg<\/span><\/strong> – an American actress, whereas in the remake with Gere, they used a French actress \u2013 Valerie Kaprisky<\/span>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

1986 – Down and out in Beverly Hills<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/h1>

Another adaptation of a great black and white classic from 1932 by Renoir<\/strong> which took 50 years to remake his Boudu Sauv<\/em><\/strong>\u00e9 des<\/em><\/strong> Eaux<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/span> with a memorable Michel Simon<\/span><\/strong> played by Nick Nolte<\/strong> <\/span>in the American version.<\/span>
The trio <\/span>Nolte, Beth Midler, Dreyfuss<\/strong><\/span> creates a volcanic aura worth seeing in this dramatic comedy.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

1987 – Three men and a baby<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/h2>

A cute movie with Tom Selleck<\/strong><\/span> that turned into a total flop after viewing the original impromptu\u00a0Three Men and a Craddle<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(<\/a>3 Hommes et un Couffin<\/span>)<\/em><\/strong>, winner of the 1985 Cannes festival and nominated for Best Foreign picture award. While neither are masterpieces, Three Men and a Baby was one of the top grossing movies of the 80s<\/u>. A head scratcher probably helped by the popularity of Magnum PI<\/strong> and Cheers<\/strong> at the time.<\/span><\/p>

1993 – Point of no return<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h1>

Bridget Fonda\u2019s<\/strong><\/span> limited performance<\/span> in a movie in which most scenes were simply reproduced straight from the original, was no match for Anne Parrillaud<\/span><\/strong> in Luc Besson\u2019s <\/strong>classic of 1990: La Femme Nikita<\/span><\/strong><\/a>. Jean Reno<\/strong>\u2019s<\/span> intensity in the French version completely erases the existence of his counterpart.<\/span><\/p>

1993 – Sommersby<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/h1>

The original, Le Retour de Martin Guerre<\/strong><\/span><\/a> in 1982 was nominated at the Cannes festival<\/span> and explores the harsh daily lives of simple folks and an impostor in the 16th<\/sup> century with an amazing performance<\/span> by Gerard Depardieu <\/strong><\/span>hardly comparable to Richard Gere\u2019s<\/span><\/strong> pretty face<\/em> personality in the 1993 version.<\/span><\/p>

1994 – True lies<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/h2>

A remake of a 1991 film<\/span> by Claude Zidi: La Totale<\/strong><\/span><\/a>. Schwarzenegger<\/span><\/strong> plays Thierry Lhermitte\u2019s<\/strong><\/span> role. That one enters the list of the few exceptions where the remake inevitably outranks the soft original version. True lies<\/span><\/strong> is the true classic here.<\/span><\/p>

1996 – The birdcage<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h2>

Regardless of Robin Williams\u2019<\/strong><\/span> and Gene Hackman\u2019s<\/span><\/strong> usual astonishing performance<\/span>, the adaptation of the classic French film<\/span> of 1978: \u201cLa Cage aux Folles<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u201d with Ugo Tognazi<\/strong> and Michel Serrault<\/span>\u2019s<\/strong> classic theatrical discharge remains unmatched 40 years later.<\/span><\/p>

2002 – Unfaithful<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/h1>

No, I have nothing against Richard Gere<\/strong><\/span>, on the contrary! But he seems to have appeared in several remakes including this one is from 1969 – La Femme Infidele<\/strong><\/a><\/span> by Claude Chabrol. Stephane Audran and Michel Bouquet offer a great performance<\/span> but the dark storyboards in some of the 60s drama could make the film<\/span> scenes seem longer. This remake lingers the right amount of romantic<\/span> suspense<\/span> from Olivier Martines<\/strong><\/span> and an intense Diane Lane<\/strong><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>

2010 – Dinner for Schmucks<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/h1>

Steve Carrell<\/span><\/strong> was, I admit, acceptable and funny in his role but if you liked it, you must see the French version from 1998:<\/span>
Le Diner de Cons<\/strong><\/span><\/a> (The Dinner Game) with Jacques Villeret is a classic of the kind with Thierry Lhermitte<\/strong><\/span>.<\/span>
Each remake is a pale imitation, in my opinion<\/span>, of the original lacking the tension, tightness and je ne sais quoi<\/em>. Both countries have borrowed styles from one another for nearly 100 years of cinema, confusing viewers where it actually originated. No matter.
<\/span>It is obvious a clear and present fusion of different styles from both sides of the Atlantic is responsible for some of the best and most entertaining movies ever made. Whoever launched a new style, the other one borrowed it, added its thing and exported it back to the other side.<\/span><\/p>

Film<\/span> Noir<\/em> <\/span><\/strong>–\u00a0An expression created by the French critiques<\/span> to define a \u00a0genre<\/span> invented by the American filmmakers.<\/span><\/strong>
<\/em><\/span><\/p>

Nouvelle Vague<\/strong> <\/span>– A term used by film<\/span> critiques<\/span> in the late 1950s to define the new wave of \u00a0film<\/span> makers who rebelled against traditions of directing for a more expressionistic approach.;<\/span><\/strong><\/i><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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