I think they're both great. It's simple (and don't say racist); I missed the subtlities of the English language used in the remake. Also I spent 1/5 the screentime reading subtitles that were bland. The film is 10/10 for story however I just liked Departed more. If you didn't speak English, but Chinese/Cantonese (sp?), I'm sure you'd get more out of IA.
shareSimilarly, there are subtleties of the Cantonese language/Chinese culture in the original. It's unfortunate that you had to read subtitles that really did not reflect the true nature of the dialogue.
But your preference is obviously your own and makes sense. Just wanted to point something out.
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Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
If so, i'll watch again. Thanks for the info
sharedid that guy mean subtleties or subtitles? pretty confusing lol.
shareI think he kind of meant both... The problem with Hong Kong films in general has always been pretty lackluster subtitles, and I find it also quite distracting.
I actually have the whole Mou Gaan Dou TRILOGY on DVD, and I still find The Departed a "better" movie.
The Infernal Affairs is a better movie in terms of moral codes and values while The Departed is more entertaining. The title of this post should not be I liked The Departed better but I was ENTERTAINED by The Departed better.
BTW,I am from the U.S. and not from Hong Kong.
I love em both, but IA gets my vote. It just blew my mind the first time...after I had already seen Departed three times. Best there is in the genre.
shareInfernal Affairs is a far better movie. The only good thing about the departed is the storyline which is taken line by line from IA.
Plus, if in your mind you cannot register greatness if not in your language you're either an idiot or a racist.
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BB: Behold I plunge my hands in fire I feel no heat
DC: That's just great! Give us another.
Plus, if in your mind you cannot register greatness if not in your language you're either an idiot or a racist
Miss dialogue if it disappears too quickly??!
I'm sorry, but maybe its just the case with bad subtitles, which english subtitles of non-english films can be sometimes, but when the subtitles are properly made, then it never detracts from the experience.
One could also say that you're not experienced in viewing movies with subtitles and the process isn't as transparent in your mind, but that's hardly a valid point when reviewing a movie. I don't need to conscientiously glance to the subtitles and after doing so I don't stare at them but rather focus on the action while the brain connects the meaning with the action. I don't even notice any of it; maybe that's not your experience, but it comes eventually.
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BB: Behold I plunge my hands in fire I feel no heat
DC: That's just great! Give us another.
Well like I said, I've never had an issue with subtitles. But I have talked to people who do have trouble with them so clearly it is an issue for some people.
Though for the record I do agree with your explanation of how the process becomes transparent for someone versed in foreign films. But a lot of people aren't, so the issue does exist. I was just defending the fact that these people aren't idiots, and they certainly aren't racists.
Then you need a well made synchro and not a remade film.
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There is no way in Blue/Green hell that the Departed even holds a candle to IA...
They couldn't even plagiarize it correctly.
I love them both. Personally, I think it's a great story so I give that to Infernal Affairs, but I like everything else about The Departed more.
shareInfernal Affairs was a superior film in every single way. The Departed was just a plagiarism. It was hilarious how nearly every scene from IA was just cut and pasted onto the Departed. The only difference was that the characters were white and spoke english.
really? that's the only difference? wow..
I think you might have missed that a major premise is changed between the two. A gross simplification is to say:
IA: good triumphs even with the loss of good other good can emerge
Dep: evil can corrode even good, in the end the struggle continues
I understand it's far more complex than that and will go into that discussion in other areas on the forum where I see real analysis.
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I like this so much more than the departed. Departed is simplistic movie where everything is spelled out for you. Its characters are black and white. And on top of that Departed is completely secondary. Not a single thing it improves upon original. Bland commercial product without a soul .
IA is much more subtle with grey under tones, and the story is presented in half strokes - you have to connect missing dots yourself. Characters are complex , Andy Lau is best "villain" character - because I grew to sympathize with him as I understood his motivation, he is not one dimensional "bad-guy". Same could be said for all other characters in the movie
I didn't mind subtitles (I never do) and I thought they were adequate and didn't detract from the movie - I bet dialogue is much better in cantonese, but even with subtitle this movie is a classic, while departed is just another remake for cashing in and only worth watching to see how bad remakes could be
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I gave both movies 9/10. Great movies and I like them equally.
sharei'm neither english, american or chinese, but (as you can see) i'm pretty familiar with the english language, and i don't speak a word of chinese. still, infernal affairs seems to me a much better film than the departed (but not that great either.)
i've been watching subtitled movies my whole life, it's one of the reasons i learned to speak english so well. subtitles are just a question of habit.