In a recent discussion about cultural imperialism in my American Popular Culture module, I was taken back to a conversation I had with my dad a few years ago. Being a film fan and a proud Chinese man, he was eager to tell me about the Chinese inspiration behind the Hollywood blockbuster The Departed (2006).
Directed by Martin Scorsese and starring the likes of Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson, The Departed (2006) is regarded as a staple of American cinema and popular culture. Generally lesser known, the award winning film is a remake of the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs released four years prior. The films are eerily similar outside of just the plots – some shots and cuts are almost identical in scenes. It was baffling to me that I had never heard about the connection between the two films considering the massive success of the Hollywood remake.
Make no mistake, the original film boasted a range of esteemed Chinese actors including leads Andy Lau and Tony Leung under the direction of Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. It also received critical awards in the Chinese film industry including Best Film, Best Actor (Andy Lau) and Best Director at the 22nd Hong Kong Film Awards. While the Hollywood equivalent of these awards are indicators of a great and critically acclaimed film – and this was still the case in Hong Kong cinema – there still appeared to be a need for international/American recognition and validation. This was demonstrated as Hong Kong submitted Infernal Affairs for Best Foreign Language Film at the 76th Academy Awards (The Oscars) but was ultimately excluded. On the other hand, The Departed went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture after its release. So, why did the board essentially reject the original foreign film just to later award the American adaptation? An argument is that this is the result of the lasting effects of the history of imperialism in which the dominant culture takes from other ‘lesser’ nations and sells the resource/idea back home.
Andrew Lau said of Scorsese’s remake, ‘[the film] is more attuned to American culture’ referring to the changes from the Triads to the Italian American Mobsters and what Andy Lau notes an increased amount of swearing in the film. The original Infernal Affairs is also a part of a trilogy whereas The Departed pulls from the first and second chapters but is a standalone film. Scorsese plays off what the audience would expect from Hollywood and follows the cultural norm of Western cinematic experience. The changes from Chinese pop culture to American pop culture can allude to the alterations of the cultural other’s traditions in the past. The Departed also nods towards existing poignant popular culture moments. For instance, the two main characters are supposedly loosely based off infamous gangster Whitey Bulger and corrupt FBI agent John Connolly in addition to the directorial homages to the ‘X’ motif and window shots similar to those in Scarface (1932). This subtle assertion of Americanism by inserting moments of popular culture into the film reinstates the idea of cultural products as colonizers advancing their own agendas.
But it needs to be noted that this is only one side of the argument – if we take the notion of culture as a fluid and ever changing concept perhaps we can see The Departed as an appreciation of Infernal Affairs that provides a window into the Chinese film industry. But there is clearly a fine line between exposure and eradication. The lack of acknowledgement brings up the question on whether we need greater transparency when adapting from other cultures and specifically in American popular culture where there is greater exposure to a wider audience. This is a growing concern in a time where equal representation in media and film is ever increasingly being examined and critiqued.