WARNING: This Review May Contain Spoilers
Based on the novel of the same name by Graham Greene, I bring you the story of the dark side of the much loved seaside resort of Brighton and the tale of Pinkie. However, the question is – who told the story better?
The Problem with Kibber
Also known as Fred Hale, it is unclear in the original film why Pinkie and his mob have decided to kill him, being a simple journalist after all. However, it seems to be revealed in the remake that he worked for Colleoni, the head of a rival gang in Brighton. Truthfully, I feel a reason needed to be revealed because I did find it a little strange that they would be going after a journalist with no motive.
Interestingly, the death is much more violent in the 2010 version than in the original, as instead of him drowning in the sea, Pinkie smashes Hale’s head in with a rock beneath Brighton Pier as the rest of the world is enjoying their summer.
The Pull of Power
One of the intrinsic parts to the story of Brighton Rock, is the mob that resides at the heart of it. Interestingly, it is the hierarchy within said mob that differs between each of the films. In the original version, it seems that Pinkie is the leader, with Dallow as his right hand man, making Cubitt and Spicer the ‘lackies’ of the team. However, in the remake it seems that Pinkie is the lowest rung on this criminal ladder and Spicer is actually in charge – following the death of their boss Kite in the opening scene. Following events that I will go on to discuss, the balance of power clearly shifts and seems to become a parallel of the original.
Black and White v Colour
There’s something about the absence of colour that can make a film that slightly more sinister than it may first appear. For example, when Pinkie and Kibber are riding on Dante’s Inferno prior to his death, the images are much more startling than maybe they would be in colour.
There’s also something about the way they would film in the days before technicolour, they focused on the faces of the actors so the audience can see every fragment of emotion they are portraying.
Portrayal of Pinkie
In the original film, Pinkie is the leader of the mob, or at least that it is how it comes across. However in the remake, he is referred to as being just a runner who is trying to get above his station. There’s something rather cool about the way Richard Attenborough plays this character, down to the steely look into the camera. Strangely enough, I actually think they picked an actor that looks a little bit like Attenborough to take up the role on the 2010 version. I think they tried to make Sam Riley’s Pinkie come across more sinister by giving him a much gravellier voice than before. He also spends the majority of the remake with the cut on his cheek which in the original he does not receive until his first attempt at trying to kill Spicer.
Something that didn’t seem to make the cut when filming the remake is Pinkie’s infatuation with his cat’s cradle. Instead they add a dark side to his character by having him pulling the legs off of a spider while reciting ‘She loves me, she loves me not’.
The Persistence of Ida
In the original film, it comes across that Ida has never met Fred Hale (you know, Kibber) before the day of his death. In the remake however, we discover that they are friends which does make her interest in his demise make more sense. She doesn’t actually do as much investigating in the 2010 version as she does in the original, instead she specifically focuses on Rose and saving her from Pinkie – which happens eventually in the original.
Something she doesn’t do in the original film, in her struggle to protect Rose from Pinkie, is go to Colleoni for her protection.
Tale of Pinkie and Rose
Outside of the death and destruction that surrounds them, there is a love story between Rose and Pinkie that is completely one-sided but in the original there are times you aren’t too sure. Pinkie is discreet about his real feelings towards Rose until he records his voice for her like she asks him to. Thankfully for her, she never actually hears everything he says on the recording as it gets stuck after the words ‘I love you’. He does this in the remake also, but it’s already obvious by this point that he doesn’t love her so hearing him express it is no longer needed. He is much harsher towards her, pinching her skin and pretending to threaten her with acid, making it more obvious that he doesn’t reciprocate her feelings towards him. He even pays her father for his consent to marry her whereas in the original the marriage happens more naturally.
The Death of Spicer
This is something that is consistent in both versions of Brighton Rock, Pinkie’s decision to off Spicer. He even goes about it in the same way, by trying to have him killed by Colleoni’s men. Unfortunately, this attempt is unsuccessful in both films so Pinkie has to take matters into his own hands. Now, here is where the two films differ. In the 1948 version, Pinkie pushes Spicer down the stairs in a way that makes it look like the banister gave way, making it an accident. In the remake, however, he chokes Spicer to death with the stick of rock he gave him on the beach.
Pinkie’s Demise
Here’s something I have an issue with when it comes to the remake of Brighton Rock. Yes, in both films Pinkie takes a fall at the end of the film, presumably dying in the original when he goes off the pier after fighting with Dallow. However, for some unknown reason, they felt the need in the remake to make it that much more gruesome. For example, in an attempt to throw acid in Dallow’s face mid-fight, it ends up backing fire and burning Pinkie instead, causing him to stumble blindly and go off the cliff. Now, like the original they could have just left it there, but they didn’t. Instead, we see his body on the bench as Rose looks down, and are later given a close-up of his lifeless, blind body with a broken leg to boot. Unnecessary in my opinion.
In Conclusion
These films are described as the fall of Pinkie Brown, which in the original is absolutely correct, but how can it be his fall if he doesn’t start off at the top in the remake? Hands down, I prefer the original. They make Pinkie an oddly likeable character and you actually feel slightly sorry for him when it all starts to go wrong, but it the remake he is absolutely detestable. I can’t stand the way he’s written and there is even a scene after him and Rose are married that borders on being reminiscent of a certain clip in the Tom Hardy film Legend, that just isn’t needed.
