WARNING: This Review Contains Spoilers
In 2007, we were introduced to reporter Angela Vidal, a reporter for ‘While You’re Sleeping’, as she shadowed the firemen of Barcelona. The night soon became one that she would never forget. In 2008, the Americans decided to tell her story once again, but in the city of Los Angeles. For me, this version does border on a frame-by-frame remake – obviously disregarding the language difference which for me, is no issue at all. Especially as there are times, when you take a close look at the subtitles, quite a bit of the script is very similar.
The Key to Fear
As discussed in my review of The Evil Dead, a key feature of any horror film is isolation. Both of these films have this and I will admit, the American version does take it to a new level. When something as serious as being trapped in a building with no means of escape and no explanation of what is happening, not being able to speak the language can isolate you from those around you – adding to the isolation that you are already suffering together. This is the case for one of the couples in Quarantine. Of course, there is also a foreign family in Rec, but one of them can speak at least a modicum of Spanish so has some understanding of what they are being told even if it is very little information.
This point takes me to my next, another key factor for horror is the fear of the unknown. This is where the original film has the upper hand. There’s something terrifying about knowing people are attacking each other and dying but actually having an inkling of the reason why. Of course, both films explain where the incident began but the disease is only explained in the remake. For me, this takes away some of the fear for the viewer.
The Element of Surprise
I do not know about those of you reading this, but the mundane start to Rec really does make what happens later a lot more shocking. Obviously, on first watch of either version – the outcome is a surprise as it does seem like a standard call. However, the Americans seem to add excitement to the time spent in the firehouse beforehand. Much of what we see during this scene is very similar, like the discussion with the firehouse chief and the basketball game, but the way they are produced is very different. In Rec, you get the feeling that the firehouse chief is disinterested in having the ‘While You’re Sleeping’ team with them but in the remake he comes across as all for it. We see a lot of the boredom that can happen in firehouse while waiting for a call during Rec, and this is exactly how it is explained it can be.
The Shooting
Many deaths throughout the films are the same, excluding any of additional characters in the remake (the cleaning lady for example). However, the one thing that amazes me in Quarantine is that the police actually do make good on their threat. Even though the group move away from the window as requested, they actually open fire at them, killing the landlord. This does not happen in the original.
In conclusion, the horror that is created by the original is so shrouded in mystery instead of everything little thing being explained is the reason this will always be my preferred version.
