Arts

Film: The Italian Job

You know that feeling, that you're the only one who's seen a particular film? Or worse, that you're the only one who's seen a film and actually enjoyed it?

Last year I enjoyed the remake of The Italian Job.
Last night I watched the original on DVD.

And just as I can't explain how I've never come to see the original before now, I'm going to find hard to explain why I much prefer the 2003 version to the 1969 one. It's not that I didn't enjoy the original; the first twenty minutes or so were superb, the accentuated characterisation was hilarious, and I never thought I'd see Benny Hill playing a part down.

I guess though, that the film has suffered from time. At its time it may have been superb, but it was made before I was born, and cinema's moved on a long way since then. It's also suffered at the hands of the cult fans. I'm sorry, but the "blow the doors off" line is a throwaway line of dialogue, and not "the greatest one-liner in cinema".

Personally I'm thrilled acting and film-making's improved so much over the past forty years. I'm just sorry that many people refused to entertain the idea of watching a remake because they felt it would spoil the original.

Update, 9 January
I remember now: I watched the remake on a flight to the States. Maybe had I seen it on a screen larger than four inches I'd have a different view.