MOVIE NEWS – Robert Downey Jr. explained why he is about to remake Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film Vertigo.

Despite being hailed as one of the best films of all time, Robert Downey Jr. explains his decision to remake Alfred Hitchcock’s classic Vertigo because he feels he can do it better. The 1958 psychological thriller, based on the French novel D’entre les morts, centres on a former police detective who becomes a private investigator after he develops an extreme fear of heights and is hired by an acquaintance to find out the truth behind his wife’s bizarre behaviour. Vertigo, starring James Stewart and Kim Novak, is widely regarded as one of Hitchcock’s best, despite early mixed reviews.

While speaking to the New York Times in a career-spanning interview ahead of the SAG-AFTRA strike in honour of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, Robert Downey Jr. was asked about alleged plans for a remake of Hitchcock’s Vertigo.

He confirmed he and his team are “exploring” a reimagining of the classic. The actor/producer feels “we can do better”, although he indicated that it is still in the early stages of development.

“We are certainly looking into it. You know why? Exactly! Not even risky. Advisably ridiculous to even consider. Great, let’s look into it! First of all, who would our partners be in it? Love them, respect them. Second of all, let me reread the original synopsis. I think we can do better. [Laughs.] I’ll tell you why. I have been rock climbing before and gotten stuck in that panic freeze, and if not for the sheer embarrassment, I would have asked to have been hoisted off that rock. I lost my confidence in my positioning, the drop was too far, my body reacted. It wasn’t fight-or-flight; it was freeze-and-about-to-faint. I’ll never forget it, and it made me think there are cinematic devices that have yet to be fully utilized that I think would provide an experience in trying to say, “What does it feel like to be psychologically silly with fear over something that should be manageable?” That might be entertaining.”

Can Robert Downey Jr.’s Vertigo break the Hitchcock remake curse?

As Hitchcock’s vision was incorporated into many projects during his time, many of which were novel adaptations, in the decades since the release of his original films, Hitchcock’s works have been reworked or inspired new genre endeavours. Among the most notable are his own remake of The Man Who Knew Too Much and Gus Van Sant’s Psycho, in which Vince Vaughn played the iconic serial killer Norman Bates. It was largely a frame-by-frame remake, and Michael Douglas’ The Perfect Murder was another attempt at Dial M for Murder.

Among the various direct remakes and loose inspirations, very few have enjoyed the same level of critical success as Hitchcock’s original films: Psycho won two Razzies but bombed at the box office, while The Perfect Murder received a more mixed response, scoring a 57 per cent critical acceptance on Rotten Tomatoes.

Even the Shia LaBeouf-led Disturbia couldn’t escape its Hitchcock-inspired roots. The film was sued for an apparent adaptation of the short story on which Rear Window was based, but the case was eventually dismissed.

It’s unclear what approach Downey Jr. will take with his Vertigo remake, it will be interesting to see if he manages to overcome the Hitchcock curse that hovers over most of the other titles. The legendary director himself felt that one of his film’s biggest flaws was that the age difference between the two leads was too great. Stewart was 49 at the time of filming, and Kim Novak was 24. Downey Jr. is now 58, so it’s questionable whether he’ll be able to find credible chemistry with his future partner (who, judging by Hollywood trends, is unlikely to be more than 30…)

Moreover, in 2005, Vertigo came second (after Goodfellas) in British Total Film magazine’s list of the “100 Greatest Films of All Time”. Not only is it a considerable challenge to remake a film of this renown, but one has to wonder whether it makes sense to do so when the chances of a repeat success are minimal…

Source: NY Times