Introduction
The global mass media industry is becoming more diverse due to the wave of globalization and people’s ability to access a wide variety of movies. In the past, analysts have identified unique differences in the storylines and cinematic attributes of Asian and Western films. This reality exists due to the fact that people from different regions tend to exhibit diverse cultural, political, and social values. However, some cinematic approaches and ideas appear to attract attention of individuals in different regions, including Asia and the West. The film, Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, succeeded in the West since its director considered the expectations of the American audience to pursue the necessary transnational exchanges of culture, styles, and genre.
Selected Film
The adaptation of foreign movies is becoming a common practice as more producers and directors continue to identify stories that are acceptable and relevant to the Western culture. These professionals usually take a number of issues into consideration before pursuing their objectives, including cultural attributes, notable family relations, and issues of gender. In most cases, films that feature deep aspects and relations with the established norms tend to be hard to adapt. To achieve the intended goals, Hallström (2009) ensured that the primary themes in the selected films would be acceptable and capable of entertaining viewers in the West. In most cases, producers go further to amend the presented themes, elements cinematography, and styles to ensure that such works of art meet the minimum expectations of the intended audience.
The film, Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, is a memorable drama featuring Richard Gere, one of the leading Hollywood stars. The movie was remade in 2009 from a Japanese film of 1987 named, Hachiko Monogatari. In the original work, the viewer observes that it qualifies to be a work of popular culture since it describes the folklore of a dog named Hachiko (Hallström, 2009). The remake would be founded on unique transnational exchanges aimed at retaining the film’s relevance while making it admirable in a foreign market or culture.
From the story, the viewer observes that Parker Wilson, a professor in one of the colleges, finds and adopts an abandoned dog. After learning more about its identity tag from one of his friends, Parker decides to name it Hachi. Eventually, a strong bond emerges whereby the dog remains loyal to the professor. A new tradition emerges whereby the dog starts to wait for professor at the train station whenever he is coming from work (Hallström, 2009). The outstanding observation is that the dog continues to wait for its master many years after his death at the railway station.
Transnational Exchange
The case of the selected film proves that the moviemakers were keen to invest in a unique concept that remained acceptable among viewers in the Japanese society. By investing in modernized aspects of mise-en-scene, the creator succeeded to develop a unique storyline informed by the attributes of its original. The producers chose American characters and stars to narrate the dog’s story without necessarily removing its Japanese background (Hallström, 2009). The new story goes further to expose the kind of historical relationship existing between the Americans and the Japans. The director would achieve this aim through the use of Hachi’s loyalty and responsiveness.
The described example supports the notion that transnational exchange of genres operate differently for each specific film or case. For instance, the original film, Hachiko Monogatari, presented unique cultural references that became acceptable and admirable at the international level. Specifically, the ideas of trust and lifelong loyalty are notable from the work whereby a dog remains hopeful and ready to meet its friend (Hallström, 2009). This human value could explain why the remake succeeded in the West while retaining the genre and messages of its original Japanese version. The producers would only alter a few aspects, such as the scenes and locations of different acts, to ensure that they corresponded to the western cultural and social behaviors.
To achieve the much-needed success, the remaking of Asian films is a practice that operates in accordance with the recorded cultural practices. To begin with, most of the directors and film creators take the issue of genre seriously to ensure that it is in tandem with the acceptable messages and storylines in the country. The film, Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, appears to fulfill such a promise since it retains its gene as a drama story. The creators went further to develop the characters and scenes in such a way that they matched the cultural aspects and practices that remain common in the American society (Kumar et al., 2022). For example, Hachi exhibits the manner in which American love and relate with their pets. The marriage between Michael and Andy echoes the cultural practices and ways of life experienced in the Western.
Parker’s decision to name his newfound dog describes how individuals from the West interact and associate with their pets. The merging of the life of the dog and that of Parker tries to portray a unique form of loyalty that many Americans expect from each other. These examples show conclusively that the subsequent transnational exchange involved in the remaking of films is a process that takes place within the dictates and lines of culture and genre (Hallström, 2009). Such an approach remains critical if more people in the target destination are to find meaning in the storyline and eventually accept the movie.
After viewing the selected film, the audience would acknowledge a significant transnational exchange of style takes place to make the remake more meaningful and relevant to the western market. For instance, the director expands the themes in such a way that the viewer acquires renewed ideas about families, relationships, and loyalty. The primary focus on the dog makes it possible for the audience to relate with the American society while acquiring new concepts about human life (Dalton & Leung, 2017). The director chooses the most appropriate aspects of cinematography that are acceptable and capable of entertaining more people in the West. The use of lightning makes the film easy to follow and attractive to the intended audience. In a nutshell, the remake succeeds to deliver a pure American style that matches the aspects associated with other Hollywood films.
Based on these discussions, it becomes quite clear that the selected film reveals how transnational exchange of cultural practices, styles, and genres operate when remakes emerge. In the American context, creators try to identify recurring themes that can attract attention of local and international citizens. The identified drama meets the minimum threshold of a story that more viewers can admire. The Americanization of the styles is what makes most of these reproductions acceptable and capable of meeting the expectations of the targeted viewers (Rogers, 2017). Additionally, the new version appears to portrayal a number of cultural attributes and practices that are common in the West. Through such approaches, the director tries to ensure that transnational exchange operates in accordance with the expectations of the targeted viewer in the West.
Impact on Distribution and Reception
The process of remaking foreign movies has become a common practice in the United States and across the globe. Scholars and theorists have presented a number of concerns regarding such an approach and how it results in numerous challenges. For example, Cuelenaere (2020) observes that most of the remakes amount to a mess or sabotage since some of the emerging works obliterate the culture aspects of another country. In another study, Mizoguchi (2021) indicates that most of the remakes tend to borrow the original storylines while adapting most of the attributes and cinematographic elements to meet the expectations of the intended viewers. Based on these viewpoints, it becomes quite clear that the nature of transnational exchange taking place during the remaking of different films tend to influence the overall reception and success of the new work.
Hachi: A Dog’s Tale becomes a powerful drama that presents a poetic storyline played by adorable, involved, and realistic characters. The director chooses to follow a true story based on a Japanese dog that has become part of the culture’s folklore (Hallström, 2009). To achieve the intended goals, the producers were keen to focus on the original film and ensure that the transnational exchanges that take place are pursued without losing the theme or genre. They Americanized the Japanese movie to ensure that it presented an acceptable and decent portrayal of life in the West. The use of unique elements of cinematography and mise-en-scene would, therefore, make it easier for the viewers to follow the storyline and get the intended meaning.
The success of the film producer and director is evident since the remake presents a realistic and warm feel that has an American tradition in it. With more citizens in the West having unique relationships with dogs, the movie becomes admirable and capable of empowering those who own them (Hallström, 2009). The viewer would be tempted to consider additional ways to reignite his or her relationship with the available pets. The existing bond between Hachi and Parker portrays a unique aspect of loyalty that is usually hard to find. The producer relies on such a theme to encourage more people to examine the Japanese tradition and consider some of the favorable attributes that could guide them to lead better and successful lives.
The introduction of additional improvements and elements of film production encourage the viewers to embrace the story. The director pursues such a goal without butchering or disorienting the notions and elements that are evident in the original film by Koyama Seijiro. More Americans find a strong reason to embrace the remake since it guides them to take the issue of family seriously (Evans, 2018). Viewers can consider the emerging message whenever trying to establish better and long-lasting friendships. Specifically, the work of art encourages them to promote loyalty, remain dedicated to each other, and focus on the best ways to share memorable experiences (Evans, 2018). The death of Parker changes the dog’s moods and experiences forever. Nevertheless, Hachi remains at the railway station waiting for his master for almost a decade (Hallström, 2009). This kind of depiction encourages more viewers in the West to consider how they can remain loyal and be ready to support each other.
The success of this film in the United States and across the globe is a clear indication that the professionals involved in its reproduction pursued most of the transnational exchanges effectively. They managed to present the notion of legendary loyalty through the use of a Japanese folklore. Such an attempt ignites the viewer’s perception on most of the issues associated with the American culture, including family bond, loyalty, and adoption (Aydemir, 2017). The audience becomes convinced that people could establish truthful relationships and continue to love adopted children and pets without discrimination. Subsequently, the dog finds a new friend in Parker, a development that defines its future.
While it remains unclear whether the remake tainted or obliterated the authenticity of the original Japanese film, the viewer is able to acknowledge that the cast, style, elements, and setting have all been Americanized. Such an initiative makes it possible for the intended audience to relate and find true meaning in the storyline (Smith & Verevis, 2017). The process of Americanization encourages the viewers to identify key attributes, ideas, and thoughts that could result in personal transformation. The intended individuals would be in a position to re-pattern their lives and consider the importance of remaining loyal to those in positions of leadership, friends, and even family members.
This analysis reveals that the promoted exchange impact the reception of the remake in a positive manner. The acceptance of the work by more people in the West is a clear indication that cultures are appreciating the forces of globalization. Such a wave is supporting the acquisition, development, and promotion of unique values and norms that are acceptable at the global level (Febrina, 2017). The idea of loyalty becomes a powerful value that remains acceptable internationally and capable of empowering more people with diverse background. The decision to retain the major themes in the remake amounts to a skilled approach to transnational exchange in the reproduction of foreign films.
Despite the success of the studied remake in the western world, it would be noticeable that the professionals distributed and marketed it in several countries. The artists liaised with different American companies to support its release and subsequent distribution. Unfortunately, such activities would be undertaken in western countries whereby the themes and styles were acceptable (Cuelenaere et al., 2019). The professionals were keen to consider the norms, ways of life, and cultural attributes of the identified potential cultures (Smith & Verevis, 2017). This revelation means that the film failed to attract attention of more viewers in other parts of the world, including Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Eastern Europe. Such an occurrence was attributable to the nature of exchanges that had already taken place in an effort to accommodate the new film in the West.
Subsequent reports indicate that another remake is underway that is intended or designed for the Chinese market. The involved artists are considering such a gamble from the lens of cultural attributes, norms, and societal values. With the theme of loyalty remaining dominant in the original film, such an effort is capable of paying off since more people associate with the value (Davis, 2021). The manner in which the producers intend to complete their transnational exchanges in cinematography would dictate the overall distribution and acceptability of the new movie in the wider Chinese market.
This analysis supports the process of remaking foreign films and ensuring that the new works merge local traditions and cultural values. While some cases of ignorance and destruction of exotic values have been reported in the process of reproducing works of art, the identified film manages to recreate a story in an effort to make it acceptable in another society. What stands out from the case is that directors would always be keen to focus on the commercial viability of remaking films and how the process could maximize profits (Smith & Verevis, 2017). To achieve such an aim, this discussion has proved that the involved artists should be keen to merge or include elements of cinema and themes that resonate with the expectations of members of the selected population. The manner in which these filmmakers complete their transnational exchanges will always dictate the performance and overall reception of their works of art.
Conclusion
The selected film is a successful appropriation of an Asian product of popular culture to meet the demands of the western audience. To achieve such a goal, the involved producers took the issue of transnational exchange seriously by ensuring that original styles, cultural practices, and genres were redesigned to fit the American narrative. The success of the filmmakers could explain why the work of art has become acceptable, appropriate, and inspirational to more people in the West. The reception and distribution of the work remains above average due to the quality of transnational exchanges and the ability to put the people’s cultural values and expectations into consideration.
References
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