Isaacson: Similarities and differences between The Wolfman(1941) and The Wolfman(2010)

One of the most striking things about The Wolfman(2010) is its visual style. The whole film appears to have been shot through a grey filter, which I believe was a way for the filmmakers to replicate some of the intense lighting effects seen in the original. The best time when this can be seen are the two films werewolf bite sequences. In both movies Lawrence and Larry chase the wolf attempting to protect an innocent victim. Both sequences have very low key lighting, attempting to replicate the lighting of the full moon alone, and both scenes are also heavily obscured by fog. However, there are also some notable differences between the original and the remake: length, technology, set design, and use of American and foreign actors. The original was a short film, 69 minutes, while the remake runs almost two hours at 119 minutes. Also, due to the vast difference in technology between 1941 and 2010 makes the direction of the film radically different, the original keeping much of the action hidden while the remake focuses on the gore of the werewolf's destruction. The set design is also radically different, with the village in the remake appearing far more rundown and foreign then the tidy, Americanized village of the original. Also, some of the remake occurs in different locations while all of the original is set in the village. Finally, we the exception of the gypsy women, nearly all of the characters from the original are very American. They speak with American accents and wear American style clothing. However, in the remake the filmmakers embrace the foreign setting. Even the origin of the protagonist is shifted, Larry coming from California and Lawrence coming from London. This is indicative of the shift in Hollywood that has occurred between the two films, with filmmaking now being more of a global enterprise and American filmmakers being less afraid that American audience won't be able to empathize with foreign characters.