OLD CASES, NEW PLACES新瓶舊酒仍具巧思
Cold Case (Japan) is a stylish remake with an outstanding cast. By KEVIN MA日本重拍美國偵探劇《鐵證懸案》，精采程度有過之而無不及。撰文：馬樂民
CRIME RATES IN
the US have plummeted in the past two decades, but about a third of murders still go unsolved. Perhaps that’s why Cold Case managed to draw in viewers for seven seasons. Following a team of homicide detectives with a knack for cracking old, unsolved murders, Cold Case showed that justice delayed doesn’t necessarily mean justice denied.
A great idea can take a TV show anywhere, and Cold Case has one of those simple hooks that can grab the attention of audiences anywhere. In fact, Japanese TV attempted its own imitation of the Cold Case formula in 2010 with Zettai Reido (which ran for two seasons with strong ratings). But Japan now gets a bonafide remake, co-produced by Warner Brothers (which produced the original series) and local satellite broadcaster Wowow.
Cold Case (Japan) adapts 10 episodes from the original show’s first two seasons, carrying over character arcs and transporting the setting from Philadelphia to Japan’s Kanagawa prefecture. Following the rule of not fixing things that aren’t broken, the plotlines are barely altered. But the writers do localise the show by replacing American social issues with references to the doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo, the 1995 Kobe earthquake and other major events in Japan. Directing all 10 episodes (a rarity in TV), Takafumi Hatano brings a slick, cinematic style to the show, shooting on state-of-the-art digital cameras and using mostly real locations instead of the more common studio sets.
Cold Case (Japan) also benefits from an excellent cast, including a poker-faced Yo Yoshida as the tough-as-nails heroine, veteran actor (and ’70s heartthrob) Tomokazu Miura as the deputy division head, and character actors Kenichi Takito and Ken Mitsuishi as the other detectives on the team. Even for fans of the original Cold Case, the cast alone makes this remake worth a watch. If you find yourself hooked, don’t worry: a second season is already in the works.
儘管過去20 年美國的犯罪率急速下降，卻有約三分一的凶殺案至今仍未破案。可能因為這個原因，美劇《鐵證懸案》連播七季，仍能吸引觀眾追看。本劇集的主角是一隊專門追查殺人懸案的警探，他們的工作說明了正義或許暫時未能彰顯，並不代表最終無法伸張正義。
任何劇集，只要有個絕佳的意念，無論去到哪裡都會受歡迎。《鐵證懸案》憑著簡單而引人入勝的結構，吸引了世界各地的電視觀眾。事實上，日本早於2010 年已模仿《鐵證懸案》，製作出自家版本的劇集《絕對零度》（播出兩季，收視率均極高）。但現在日本的衛星電視台Wowow與製作原裝《鐵證懸案》的華納兄弟合作，名正言順地重拍這齣美劇。
日本重拍版名為《鐵證懸案真實之門》，改編自原作首兩季其中十集，保留劇中主角的原型，並將故事發生的地點由美國費城改為日本神奈川縣。日劇版本嚴守保留一切內容完整的原則，幾乎原封不動照搬原劇情節。不過編劇亦將故事作了適當的本地化，將原劇中觸及的美國社會問題，改以日本全國轟動的事件取代，例如末日教派奧姆真理教與1995年神戶大地震等。全劇十集均由波多野貴文執導，這種情況在電視製作上甚為罕見。導演採用最先進的數碼攝影機來拍攝，並且大多為外景實地拍攝，有別於一般電視劇在錄影廠內搭景的手法，因此製作整體風格流麗，極具電影感。
此外，《鐵證懸案真實之門》亦網羅多位出色的演員擔綱演出，可謂錦上添花。卡士括吉田羊飾演作風硬朗的冷面女主角，資深演員（也是1970 年代萬人迷偶像）三浦友和飾演署理課長，還有性格演員瀧藤賢一與光石研飾演偵查隊其他探員。對於原版劇集的擁躉來說，光是這個演員陣容已經值得一看。如果你已情不自禁迷上本劇，告訴你一個好消息：第二季已經開拍了。