So I realized as I was flipping thru my music Collection the other day, exactly how many songs were no more than revisions of older songs, or otherwise songs based strongly on other ones. The first example of this is when I remembered that Rammstein's son g "Dalai Lama" was based on a much older tune "Erlkönig" or the Elf King, which was an old German song/ poem dating back to the 1800's. The poem was written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and was later turned into a Leider (musical piece) by Schubert. The story was definitely rewritten by Rammstein, however after reading a straight translation the similarities of the story stands out. In both of them a fathers fear of his sons omens of death but is unable to save him, and possibly fulfills the omens himself.
Another example of a modern music piece coming from an older poem is Iron Maiden's translation of Sir Alfred Tennesons "The Charge of the Light Brigade" into their hit "The Trooper". Both of these have the same story of the same battle, from the same soldiers sides, and they both show the sacrifice made by the troopers as they bravely and suicidally charged the Cossack position. They do have different messages about what the point to learn about war is however, but they both tell the exact same story in a very dramatic way.
The point of all of this ranting comes down to, why does it matter if we do it in movies, if in songs it is considered acceptable? many bands do covers, and Rammstein and Iron maiden took great liberty retelling the great folk tales of their nation. Why does it cause such an uproar thru public sentiment when we do it with movies? just as an Example, Sig9019 wrote a blog who's title sums up this sentiment "Stop remaking my Originals!" This is not to say that I disagree with the sentiments, so much as I just want to understand why it is often condemned in films, but no one bats an eye when it happens in music.