In general, do you prefer original/older versions of movies, or the latest remakes?

Many classic films such as The Ten Commandments, The Wizard of Oz, Ben Hur, The Maltese Falcon, etc, are in fact remakes themselves. One thing that these classic versions usually have going for them is a type of presentation that was that previously available. By this I mean a color, widescreen and/or sound film instead of silent, academy ratio and black/white. Not all 3 of these apply in all cases, but you get the idea. The talkie/silent change is probably the most significant.

However, The Maltese Falcon is an interesting case. The original 1931 version and the classic 1941 version are both B/W sound films shot in the academy ratio. So there is no technological advancement that is helping the later film. In fact, the 1931 version has something going for it that the classic version doesn’t: it is a pre-Code film. That would give the filmmakers less restrictions on what they could and could not portray and in theory allow them more freedom and flexibility in constructing they film they wanted.

As anyone who has seen these two version knows though, it is clearly the 1941 version that stands out. It is simply a powerhouse of iconic actors in iconic roles: Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet for starters. The 1931 version, while entertaining, has a weird mix of the hard boiled story, occasional comedic touches, Spade’s womanizing being almost cartoonish and a pace that sometimes seems stuck in the silent era.

So this is a case where, with all things being pretty much equal, I like the remake over the original.