ROTS original cut over a 4 hours?

Hi

I was just over at IMDB and I saw this:

The original cut of the film ran nearly four hours. The opening battle/Palpatine rescue alone ran over an hour.

This is from them.

Now if this is true.ooooooooo!!!!

Do you think we will ever see this?

Opening battle over an hour !!!

Frame

 

The 4 hour version would be very nice to have (if it was edited and finished) and show it to some of the people who claim that Anakins fall was to rushed.

Maybe that would shut them up.

 

Quality and not Quantity is sometimes better. If it added to the development of the story I'm all for more. If it's just scenes that add nothing it's been cut that way for a reason. After all, with lots of tampering with the OT, Lucas has not added too much uncut footage to the orginal's apart from little bits like the Jabba scene to ANH, etc, etc.

 

Basically all the movies of the PT ran that long before editing. Look at the documentaries on the DVDs. Thats what editing is all about.

 

Anakin's turn to the dark side was way,way to rushed. I mean one second he saying "What have I done?" Then he is saying "I submit myself to your will." The only thing that could save that scene is a complete rewrite.

 

I agree, the entire scene was horrible. It should have been written a whole lot better. I have seen fan scripts written a lot better than that scene was. Put a little passion into it. "I've been a Jedi all my life and I am now a master, but, Ok, I'll follow you now Palps."

 

IMDB isn't quite reliable. Lucas did cut much of the hour long opening down to a half hour, since it was too much and too unnecessary. Plus, some of that footage was replaced with newer material. Lucas changed a significant portion of the film in 2004. If you were to take everything shot in 03 and 04, you'd have a four hour film. Though, it'd be a mess since a lot was changed. There's just as much filmed and cut out of the other five films.

 

4 hours seems a little much. But, I'd really like to have a PT EE set if Lucas ever decides to do one.

 

I wonder if there really is just as much film actually cut out of all 5.

I can certainly see it in the case of AotC and RotS, and they need it back desperately.

In fact i think both films suffer from being far too short for all that has to happen in them.

I would love to see a much longer RotS.

there is reason the numbers 1, 2, 3 are not just episode numbers but how i rank the PT films, TPM is #1, AotC #2 and RotS #3.

Seeing more of RotS could change my mind but the whole film especially the second half is just far far too short to tell a story.

 

I would like to see all the outtakes for all the films. However, I am glad that GL is a master editor, so it is good that he cut all most of what he did. Not that I wouldn't mind a few cuts making it back in.

As far as Anakin's fall or turn being rushed, that is nothing more than bull rancor pudu. Imagine if Luke had given into the dark side at the end of ROTJ. Now, that would have been rushed. Yet the possibility had to exist for there to be any real tension in that sequence.

 

The beginning of the movie to the crash landing on Coruscant was one hour alone. Mostly just around Grievous's ship. So there's at least 30 extra minutes there.

 

I dream about a 4 hour ROTS!

 

I know there was stuff cut from the Duel. I'd love to see the entire duel unedited from beginning to end.

 

Some of what was cut other than deleted scenes:

Anakin, Obi-Wan and Palpatine balancing on some pipes on the Hand
Some scene with the floor and walls rotating on the Hand
Obi-Wan and Padme talking
Obi-Wan and the water monster on Utapau
A longer scene between Anakin and Palps prior to the revelation, a lot was cut

Some of the cuts were just miniscule, like leaving out some dialogue between Ani and Obi when they were in the ray shield trap

 

Pacing is important for theatrically released movies. You have to keep the attention of the audience. If the original film were that long, George was wise to cut it down. He was directing a feature film, not a television miniseries.

 

I agree that theatrically, it was the right lenth. But for all the fans out there he should have least put the footage on the dvd, or made a special edition you could order or something.

 

all popular sci-fi movies usually have 4 hours cut, thought if put together they wont make much sense

 

Mmmm, yeah. I'd say at least a whole movie should have been devoted to Anakin's turn and the final duel that transformed him into the Darth Vader we knew. So maybe throw out TPM, and bump AOTC to become Episode I? Then you could have ROTS renamed and simply be the Clone Wars or something. It's way too happy-happy and cheerful at the beginning and middle, and I guess you can have Anakin turn to the dark side at the very end. Then throw in Episode III where he betrays the Jedi.

 

From the Space Opera scene on, ROTS takes on a totally engaging TESB flavor. It is dark, it is filled with intrigue and suspense and is action-packed. If this last hour occupied two, the film would have been exhausting for the average viewer. That said, I definitely think that Anakin's entire philosophical 'turn of events' went waaaaaaaay to fast. I would have liked to see a more dramatic and insightful Sith initiation ceremony too. But the Yoda-Sids fight along with 'the duel' were just about perfect. The ending was a masterpiece of film making. It provided a classic transition to the OT.

Of course what I think is much like a visitor at a museum crtitiquing a Monet or Picasso painting. What I say or think is not as important as the fact that the painting encouraged me to say or think something about it. Plus I can criticize Monet, Picasso or Lucas all that I want but I cannot approach their respective levels of talent. They are the masters and I nothing but a learner.

 

Hey, I like that scene

 

The only thing that saved that scene for me was Stover, I'll have to watch it again.

I remeber watching it in the cinema and seeing Palps' costume which I recognised as relating to the revelation scene and I though 'Whoa, we up to that yet?'

 

Yes Anakin said "What have I done", but at that point he knew he could not stop himself. Did he side with or attempt to rescue Windu? No, he had hate for him. Windu did not want to train him, would not let him become a master, and did not trust him to accompany Mace to arrest Palpatine. Yet, Anakin was totally conflicted both ways because deep down he knew he was becoming evil, but it is the only thing that might possibly save Padme's life. He believed he couldn't live without her. In a sense he never really did. The true Anakin only lived shortly to see his son Luke live in the glory Anakin could have reached if his attachment to Padme did not become his undoing.

 

Some movies really do benefit from extra footage.

LOTR Trilogy the best example I can think of.

Aliens

Apocalypse Now Redux

Others that escape me.

 

The "Daredevil" director's cut was much better than the original, IMHO.

Talking about film length...Lucas should've trimmed some fat from I & II and made one movie. I think they could've squeezed all the important bits of I into a little over an hour and tastefully skip ahead in time and finish off with a leaner, meaner II. THAT could be EP I (of course a subtitle change would be in order...I'm sure none of you would mind that ANYWAY...LOL).

Then we pick up closer to the beginning of the clone wars, showing what a lot of SW fans wanted to see anyway...extended battle scenes on many different planets. A more gradual, believeable courtship of Ani & Padme, with a more gradual, believeable trust of Ani for Palpatine. We would see more Grievous and Dooku and more of the Jedi on their individual missions...maybe even Quinlan Vos (PLEEZE!). Then end the movie with the battle for Coruscant from ROTS. Grievous gets away, setting up for the sequel.

Episode III would then would start much like ESB, re-imagining the you-are-the-hero-not-me conversation between Obi-Wan And ANakin and having Grievous contact Sidious, Padme's preggers, et al. Then we would have more room for Ani to be seduced, and perhaps more Vader-in-suit scenes at the end. Nothing gratuitous...I am honestly curious how Anakin would have behaved at first in the suit. After all...it took roughly 17-20 years for him to become the ruthless giant he is in ANH. I personally think he would've been less talkative, and meek in the Emperor's presence(of course, he always was, up until the end of ROTJ, of course).

ANyone agree?

BTW...I do I do I do want Extended Editions of all 6. But I'll take what I can get...LOL.

 

Instead of having way too many documentaries on the dvd's, how about some more film?! Hmmm, let's think about this, watch more film or watch a doc. on the costumes of Star Wars. It's a no brainer folks. Plus, look at the LOTR dvd's, the entended versions add up to 4 hours, give or take.

Come on, give it to us dammit!