A Few Words About A few words about...™ Chaplin -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[benbess]

It looked fine to me--like film (I must point out that I am not an expert on video quality--more of an audio person--and that I don't always notice some of the more subtle things that videophiles point out as shortcomings, though I've become a more "informed" viewer over the years, thanks in no small part to reading Mr. Harris' comments). I have never expected that all BDs should look as razor-sharp as current productions do--that is rather absurd in my view. To me, noticeably better than the DVD is sufficient for me to consider a purchase or an upgrade--or, in rare cases, if the extras are compelling. I understand and fully sympathize with Mr. Harris' view that BD should aim a lot higher than simply "better than the DVD", but if there is not a huge price difference and a BD is "better than a DVD", that is usually what I will get (some improvement is better than no improvement--to me).

Thanks for the report! Should pick this one up someday soon! Is there content on this unsuitable for a 10 years old? I forget...My daughter loves Chaplin, but maybe I'll hold off on showing her this one for a while...

 

[smithb]

Thanks for the report! Should pick this one up someday soon! Is there content on this unsuitable for a 10 years old? I forget...My daughter loves Chaplin, but maybe I'll hold off on showing her this one for a while...

Yes, there is some nudity. From my recollection there is a scene early on with chaplin starting out in vaudville where he enters the ladies changing room and then briefly a later scene with chaplin and a woman in his bed room. I seem to recall some mention of chaplin's friend Douglas Fairbanks and young ladies that may or may not be an issue.

 

[PaulDA]

There are some adult themes and some language I wouldn't want my 10 year old to have to "discuss" afterward. However, I would not find it objectionable for my kids when they're 13 or older (that's the rating the film got in Quebec anyway--13+).

 

[benbess]

Thanks. I may well show it to her later in life....

 

[waltodonnell]

Pardon me for reviving a nine year old thread, but with the 30th anniversary of the film's release on the horizon, I wonder if there's anything that can be done in getting Attenborough's director's cut put together. I can't find the interview but he once said his director's cut was about 12 minutes longer, and that removing the footage hurt the film. There's been rumors of a four hour rough cut but I can't see that being the case. I have the shooting script and there are 7 deleted scenes, some short, some maybe a few minutes worth of footage in length. A line here and there too, probably cut for pacing, but only seven actual deleted scenes. Can't see that amounting to four hours. 12 -15 minutes sounds closer. But who knows. Too bad this wasn’t prepared while Attenborough was still alive.

StudioCanal owns the rights now, so perhaps they, or Kino, Twilight, Shout, or Criterion can put the movie back together. As you'll see in these interviews they were adamant about the film coming in at 2 hours and 20 minutes. The final film is 2 hours 23 so a director's cut would clock in at a little over 2 and half hours. Attenborough originally wanted it to be a miniseries which may have worked better considering Chaplin's long life.

Here is a lengthy, terrific interview with Attenborough discussing the movie from December 1992. At the 35:45 mark, there’s talk regarding the film’s length, cuts, and restructuring. He also mentions the original screenplay running about 4 hours in length. Maybe this is where the confusion began?



And there’s this recent Post Screening video discusses Attenborough’s regrets with the picture and the maximum length of the film mandated by the studio. They also talk about Joan Barry’s slightly larger role in the film, mainly her nervous breakdown, cut down to a montage in the final cut. This deleted scene/sequence is longest of them all, running five pages in length.

 

[Robert Harris]

Creating a longer version of Chaplin could be quite extraordinary. I love the film. But huge problems.

We’ve lost Sir Dickie. We’ve lost Anne Coates.

If the footage survived, there would undoubtedly be no music, no Foley, no fx track.

Even if one were to follow the screenplay, which I’ve not read, but will...

Possibly a rough cut?

 

[waltodonnell]

True, could be down to only raw footage. That would be a shame. I'm hoping it's a case similar to the movie "1776" where the footage was cut at the final hour so they would be in mostly complete form. If the former then maybe they could pop up in a deleted scenes supplement.

I bought my copy of the shooting script from Hollywood Book City online shop. The screenplay is 124 pages long.

The following pages contain the Joan Barry deleted scenes. I can't see anything in the forum rules re: posting sample pages of a screenplay but if this is forbidden I will remove.

 

[Robert Harris]

Not a problem posting a few pages. Fair Use covers this sort of thing. No monies involved. Part of a serious discussion, the upshot of which will probably be the sale of discs. The IP owner is not being damaged.

I’ll attempt to look into the survival of elements.

A 124 page draft should run somewhere around 2 1/2 hours. If the original desire was multiple films or a mini-series, this would not be the draft.

 

[waltodonnell]

Excellent, thank you so much for checking!

 

[waltodonnell]

For the purpose of discussion I'll post the remaining pages with deleted scenes. Deleted scene number one, Chaplin's childhood:

 

[waltodonnell]

Deleted scene number two: Stan Laurel

 

[waltodonnell]

Deleted Scene number 3: Extended Edna Purviance and Chaplin's method

 

[waltodonnell]

Deleted scene number four: Hoover's Chaplin file

 

[waltodonnell]

Deleted scene 5: PickFair. There was a bit of reshuffling of scenes at this point in the film. As it played theatrically, after Chaplin returns to London and realizes he "had no home" and plans to make America his permanent residence. The next scene is Chaplin and Fairbanks horseback riding along with the Hollywoodland sign, which, according to the script, is supposed to take place in 1927, then Hoover and Seeley discussing Chaplin's marriage to Lita Grey in 1924, then finally the making of the Gold Rush in 1924. However according to the shooting script, the Hollywoodland scene took place later between the making of Gold Rush and the problem with City Lights in 1929. The discussion of the arrival of talkies would have lead nicely into the City Lights scene with Charlie and Syd arguing about adding sound.

 

[waltodonnell]

Finally, deleted scene 7. The Joan Barry material I posted yesterday would be number 6. Here is a short scene between Chaplin's eldest sons, now adults.

 

[waltodonnell]

One last piece, this details William Goldman's involvement in the screenplay and where it was at the time he came on board. From his fantastic book, "Which Lie Did I Tell: More Adventures in the Screen Trade."