are there two versions of this film?
i wanted to watch this movie..are there two versions o fthis film ..if so which is better and which is the firts version?
sharethere are two versions of the film: de sica's original, which is dark and brooding, and explores clift's cruelty in light of the jennifer jones character's indecision -- both characters corrupted by their own passion. in the second version, producer selznick (who was notorious for his tampering with his director's cuts) eliminated most of de sica's moody camera work, and turned the film into something more sellable and 'glossy' -- this because at sample previews, american audiences didn't respond to de sica's rather dark vision of romantic love.
i suspect that there may have also been something in selznick's decision to cut the film in order to make jennifer jones, who was his wife at the time, appear more bankable to american audiences.
generally it's thought that the director's original cut is the superior of the two versions.
enjoy.
thanks for all the info.:)
sharewow thanks for the info i had no idea there were 2 versionsWhen there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...
I just watched the Selznick 60 min version and I can't believe there's a darker, even more dramatic version out there. It was just over the top, steeped in drama with some bad acting/direction and Clift being far too unbelievable as an Italian, and I normally love that sort of thing.. being a fan of old Italian cinema, but this movie almost came off as a parody of Italian cinema. I'm sure the unedited version has a better flow but I have no interest in revisiting this one.