186 mins? 184 mins? What was cut?-I could have watched a 5 hour version!

There are no PAL versions running 171 and 172 minutes.
The BFI release (171 minutes) is a theatrical release (24 fps), the Concorde release (172 minutes) is a Blu-Ray (24 fps). Both are the same cut versions.

186 minutes is according to Polanski the running time of the cut he orignally delivered. Producer Claude Berri insisted that it had to be cut down. After some fierce fighting Polanski had to give in, edited the movie and delivered the now 'offical' 171 minutes version in time for the French premiere. Neither the cuts nor any of the original versions have survived.

The 184 minutes German dubbed version was released a week earlier. It had an intermission and a two minute musical interlude before the second act, both missing from the current version.

When I first watched this movie on TV there was a few scenes that were longer than the DVD/Bluray version. The one I especially remember is the scene near the end where Tess stabs Alec before running after Angel,this scene was longer than on the subsequent DVD. But nothing to make up 15 mins.

Nel