Running Time? Extended Version?
What is the exact running time for the entire movie? Is it true that 30 minutes was edited out for the DVD version?
shareAfter viewing the movie on DVD recently, I wondered if I had missed something. Seems I have and quite a bit. According to http://imdb.com/title/tt0133028/alternateversions the original director's cut was 162 min and the DVD version is only 117 min. That's actually 15 extra minutes than was reported on an Asian film site I checked. Even 30 minutes is quite a chunk to edit out and the alleged 45 minutes is even worse. I can't help thinking that some of the things that left me wondering were, indeed, at least partially covered in that missing segment. Sadly, this isn't the first Chinese (or even Asian) film to be so trimmed for DVD foreign release and is unlikely to the last. Pity. Maybe some day someone will have the sense to release the film in its complete version.
shareI have a feeling what was edited out was to do with the niece's s/l-it felt really incomplete.Plus it could also be when wan and foon ran that restautant-that felt rushed.
shareSadly, this isn't the first Chinese (or even Asian) film to be so trimmed for DVD foreign release . . .Maybe some scenes were deemed too controversial for a commercial release. I am surprised that it was possible to make this film at all considering the sensitivity of the subject in Chinese eyes.
Having said that, it was all beautifully handled and made me shed a tear at the end.
8.5/10 on my score card share
Interesting thought. Although Happy Together, another HK film released the same year, was likely as controversial.
shareAlthough Happy Together, another HK film released the same year, was likely as controversial.Hmmm... Good point. I had forgotten about that movie, which BTW I did not like all that much. share