Will be released october 17 2011 in the UK by Arrow films. 170min. Unclear if dubbed in english or russian - no original sound exists and so far I am only aware of the russian dubbing madr for the 2006 TV version cut by director Bondarchuks son. But this UK DVD seems to beshorter
Which cut this is we will learn soon - as commentators contest therre exist a shorter international cut
Ok everyone. The UK Arrow films DVD release is the three hour international version; dubbed in english but not by original actors (and lacking any punch). Scenes that are not in the longer mini-series are present; some new, others different shots. This version is cut by Paul LaMastra and not by Bondarchuks son, who cut the miniseries version (released on DVD in Russia).
Other differences are that the film-cut does not have any added effects whereas the mini-series has quite lot of digital enhancments; for example snow falling etc.
Dialouge are diferent and dialouge as "thoughts" whic are not apparent in the mini series are added.
The cutting of this shorter version is quite ruff, and sometimes strange - scenes comes in what seemes wrong order - which makes more sense in the order they come in the mini series.Also, the cutting makes the film seem like a TV-show, and not as an epic.
To my knowledge there exist no information on how the film and series was to be cut; only that the material shot would be used as a mini series (10 parts) and an international film. Does anyone know if there even was a rough cut done by Bondarchuk?
The international version - found on Arrows DVD - does not feel like Bondarchuk did any editing or after his notes - it feels like a late TV low budget job actually.
In comparison the russian mini series wins hands off. But which is the closest to Bondarchuks mind - I don´t know....
Thanks to another poster - which post I have missed reading it seems that Bobndarchuk did complete the film / and/or the miniseries?
Experpts frpm Landulphs interesting post:
"Walter Massi, who puts the cost of the film at "somewhat around $20m or $22m, give or take a million", is oddly undecided about the artistic worth of the end product. "I'm one of the few people who have seen the film right the way through and I can tell you, it's a splendid film, visually stunning. A real work of art. And crushingly slow. The kind of boredom that only Russians know how to create. What it needed was a good Hollywood editor to sort it out." Again, Everett disagrees. "It was all right. Bondarchuk did a good job, given the conditions he was working under. But he was working from a script for a mini-series, then they expected him to turn it into a film too. You can't blame him if it didn't work. There are some good bits in it. The one great thing about it is its Russian-ness."
When Bondarchuk handed the reels over to Rispoli in 1992 to be taken to the West for post-production, editing work was, as far as the director was concerned, complete.
"I last saw Bondarchuk two years ago, shortly before his death," says the Italian director, Giorgio Ferrara. "He was desperate. He didn't know what to do about And Quiet Flows the Don. He'd put everything into that movie. He was almost 70 when they started filming, and he suspected it would be his last. Then it vanished into thin air. Films just don't disappear like that." Now Bondarchuk's family have taken up the cause, blaming the pain caused by Rispoli's actions for the director's death in October 1994. His widow Irina Skobtseva, the actress who played Helene in his War and Peace, claims that the whole business continues to give her sleepless nights. "I worked day and night with my husband to put that film together. I still recall every shot, every scene. But now I'm afraid that the film has been sacrificed to the demands of television." Everett, too, was disparaging about the idea of Rispoli tampering with the finished product".