MovieChat Forums > The New World (2006) Discussion > The 172 min extended cut - does it satis...

The 172 min extended cut - does it satisfy Christopher Plummer?

posted 8 years ago by marcussuh
2 replies | jump to latest

From IMDB Trivia:
Christopher Plummer was infuriated after watching the final cut of the movie and discovering that key scenes had been cut and one of his important speeches had been reduced to background noise. He vowed never to work with Terrence Malick again.

Christopher Plummer on Newsweek's Oscar Roundtable 2012:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw08GQw0hBI
"I was put in all sorts of different spots - my character would suddenly not [be] in the scene I thought I was in, and in the editing room.... It is very strange, it completely unbalances everything, and a _very_ emotional scene that I had suddenly was background noise. I could hear myself saying it, this long wonderful moving speech that I thought I was so fantastic in, I hear this is now background sort of score way miles in a distance."

Does anyone know if some of the material Christopher is talking about got their way into the extended 172 min version?

[–] alan-is-a-cowboy-killer 8 years ago

It amazes me how Plummer could express so much public disdain! The bit where he says 'Terry needs a writer!' etc, is awful.

His uncut speech in the film may have indeed been very well performed - but it's not the point!

What is important is that it was performed with that level of conviction - so it really feels like it's happening. If he knew it was going to end up in the background he may not have displayed the conviction needed.

The words are second to the feeling - the language of film - the experience. He forgets, it seems, that Terry wrote the words in the first place.

Personally I get a very strong sense of vigour and purpose from his character in this film, his presence is strong. He should be celebrating the film.

I'm only going from the extended cut here, but there were not any prolonged shots of him talking. So I imagine he'd feel similar.

[–] nhoj441 8 years ago

Referring to the 172 minute Blu-ray extended cut, it's very possible that the sections Plummer is referring to occur at 1.47:30 and 1.49:45, particularly the latter. He gives a speech which really underlines some of the central themes of the film, but the editing chooses to cut away from a picture of Plummer delivering the speech, to images which actually reinforce or amplify through irony the meaning of the words. And the audio of the speech itself eventually fades out. Taken together, the evidence would support that this is the section Plummer refers to, and I wonder if Malicks treatment of the material also represents his comment on actor-centric film making. 1John4:4

A thing of beauty is a thing forever. MLG/JK