MovieChat Forums > Yi dai zong shi (2013) Discussion > Chinese cut a masterpiece. American cut....

Chinese cut a masterpiece. American cut...very good, but compromised.

posted 9 years ago by mrryjos
8 replies | jump to latest

No desire for a war here, but I just watched the Chinese cut after watching the American cut. I can't see any contest. The Chinese cut is a different film.
Chinese cut: slower rhythm. Much more meditative. Much more Chinese. Much deeper and more emotional in a subtle, yearning, Kar Wai manner. The second half, in particular, packs a massive emotional punch in the way the American cut doesn't, in particular the ending, where the impact of Ip's failed love affair so powerfully underscores his final phase, teaching in the 50s. Massively more sense of his devastation at the way his life has gone on a personal level. And no cheesy emphasis on the cute, cheeky little Bruce Lee! For Gawd's sake, we end on a pan around those extraordinary stone Buddhas - all gone in the new cut! Completely different emphasis! It seemed to me much more a meditation on the passing of the old Chinese codes of honour after the horrors of the first half of the twentieth century (without being any the less entertaining for it).
Much more about the political impact of the Japanese invasion. That wonderful scene between Gong Er and Razor Man on the train... I could go on, but I imagine plenty will disagree with me...

I don't comment much on IMDB. But I felt I had to, because the cut I just saw hit me so hard! I think the new cut still contains enough extraordinary stuff to make it worth seeing, but I think it's a shame so much of the subtlety of the film is gone.

I really think it's two very different films and the original is very much superior.

My oh so humble opinion? See the Chinese cut first.

[–] benman46 9 years ago

You can blame Harvey Weinstein for the difference between the two films. He took it upon himself to cut 25 minutes from the original and rearrange the order of the film, which is why the film is disjointed and unfocussed which people have complained about. Luckily I saw the uncut version which is magnificent.

[–] Jill-McBain 8 years ago

Harvey Scissorhands.

Where do I get the original version with English subtitles?

'Ne cherchez plus mon coeur, les bêtes l'ont mangé.' Baudelaire

[–] benman46 8 years ago

I saw the uncut theatrical version with subs at the cinema, where you can buy that is anybody's guess. All the streaming versions appear to be the 108 minute one.

[–] druss44121-1 7 years ago

Actually, KWW recut the film himself and persoanlly wanted to recut it for western audiences (at least according to interviews with him). So this is not the normal hatchet job. I think there are pros and cons to both cuts, but I actually prefer the overall construction of the American version more than the Chinese version.

There are also new and extended scenes in the American version which are pretty good and are missed in the Chinese version. An ideal cut would probably be the structure of the American version with the missing material from the Chinese version (but still with the added American scenes).

Either way, this is not a typical hatchet job, it's actually two alternate versions of the film, both with added and cut material. If you liked one version, I'd suggest seeking out the other to make your own decision.

[–] BarrettIMDB 9 years ago

Where would I find the Chinese cut? I live in the UK and can't find it anywhere, I've deliberately put off seeing The Grandmaster because only the U.S. cut seems to be available here and I want to see the best cut.

[–] RNJ97 8 years ago

I saw both the 130min and 108min cuts. The latter I saw in theater as well as on BluRay. The 130min version I only saw it on BluRay. And surprisingly the 108min cut also has scenes that the 130min doesn't have--and it's just not the added hinted Bruce Lee character in the end. My take is that the 108min is not at all that bad as some suggest it is. The 130min, being the longest, still feel something is missing but thematically it's more complete. If you are a fan of Chen Chang/Razor you will still be disappointed even for the 130min version. Wait 10 years there maybe a different version.

Try eBay and looks for the 130min BluRay version. It's pretty spectacular.

[–] Solph 8 years ago

I watched the 130min (2 hours and 10 min) version and it is bad, really bad. Once I know how Wong shoots movies, I understood why this movie is so disappointing or why the movie is disjointed. His shooting works for movies like 2046 or In the Mood for Love, not when it is story-driven.

[–] rudeboymurray (3241) 5 years ago

I saw the original HK cut and disliked it pretty strongly. Sure, it had the beautiful visuals one expects from a WKW film, but it felt rushed, choppily edited, unfinished. As this is always claimed to be the definitive cut I have no desire to watch the American version.