Are Revisions the Phantom Menace of Film?

  Now I’m a big Star Wars fan and I’m definitely excited about The Phantom Menace being rereleased in 3D. George Lucas recently clarified a misconception that a lot of Star Wars fans had in stating that Greedo shot first.

I know this has been an infuriating topic for many a Star wars fan since George updated and tinkered with the original trilogy. This has brought about a larger debate as to whether a director or producer should go back and revise their previous work. Some people feel that once a movie has been released it’s no longer the director’s but the viewing public at large. Any changes are perceived as a slap in the face to fans. This is an interesting point of view.

   On the other side you have the view that the movie was incomplete when it wasoriginally released and the director wanted to get their definitive vision ofthe film released. We have seen this before as director’s cuts. I have to admit I really lean heavily on the side of wanting to go back and fix certain elements. I’ve experienced this myself with the projects I’ve shot. I’m never really satisfied with the end result. I realize that during the process I’m running out of time and I just need to get the shot off or accept the edit as is and move on. I have been tempted on several occasions to go back and re-edit my projects but ultimately I leave them be. 

  I’ve been able to sit back at them as complete works flaws and all. It motivates me to not make the same mistakes. Although that’s not to say that I will never go back and change a project. For me it really depends on the circumstances. In some cases the re-cut or extended cut of films I’ve seen are superior to what was originally released. Daredevil comes to mind when I think about this. Although the movie still isn’t perfect it was definitely a lot more enjoyable than the theatrical release. I’ve even been able to change the minds of several friends who agreed with me when I showed them the director’s cut. 

  Ultimately I feel it should be left to the discretion of the filmmaker. The dilemma they face is when to stop which can be tough. I don’t always agree with the choices that are made but I respect them because of their passion. If they were not passionate about the film in the first place they wouldn’t have bothered to go back.

 Before I go I want to say R.I.P. Whitney Houston (1963 – 2012). I admit I was never really a big Whitney Houston fan but my mother and consequently my younger sister definitely are. I remember my brother and I spent many an agonizing car trip listening to my sister try to recreate the high notes that Whitney hit on The Bodyguard soundtrack that my mother seemed to have on constant repeat. Just thinking about it now brings a smile to my face. Thanks for the memories you will be missed.