The Shining International v US Version

Started by quigliest, September 29, 2021, 06:07:41 PM

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quigliest

Hello xixaxers.

So a little while back during an extended moment of boredom and curiosity I decided to examine the international and US versions of The Shining side by side as a way of seeing the exact differences between the two... and essentially find out exactly what was removed for the International version. I then exported out an edit of the longer US version that switches to B&W for any section that was removed for the international version. The results are really interesting for two reasons -

1)The parts removed were all pretty large, clean chunks... as opposed to minor trims here and there.
2) The Shining looks possibly even more gorgeous in B&W

Anyway I have it on vimeo and can post it here if anyone would like to see it but I have a feeling I may be stretching the boundaries of fair use/education purposes with the upload... although Soderbergh seems to have gotten away with doing similar with his B&W upload of Raiders (saying that.... his recut of 2001 was removed)

If posting it here is frowned upon in any way or discouraged well then we'll just say that's that and move on.


WorldForgot

Sounds dope! Post away, I say.

If you use brackets for [vimeo] URL [/vimeo end bracket
It'll embed

quigliest

Enjoy!

(It should be available to download also but let me know if it isn't for any reason)



Edit: I think you may need the actual URL to access download options - https://vimeo.com/369130770/8a3a42f967

WorldForgot

Hype!! Thanks for sharing. Edits like these are pretty cool. Can't say Vimeo won't take you down, but here's hoping it stayz up.

Drenk

Downloading right now! Thanks a lot! The time has come to discover that cut. I like the idea of separating the versions with black and white.
Ascension.

Alethia

Wow, aside from a few small chunks, I don't know how you could justify losing most of that.

quigliest

Quote from: eward on September 29, 2021, 08:35:59 PM
Wow, aside from a few small chunks, I don't know how you could justify losing most of that.

Yeah it's such a treat suddenly finding all these new scenes and moments added into a film you've probably seen a million times already. Particularly for someone like Kubrick who was usually very protective over deleted scenes /unused footage.

I recall reading somewhere that he felt international audiences needed less explaining and less focus on the big name lead of Nicholson.

It's been a while since I watched it now (I made this about 2/3 years ago) but I remember what struck me most is how much Jack's history of violence and alcohol abuse are really obscured for the international version..... the extra character backstory in the US version makes it pretty apparent that there is a problem before they even get to the hotel. The conversation between Wendy and the doctor at the start really make him out to be a bit of a threat... to the point where it almost feels comical that they would go to an isolated location with him at all.

I also don't miss Wendy seeing the skeletons in the lobby towards the end at all. Something about it feels really cheap and not like anything you'd usually see in a Kubrick film.

quigliest

Quote from: WorldForgot on September 29, 2021, 06:42:34 PM
Hype!! Thanks for sharing. Edits like these are pretty cool. Can't say Vimeo won't take you down, but here's hoping it stayz up.

It's a private link so has managed to stay up thus far. Fingers crossed.

I usually post it to my insta every halloween - not sure why I never thought to post it here.

Alethia

Quote from: quigliest on September 30, 2021, 05:03:46 AM
Quote from: eward on September 29, 2021, 08:35:59 PM
Wow, aside from a few small chunks, I don't know how you could justify losing most of that.
Yeah it's such a treat suddenly finding all these new scenes and moments added into a film you've probably seen a million times already. Particularly for someone like Kubrick who was usually very protective over deleted scenes /unused footage.

I've only ever known the US version, and I just can't fathom experiencing the movie sans the portions excluded from the international cut. Much of it excises key character/story setups (Jack's alcoholism, the doctor visiting Danny at home, the hedge-maze looming in the background when they first arrive at the Overlook, the history of the Native American influence on the overall visual design of the interior of the hotel, Scatman's intro, the ballroom) and others are more textural, tonal, pacing things which, I guess, validity-wise are up for debate... but the slow, languorous quality of the opening passages in particular massively contributes to the overall power of the film in my view.

quigliest

Quote from: eward on September 30, 2021, 09:10:19 AM
Quote from: quigliest on September 30, 2021, 05:03:46 AM
Quote from: eward on September 29, 2021, 08:35:59 PM
Wow, aside from a few small chunks, I don't know how you could justify losing most of that.
Yeah it's such a treat suddenly finding all these new scenes and moments added into a film you've probably seen a million times already. Particularly for someone like Kubrick who was usually very protective over deleted scenes /unused footage.

I've only ever known the US version, and I just can't fathom experiencing the movie sans the portions excluded from the international cut. Much of it excises key character/story setups (Jack's alcoholism, the doctor visiting Danny at home, the hedge-maze looming in the background when they first arrive at the Overlook, the history of the Native American influence on the overall visual design of the interior of the hotel, Scatman's intro, the ballroom) and others are more textural, tonal, pacing things which, I guess, validity-wise are up for debate... but the slow, languorous quality of the opening passages in particular massively contributes to the overall power of the film in my view.

Interesting. I always thought the international version became the defacto version after its release but I guess that's just.... internationally.

It's an interesting point about the slower opening. I don't have a preferred version as such. I do love how the long slow zooms early on work against the sharper cuts later in the film.... so there's definitely an argument that the extra sequences work better for the overall pacing or rhythm of the film. Although for me the film always functioned perfectly fine without a lot of that early exposition and the absence of it actually adds to the suggestive nature of the film in a way. I guess it comes down to which version you saw first. Although I know I'd go for the US version any day now for rewatches purely because it feels fresher and less familiar.