Kingdom of Heaven revisited

Dmitry Markov · 03-05-08, 11:41 PM

Thanks, Skybird!

I like this film very very much indeed. It leaves pleasant aftertaste and makes you think. Me and my wife - we watch first version DVD from time to time. It really seems to be severely cut and I don't believe it was Scott's intent to shoot and edit the film the way it was released in the cinemas. Scott is one of my favorite directors of all times and every time it is obvious where there are his decisions and where the producer's decisions are.

I would immediately go to the DVD-store!

Best Regards!

Dowly · 03-06-08, 12:54 AM

Aye, I have the extended edition. I though it was just another "Hey, here's an extended edition with 3 minutes of more credits" but seems not. I couldnt even think about watching the shortened version. Great movie, another masterpiece from Scott.

Skybird · 03-06-08, 02:41 AM

Forgot to mention: the DVD box has four DVDs, two with the movie, two more with the usual "docu assault".

Rotary Crewman · 03-06-08, 04:20 AM

Heading through the Subsim store now to purchase it.

Also I see that Troy and Alexander have director cuts now. Anyone seen these and do they make good films great?

Skybird · 03-06-08, 04:48 AM

Troy is very superficial, shallow, and ignores Homer to 66% if not more. You get plenty of stunning visuals - but that is all that you get. Watch it once, never watch it again. Brad Pitt, though, plays the Archilles in young storming Siegfried-style, that was at least amusing.

Alexander simply was - boring, and the characters and the cast did not convince me. I switched off in the middle of it.

Both movies focus too much on visual effects, have thin stories, and shallow characters. If I want effect movie, I would prefer others. Since Troy does at least not hide that it is not more than it is and thus fulfills it'S limited goals - not more -, Alexander raised self-declared claims of how much quality and depth and characterisation of the main figur it has to offer - but does not fulfill these self-images and thus fails, and fails pretty miserably by claiming to be more than it is.

Dmitry Markov · 03-06-08, 07:16 AM

As for Troy - I prefer to watch movies as themselves - I never watch them from the point of view "does it have good connectivity with written masterpiece or does not". So for me it doesn't matter that there are less then 66% of Homer in film - movie is movie and book is book.
I went to see Troy in cinema right after couple of hours of hard kendo training and I've been watching the movie beeing in kendo state of my mind. So battle sequences seemed to me very convincing... As for other aspects - I agree with Skybird - it is quite shallow but IMHO this comes from realistic approach to story-telling. I think the story of the real Troy is also quite shallow as any other real story is. Symbolism, characters, drama and so on appears afterwards - in hands of poet or artist. Real people just solve real issues of the day and there is nothing too deep in it (But maybe it is the deepest thing in itself who knows :hmm: ).

Best Regards!

Rotary Crewman · 03-06-08, 07:26 AM

I'm with Dmitry on this one. The movies were very good for what they were.

So going back to my original question, are the extended versions of Troy and Alexander any better than the originals?

03-05-08, 11:41 PM	#1
Dmitry Markov Officer Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Moscow, Russian Federation Posts: 236 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Thanks, Skybird! I like this film very very much indeed. It leaves pleasant aftertaste and makes you think. Me and my wife - we watch first version DVD from time to time. It really seems to be severely cut and I don't believe it was Scott's intent to shoot and edit the film the way it was released in the cinemas. Scott is one of my favorite directors of all times and every time it is obvious where there are his decisions and where the producer's decisions are. I would immediately go to the DVD-store! Best Regards! __________________ Большому кораблю - большая торпеда!

03-06-08, 02:41 AM	#3
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,693 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Forgot to mention: the DVD box has four DVDs, two with the movie, two more with the usual "docu assault". __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

03-06-08, 04:20 AM	#4
Rotary Crewman Sonar Guy Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: The cold part of a Helicopter, the back. Posts: 395 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Heading through the Subsim store now to purchase it. Also I see that Troy and Alexander have director cuts now. Anyone seen these and do they make good films great? __________________

03-06-08, 04:48 AM	#5
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,693 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Troy is very superficial, shallow, and ignores Homer to 66% if not more. You get plenty of stunning visuals - but that is all that you get. Watch it once, never watch it again. Brad Pitt, though, plays the Archilles in young storming Siegfried-style, that was at least amusing. Alexander simply was - boring, and the characters and the cast did not convince me. I switched off in the middle of it. Both movies focus too much on visual effects, have thin stories, and shallow characters. If I want effect movie, I would prefer others. Since Troy does at least not hide that it is not more than it is and thus fulfills it'S limited goals - not more -, Alexander raised self-declared claims of how much quality and depth and characterisation of the main figur it has to offer - but does not fulfill these self-images and thus fails, and fails pretty miserably by claiming to be more than it is. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

03-06-08, 07:16 AM	#6
Dmitry Markov Officer Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Moscow, Russian Federation Posts: 236 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	As for Troy - I prefer to watch movies as themselves - I never watch them from the point of view "does it have good connectivity with written masterpiece or does not". So for me it doesn't matter that there are less then 66% of Homer in film - movie is movie and book is book. I went to see Troy in cinema right after couple of hours of hard kendo training and I've been watching the movie beeing in kendo state of my mind. So battle sequences seemed to me very convincing... As for other aspects - I agree with Skybird - it is quite shallow but IMHO this comes from realistic approach to story-telling. I think the story of the real Troy is also quite shallow as any other real story is. Symbolism, characters, drama and so on appears afterwards - in hands of poet or artist. Real people just solve real issues of the day and there is nothing too deep in it (But maybe it is the deepest thing in itself who knows :hmm: ). Best Regards! __________________ Большому кораблю - большая торпеда!

03-06-08, 12:54 AM	#2
Dowly Lucky Jack Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Finland Posts: 25,054 Downloads: 32 Uploads: 0	Aye, I have the extended edition. I though it was just another "Hey, here's an extended edition with 3 minutes of more credits" but seems not. I couldnt even think about watching the shortened version. Great movie, another masterpiece from Scott.

03-06-08, 07:26 AM	#7
Rotary Crewman Sonar Guy Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: The cold part of a Helicopter, the back. Posts: 395 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I'm with Dmitry on this one. The movies were very good for what they were. So going back to my original question, are the extended versions of Troy and Alexander any better than the originals? __________________