I must disagree.
The film has no pace. And is very poorly cast. toby maguire is laughable and the only thing that feels authentic is Jewel’s teeth
I’m with Choombaz – although I don’t think it’s a masterpiece, it is an overlooked gem – and pretty well cast, (even Jewel did okay) – using young actors is appropriate for any film about war but it didn’t slide into some Young Guns hipster thing. My question to Criterion is how does the director’s cut differ from the UK DVD I’ve had for the last few years? Is it a Payback style remake of the original, a Kingdom of Heaven reorientation of the original or a Dances With Wolves “it was already long enough we don’t need this extra stuff, thanks” version?
I agree with Den about it being poorly cast, but I didn’t dislike the film, though Criterion could have could have passed on this, selected a better Lee film.
-My question to Criterion is how does the director’s cut differ from the UK DVD I’ve had for the last few years-
According to Lee , the new cut has:
“more plot and action. All the information is laid out. There’s a big action war sequence that is longer and more detailed. It feels more epic.”
Thanks, Matt. In its way, Ulicain, I don’t think there is a better Ang Lee film – each of his films are so different. He has only really had one mis-step in my view (Hulk).
I think this is my least anticipated CC release ever. I honestly don’t know what they were thinking.
Ice Storm is my second favorite film ever, so I respect Lee’s work, and I appreciate how he tries different genres. I felt that the cinematography was great, strong editing, but the casting was an issue. I thought Jewel had the right look, but near wafer thin on her ability, Skeet Ulrich wasn’t bad, but just as with Maguire I felt he was too soft. Jeffrey Wright was the strongest performer, but that is no surprise. I felt there could have been more edge to the soft characters, I know they were green when the war began, but I had trouble buying them in some of the situations.
I can see I’m going to have to watch my existing version of this film again today! As I remember, I thought that softness – but then learned hardness – seemed authentic. These were just ordinary guys put in extraordinary situations. Now I didn’t know who Jewel was when I saw the film (I’m the wrong generation), though her name tipped me off that she had something else going on. But, in consequence, her performance didn’t have any baggage for me.
Ice Storm is a masterpiece – intrigued to know, Ulicain, what your first favourite film is!
I think that Brokeback and Crouching Tiger are Masterpieces, and the Wedding Banquet was very good, so I am excited for this.
Peter: here you go, take a look http://www.theauteurs.com/lists/6455
Ulicain – interesting choices. I liked the French scenes in Apocalypse Now Redux but that’s an example of a director’s cut that didn’t really improve on the original. Jason – I’m with you on those films too.
I didn’t mind the two big sections added in to the Redux, but the 79 cut is just near perfect for me, it’s been my favorite film since I sat down at 2am to watch it one night in 91.
That must have been quite a night, Ulicain! Have a good day. Speak on some other topic soon, I’m sure.
I recall not being terribly impressed by this film, but I’ll take a look at the director’s cut.
The Ice Storm is the only Ang Lee film i’ve responded to so far.
maybe i should give R.W.T.SD a look.
The American Civil War is a subject that hasn’t been examined much in cinema — only a small handful of films have done justice to what the late author Shelby Foote called “the crossroads of our being.” “Ride With the Devil” is one of those films. I’m a very tough critic on matters of historical authenticity, and Ang Lee’s work doesn’t exhibit any false notes in terms of the correct period look and detail. The costumes and armaments are all accurate, and the flowery turns of language impart a correct period feel.
Lee’s use of sweeping landscapes is particularly effective; he makes the sky and earth feel vibrant and alive. The infamous raid on Lawrence, Kansas is replicated quite convincingly — it depicts certain documented brutal events, which shows that the homework was done thoroughly. It’s also made clear that those doing the fighting are mere boys (as is so often the case), and to that end Tobey Maguire is quite effective. It’s hard to find any fault with a cast that includes such solid performers as Jeffrey Wright, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, James Caviezel, Simon Baker, Mark Ruffalo and Tom Wilkinson. There has been some unfair criticism heaped upon the casting of Jewel Kilcher, but a careful consideration of her performance shows that she actually comes off well.
I’m grateful that CC elected to grant new life to this overlooked film. In the same historical vein, I’m crossing my fingers in hopes that they’ll eventually land the director’s cut of “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.”
Well, I’m biased. I’m an Ang Lee fan, and I love westerns. What I particularly liked about this film was the rhythms of the speech, which are not quite nineteenth century authentic, but only because we would find their way of speaking unbearable, overly sentimental, and (in a word) false. But Schamus has created a lingo that gives the impression of people who, because they are from a different time and place, think differently, and therefore speak differently. Almost all historical films, one way or another, give the view a wink towards their contemporary reality, they let us know that our own time and place is the one doing the viewing, they judging. This one doesn’t, almost alone in films in my experience; and the special dialogue rhythms enforce that sense of difference and distance. A remarkable film.
Judging by some of the negative comments, I think quite a lot of people simply failed to really see this film, even while they were watching it; they were expecting something else and didn’t know how to register what they really saw. An action film, maybe; or an “Ang Lee” film (no such thing; almost every new film is a new genre, a new departure for unexplored territory). And Memofromturner is correct; very little has been done in the way of Civil War films. Red Badge of Courage; Glory; Ride With the Devil; Andersonville; and of course, the perfectly awful Gods and Generals. Let’s hope “Assassination” is next too.
choombaz
Thank you so much Criterion for bringing this forgotten masterpiece to a quality release. It has been available in Australia in a no-frills, not even widescreen release and I think it’s now OOP. A couple of concerns though – it seems the original version will not be available? That would be a shame. Also, we don’t get to hear from any of the other actors other than Jeffrey Wright (don’t get me wrong, he’s a tremendous actor) or a more detailed documentary. Otherwise a great release.