10 Alternate Versions Of Films To Watch Before The Snyder Cut

10. The European Cut - Brazil

There are three distinct versions of Terry Gilliam's dystopian film Brazil. They can be more or less separated by naming them the European Cut, the American Cut and the Love Conquers All Cut, with the European Cut being Gilliam's intended version.

The American Cut was edited by Gilliam for the purpose of syndication. It was a shorter version of the film, with several scenes cut out to make the film fit for home viewing. The opening and closing of the film bear minor differences.

The Love Conquers All Cut is a different beast. This was prepared for release by Universal Boss Sid Sheinberg. It differes significantly from Gilliam's vision. It was edited from 142 minutes down to 94 minutes. Many of the scenes are chopped entirely from the film, or watered down so as to play better on television.

Many of the fantasy scenes are removed and characters explicitly stated to have died in Gilliam's version are simply forgotten here. Some of the violence is toned back and much of the swearing is dubbed over. There is also a scene that implies the Ministry has special, supernatural powers as Harry Tuttle is attacked by paper, without the dream revelation of Gilliam's version.

Gilliam would win the war to have his version released, though both were released for the Criterion LaserDisc and DVD collections. Watching the two of them in comparison isn't quite like watching two films, though it is like watching one film through a thin lens.