10 Alternate Versions Of Films To Watch Before The Snyder Cut
9. The Director's Cut - Kingdom Of Heaven
Kingdom of Heaven was released to mixed reviews in 2005, with much of the footage cut from the theatrical version of the film. Several of the reviews cited that, despite the film's striking visual representation, it lacked the real depth needed to present the Crusades. Criticism was also leveled at Orlando Bloom, labeling his performance as somewhat mediocre.
Scott was deeply unhappy with this. The film, as released, was not the version he had made. Instead, this was a watered down version of the film with over forty minutes of missing material. He took it upon himself to restore these scenes.
The director's cut of Kingdom of Heaven was released in December of 2005 in Los Angeles, and the critical opinion swung wildly in the positive direction. It was called epic and the greater depth of characters and setting were seen immediately. Empire magazine stated that the returned pieces were like pieces that had been missing from the original like pieces of an immensely beautiful puzzle.
Scott was much more satisfied with this version, blaming the original's failure on the studios reliance on preview audiences. When later questioned on his opinion of preview audiences, he quipped that they were only necessary when the director of a film was a lunatic.
There are many things that Ridley Scott can be described as. Bashful is not one of them.
The Director's Cut is absolute proof that this confidence is earned.