As a dedicated fan of Yorgos Lanthimos’ unique and provocative films, I was both excited and intrigued by the recent revelation that an earlier cut of his latest movie, “Kinds of Kindness,” exceeded the three-hour mark. The prospect of even more twisted, dark, and disturbing content from the master of the macabre is always enticing. However, as the editor, Yorgos Mavropsaridis, revealed in a Collider interview, audiences may not get to witness this longer version anytime soon.
Within just over eleven months of the release of “Poor Things,” director Yorgos Lanthimos returned to the big screen with “Kinds of Kindness.” This intriguing new production showcased the unique blend of strangeness, violence, and mature themes that have become synonymous with Lanthimos’ work. The runtime for this film clocks in at a lengthy 160 minutes, and it comprises three interconnected stories brimming with the director’s signature violent quirks. However, as revealed by the film’s editor, Yorgos Mavropsaridis, the initial cut of the project boasted a more extended running time of around 200 minutes, and it included even more disturbing material.
Yorgos Mavropsaridis talked to Collider about his role in Lanthimos’s controversial film and shared that an initial version ran longer than three hours. The editor explained that the movie wasn’t just shortened due to time constraints, but also because of concerns it might be too intense for viewers.
“We anticipated that it would pose a challenge for us since we were content with a three hour and ten minute cut in our editing.”
“We considered not just the length but also the character growth, important scenes, and the level of audience discomfort from more intense moments. Therefore, we decided to make it slightly shorter.”
Don’t Hold Your Breath for the Kinds of Kindness Director’s Cut
Once something is taken off the table as an option, our desire for it intensifies. For instance, if we’re aware that a longer edition of “Kinds of Kindness” (three hours) exists, fans will be eager and even desperate to watch it. Adding fuel to the fire, the original cut was rumored to be more graphic and disturbing than what was released, making it all the more intriguing not to see it. With the film already containing shocks such as cannibalism, self-mutilation, and explicit sexual content, one can’t help but wonder just how much further it could go.
Yorgos Mavropsaridis graciously set the record straight about Lanthimos’s approach to filmmaking. Unlike some directors who eagerly go back and refine their theatrical releases, Lanthomas is known for sticking to his original vision. Ridley Scott is working on a “Director’s Cut” of “Napoleon,” but filmmakers like Stanley Kubrick and Christopher Nolan have always held firm that the final version screened in theaters is sacrosanct. Lanthomas belongs to this latter camp, according to Mavropsaridis.
I’ve been a film buff for as long as I can remember, and I’ve come to realize that every frame of a movie is the result of deliberate choices made by the director. If a scene doesn’t make it into the final cut, it’s because the filmmaker decided it wasn’t essential to the story they wanted to tell.
Yorgos Lanthimos is known for creating uniquely odd films, but he’s also among the most prolific directors in Hollywood. With only a half-year break between the premieres of “Poor Things” and “Kinds of Kindness,” many directors take longer between projects. Yet, Lanthimos’ next film, “Bugonia,” is set to hit theaters within a year. In this production, Lanthimos teams up once again with Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. The screenplay is written by Will Tracy (“The Menu”), inspired by Jang Joon-hwan’s 2003 film “Save the Green Planet.” According to the official synopsis:
I’m absolutely captivated by the idea that two guys, fueled by their conspiracy theories, would abduct the powerful CEO of a big corporation. They firmly believe that this woman is actually an alien, bent on wreaking havoc and destroying our precious planet Earth.
Kinds of Kindness
is currently playing in theaters.
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2024-07-16 21:31