MovieChat Forums > The Draughtsman's Contract (1982) Discussion > The Hedgecutters (original 4 hour versio...

The Hedgecutters (original 4 hour version)

posted 18 years ago by jw3430
11 replies | jump to latest

Does anyone know if or when this version of The Draughtsman's Contract will be released in theaters (and hopefully on dvd)?

[–] palefire-1 18 years ago

Probably never. I do wonder what all that extra material revealed. Anybody know?

[–] MetalMiike 18 years ago

One famous scene has a character on his mobile phone. Apparently it does provide a more detailed explaination regarding the moving stautes. But I personally have often suspected that the Hedgecutters might be a hoax on the part of Greenaway. Urban legend has it that he watches it at the same time on the same date every year. Bullsh*t or Not?

Timbo Dyes His Hair (Never Quite The Same Shade Twice)

[–] fxx2-1 18 years ago

Were there mobile phones in 1981?

[–] MetalMiike 18 years ago

You had to carry a big case around with you to act as a transmitter. They weren't really that mobile, actually...

Timbo Dyes His Hair (Never Quite The Same Shade Twice)

[–] groucho_de_sade 18 years ago

Ebert claims to have seen the original 4-hour cut of the film, and has called it a masterpiece. Maybe he's just helping to embroider the myth, though.

¶ Do I look like a balloon trying to look like a marimba trying to look like a wombat?

[–] hamletmachin 18 years ago

On the BFI commentray, Greenaway says he shot 5 and a half hours. There are three deleted scenes, none significant, on the DVD.

[–] cult_classics 16 years ago

Interesting, no wonder it made less sense than even i imagined it would.

"Confess quickly! If you hold out too long you could jeopardize your credit rating."

[–] ebm83 15 years ago

From a 1983 interview with Greenaway:

"Yes, a mass of stuff was cut from the present version having to do with symbolism, allegory, the relationship of people upstairs and downstairs, and the continuation of the living-statue conceit. (The statue had a wife and dog.) All the minor characters played the game of aping their masters. Maria, Mrs. Herbert's servant, and Philip, Mr. Neville's assistant, had sexual liasons after dark in the garden in the same places that the drawings were made. Also, the mechanical manipulation of the drawings was shown stage by stage, as well as a scene where Porringer attacks Mr. Neville in the garden, accusing him of various relations with his mistress."

"Everyone was in on it. At one point Philip was going to be present, masked, at his master's death."

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] CounterPaul 15 years ago

Heh, no wonder. A relative newbie, he was just coming off from that sprawling "The Falls"; which I STILL haven't managed to finish off in a single sitting!

"POWER TO THE PEOPLE WHO PUNISH BAD CINEMA!!!"

[–] dmartins64 12 years ago

Having asked it by email to Mr. Greenaway a few days ago, I was told that at the time there was sufficient enthusiasm to finance the three hour version - and its sequel, THE HEDGE-CUTTERS - but it was never really seriously entertained as a distribution vehicle.

The director considers the version we all know as the definitive one. According to him, a little reasoning and close survey of all the clues will lead easily to the answers to our questions.

Very polite person, by the way.