In just a few weeks The Weinstein Company will finally release Wong Kar-wai‘s long-in-the-works Ip Man biopic, The Grandmaster. For a U.S. bow, they’ve reduced the runtime from 130 minutes in its native country to 108 minutes — not an uncommon procedure for Harvey Weinstein, the man also referred to as Harvey Scissorhands. Another highly-anticipated international film will now be getting the same treatment, much to our disappointment.
Having just premiered in South Korea, where it was a major box-office hit, not to mention favorably reviewed, Bong Joon-ho‘s Snowpiercer will reportedly go under the knife, with 20 minutes being removed. According to Twitch, film critic and programmer Tony Rayns spoke with the helmer, who said these trims would cut out character detail, turning a rich ensemble-driven sci-fi thriller into more of a “straightforward action film” that could be understood by audiences across America. Although the film is reportedly 95% in English, The Weinstein Company also plans to add voiceovers to the opening and ending.
This leaves U.S. audiences in a major predicament, even though the company has yet to even set a U.S. release (and according to us, don’t expect to see it until 2014). I desperately want to support Bong Joon-ho’s efforts with his English-language debut, but seeing a dumbed down version off the bat is hardly a way to do so, so like many, I could see myself turning to an imported DVD/Blu-ray. As we get closer to release, hopefully TWC rethinks this idiotic decision, as this development is as frustrating as it comes for those that have been looking forward to the post-apocalyptic thriller.
Will you see a dumbed down version of Snowpiercer or try to get the original theatrical cut through other means?