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Total Film: Why did you feel that Napoleon warranted the directors cut treatment?
Ridley Scott: Well, you could do a film that ran a week about Napoleon Bonaparte.
Really, the biggest challenge is: how the hell do I narrow this down?
The story of Napoleon is so complex, and I only wanted to look at the man.
And from that, she had nowhere else to go.
Where is she going to go?
You start to getwho,what,where, andwhy.
Some may prefer it as a cut.
And, that said, I think I do.
The Battle of Marengo is a short but striking new addition.
I acknowledge Marengo just to say, And there were more [battles].
So Ive got to be very selective there as well.
You cant sit there for 10 weeks watching battle after battle.
And, also, violence gets boring.
Have you noticed that?
Did you consider those scenes too brutal for the theatrical cut?
Its worse than that: I begin Waterloo with him on the lavatory!
I think its great, because hes actually bleeding from the ass.
And piles can easily develop as a horseman.
When hes in Russia, theres blood on the saddle.
And then someone looks in and says, Piles, my lord!
Everybody thought it was so comical to start off the Battle of Waterloo with piles.
I thought it was great.
Thats life, man.
I love doing star-driven pieces.
He said, Why do you work with me?
I said, You keep me honest.
It was a long shift.
Because he suddenly comes and says, I dont think I can do this.
I said, What?!
He always does that.
Is there a part of you that laments not being able to release your directors cuts in cinemas?
I cant disassociate myself and what I do from the marketplace.
If you do, youre a fool, and you wont last long.
A good TV set doesnt cost anything today.
Ive got a set thats 5ft across.
Its frankly as good as any screen.
Which do you consider your more successful directors cuts?
So now you get, in that story, what happened to the Princess of Jerusalem.
She euthanised her child, because she knew he had leprosy.
The problem here is, it ends up and always will be art against commerce.
Is that why several of your films have only later been released intact?
Im not saying I do art, but I try.
Occasionally, I circle art.
Its an interesting equation because you cant say, Fuck you.
Youre not going to win.
Youre going to lose.
Orson Welles said, Fuck you.
He went and did what he did.
Except he did make three marvellous movies.
Are you fairly ruthless when it comes to killing your darlings in the editing room?
Ruthless is a bad word.
Im good at stepping back and looking in.
I dont get buried in the film anymore.
Then the films, it was the same thing.
It was quite a long time in the editing room.
I think it was Black Rain that I started to ease back.
I gave him some fantastic footage.
And he was always smoking in his room.
So I would give him space.
And then he cut the movie, and I went, Christ, thats great.
I didnt realise the film was going to be so good.
Ive got a reel.
Do you want to see it?
Because once Ive prepared casting, recced it, and shot it, Im so buried in it.
Im numb to what Ive just done.
Its best to hand it over to a fresh mind, and let them get to it.
And then Im fresh to see what theyve done with it.
Are there any films youd like to go back to and give the directors cut treatment?
Is there a directors cut of The Duellists or Thelma & Louise or Black Rain in you?
No, I think theyre all pretty good.
I think theyre pretty fucking good.
When youspoke to usabout Napoleon last year you mentioned a cut that ran 250 minutes.
Is that extra footage still on the cutting room floor somewhere?
We cut a four-hour version.
So if this goes well…
I think: why wouldnt they [release] it?
It doesnt cost them anything.
All you do is press a button.
If you like the long version, then theres a four-hour version.
Youd have to [colour grade it], that would have to be done.
You have to mix it.
The four-hour version is always on the Avid, on the machine.
Napoleon: The Directors Cut is now streaming on Apple TV+.
For more check out our guide to thebest shows on Apple TV+right now.
