I have a good buddy who is a Quentin fan. Although it is not a fanatic, in his heart, Quentin is definitely the most storytelling director. Why do I say that? Structure is one thing, he says, and more importantly, it's about shaping characters, and Quentin is brilliant.
He gave two examples. In "The Eight Wicked Men," viewers learn through bounty hunter John Ruth that Major Marquis, a black man who served in the Northern Army in the same carriage as him, has a lincoln letter from Abraham Lincoln, who was a pen pal of Abraham Lincoln, who was then president of the United States. This sounds ridiculous at first, so how to design Major Marquis's words to exercise the audience's belief that it is true?
John Ruth asked, do you still have that letter? Marquis replied, of course. Ask again, carry it on your body? Marquis nodded and returned, well. And asked, where? Marquis patted his chest, here.
A seemingly ordinary conversation, informative. First of all, Major Marquis did not take the initiative to mention this matter, and secondly, when others asked him, he would never reveal a little information, asking a question and answering a sentence, and regretting the words like gold. So is he just trying to keep it a secret or not caring about it at all? Not even more so. Carrying it on his body at all times shows that he cherishes the letter very much; when he is asked where he is, he pats his chest, one is to indicate the direction of the letter on his body; more importantly, this action reveals his subconscious pride and show off: Lao Tzu Niu X?
The character lived.
▲ Look at his squealing look~
The second example, also from The Eight Wicked Men. Later in the film, Major Marquis opens Sherlock Holmes mode, deducing that there is a problem with the shop where minnie Mouse and the good man Dave are located, and the owners are not out, but are killed. He pointed to a fur-covered chair and said, "This is the good man Dave's chair, and when I sat down before, I couldn't believe it, because no one could sit on the good man Dave's chair; even if it was Minnie's house, it was the good man Dave's exclusive chair."
This reasoning is first, to uncover the fog to advance the plot; second, to show that Major Marquis is the old patron of Minnie Mouse and the good man Dave's shop, which is equivalent to confessing the previous history; and even better, here is the image of a good man Dave, even if he only appears a few times in the later plot retracement, he takes the bento, but his personality characteristics are preserved in the hearts of the audience, very three-dimensional.
▲ The good man Dave has such a side face and a line in the film
It can be seen that from the eight villain protagonists to the supporting characters of the "corners and corners" in "Eight Wicked Men", none of them are flat and thin, dispensable, they all have their own distinct personality characteristics, and under the collision of each other, this presents a good play.
This year, Kun Pi Tarantino's ninth feature film "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" will also meet with American audiences in the summer slot, and it is still unknown whether it can be introduced domestically. At the 72nd Cannes Film Festival, which has already opened, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" finally entered the main competition section as a waitlist, and Quentin returned to the place where he won the Palme d'Or 25 years ago.
▲ "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" Three male gods in the same frame
After countless lonely nights waiting to see "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood", how should Quentin fans get rid of their depression? Good news, the all-encompassing Netflix saves you! The extended version of "Eight Wicked Men" to know?
Netflix invited Quentin to take out some of the uncut content in his hand, and the length of the rearranged film exploded from the original 168 minutes to 210 minutes. But don't get excited, the extra 42 minutes are not all plot content.
Because Netflix re-divided the film in the form of a four-episode miniseries, the six chapters of the film version were also evenly divided into four chapters, with chapter titles "The Last Stop to Red Rock Town", "Minnie's Grocery Store", "Dormog Has a Secret", "Final Chapter", each episode is about 50 minutes, and there are nearly 5 minutes of pre-plot review + title, and nearly 5 minutes of end credits. So pinch the head and tail, and there are 20 minutes left with solid new content. How's that cool, isn't it?
▲ The extended version of the "Eight Wicked Men" on the information page on Netflix
Those who have watched "Eight Wicked Men" can look at this version again to taste it, and they can also find out what information is more; those who have not seen the film can directly feel Quentin's more cheerful mouth cannon Dafa in the extended version, and see how he makes the characters under the camera die one by one.
Today's article is to take stock of what this extra 20 minutes have to say. Spoilers are inevitable during the introduction process, and friends who mind can eat this article after watching the movie.
Before entering the main topic, it is still necessary to make a general sorting out of the story line. The 168-minute movie version is divided into six chapters titled "The Last Stop to Red Rock," "Bastard," "Minnie's Grocery Store," "Dormog Has a Secret," "Four Travelers," and "The Negro and the White Hell."
In the icy western mountains and forests, a six-horse-drawn carriage greeted him. Major Marquis Warren, played by Samuel L. Jackson, dragged three bodies frozen into popsicles to block the carriage's way. A snowstorm is coming, and he needs a ride.
John Ruth, the bounty hunter who rented the carriage, was very wary, and he took a wanted man worth $10,000 with a fat that could not be robbed by others.
After several negotiations, Marquis got into the car. It turned out that John Ruth had a relationship with Marquis, when he had read Lincoln's letter to Marquis. This time in the carriage, he read it again, still moved to tears.
▲ Lincoln's letter is different, and it also comes with a holy light
The "prey" who was chained by John Ruth was named Daisy Dormug, a well-known criminal who killed people like hemp. Here I have to praise Jennifer Jason Lee's acting skills. That unscrupulous look, after being beaten and bleeding, licked the blood on the side of his mouth with his tongue, and showed a look of enjoyment, and did not forget to "make eye contact" with Marquis sitting opposite, and got rid of the image of a bloodthirsty female demon head, so that Marquis did not dare to underestimate.
After walking for a while, another person jumped out of the way, named Chris Manix, claiming to be the new sheriff of Red Rock Town, and also wanted to hitchhike. The four wicked men gathered together and gossiped about the Civil War and the contradictions between black and white people, and arrived at Minnie Mouse's clothing store, where the story would end.
In the shop they see four other evil people, namely Osvaldo Mowbray, the executioner played by Tim Ross;
Joe Gage, a tough cowboy who prepares to go home for Christmas with his mother;
Bob, a Mexican who "temporarily replaced Minnie Mouse";
and Sanford, a retired general of the Southern Army, who came to repair the grave of his fallen son in Red Rock." No one is a bird" Smither.
Of course, there is also a villain, as an "Easter egg" form to be left for later appearances, which is a little trick Quentin plays with the audience. Gather the "Eight Wicked Men", and then like a worm, the audience can wait for them to fight each other and see who can survive to the end. I will not repeat the plot details, the following into the main topic, to count the extra 20 minutes of what is the content.
1. Chapter 1 - Minute 11
The movie version of Major Marquis and John Ruth agreed to go directly to the car scene; the extended version of Marquis and the coachman OB discussed helping to carry the body to the roof of the car, the coachman offered 250 knives, Marquis bargained 150 plus Red Rock Town Entertainment, and the deal was concluded.
The protagonist of this scene is the coachman, which is conducive to shaping the role of OB, an old and good man. The film version was more streamlined, but the richness of the OB image was weakened.
2. Chapter 1 - Minute 14
The film version of Marquis explains why he stayed in the middle of the road because the horse died of exhaustion; the extended version of John Ruth recalls that he also had a deep feeling horse, but unfortunately later blocked the bullet for himself.
This dialogue enriches the history and character of John Ruth, who is also a person of great feelings, so every time he reads Lincoln's letter, he will be very moved.
3. Chapter 1 - 22 minutes
The new Sheriff Marnix appears, and the extended version of the OB shouts "One more" twice in a row; John Ruth, who fell out of the car, said a few words to Daisy, who was lying in the snow, "Is it your ghost?"
Added here are the coachman's lines, and John Ruth's suspicions of Daisy. The coachman's reminder sets the stage for the appearance of the new sheriff to advance the plot, while John Ruth's lines further show his caution and vigilance against the female demon.
4. Chapter 2 - Minute 9
In the film version, the British accent executioner played by Tim Ross gives Daisy a "small class on justice and private justice", John Ruth goes directly to check the identity of the cowboy; in the extended version, the latter first asks who the executioner is, and after a few short conversations, he goes to check his ID card.
The difference here is that the executioner's question and three questions do not know how to arouse the audience's curiosity, and then go over to a positive dialogue. The advantage is that there is more preparation and more gradual progress.
5. Chapter 2 - 23 minutes
The new sheriff, speaking a southern demonic accent, entered the house and recognized the old southern general. The film version does not account for the inextricable alliance and white friendship between the two; the extended version of the new sheriff is a salute, a blanket and a drink, and a dog lick.
Here is to make the new sheriff's wall head grass behavior more three-dimensional. Later, the old general was killed by the major, and he turned his head and put on the general's coat.
6. Chapter 2 - 28 minutes
Major Marquis entered the house. In the extended version, he consulted with the coachman OB again, raised the price to 350 knives, and entertained him to bury the body in the snow. The coachman agreed.
Here is connected with the previous two bargaining, the movie version chose to delete the first paragraph, this paragraph will naturally be deleted together.
7. Chapter 2 - Minute 33
In the movie version, only the "temporary shopkeeper" Mexican, Bob, makes stews; in the extended version, there is a half-plucked chicken next to the stew, which is discovered by John Ruth, which forces him to feel that the chicken feathers are not pulled out, forcing Bob to lean back on the piano elbow and touch the keys to clang the hair.
Added here, it is an extra point of cold humor, and it also uses "unlucky" to conceal the plot after it.
8. Chapter 2 - Minute 35
The extended version shows the coachman OB returning from burial and repeating the nails again; at the same time, the new sheriff chats with the old general, telling the black history of the black major. The movie version does not have this parallel plot.
There are padding on both sides: the big outburst where the coachman goes out to lay the mat one more time and then goes out and comes back; the old general and the black major contradict each other after the two white southern men chew their tongues to lay the mat.
9. Chapter 2 - Minutes 44 to 47
John Ruth, who has obsessive-compulsive disorder, is afraid that people will rob him of his prey or is not at ease, so he takes other people's guns one by one and removes them. In the extended version, he ordered the cowboy and the executioner to nail the door, and then dismantled the Mexican's gun, and the Mexican was very calm, and replied: "That's what, stew is good." ”
This paragraph mainly shows the Mexican's leisurely wandering, at least on the surface, and also makes a transition for eating stew together later.
10. Chapter 3 - Minute 4
When the meal was served, the old general did not eat. The movie version doesn't explain too much, maybe it's bad legs; the extended version makes it very clear that the new sheriff can't be called to the table because he, as a white man, can't eat at the same table with.
There are foreshadowings and character buildings. The foreshadowing is to strengthen his white prejudices, deepen the contradictions with blacks, and prepare for the future radicals; the portrayal superficially reflects the stubbornness of the old general, but in fact it is ironic, and later we know that he is the only survivor of the original people in the store, and he is threatened by the bandits and dare not move.
11. Chapter 3 - Minute 4
The black major provoked the white old man and solved it with one shot. Someone poisoned it, and Daisy saw it, so the third chapter was titled "Dormog Has a Secret." Coffee poison, John Ruth and coachman OB violently killed, the new sheriff almost drank so to rule out the suspicion, he and Marquis interrogated the other three. The extended version of the interrogation features more cowboy and executioners touting mexican Bob's superb dialogue of making coffee.
Here seems to be nonsense, and when we see the back, we will find that the first-class coffee is actually the signature of the original owner of the shop, Minnie, and it also echoes the plot after the scene, indicating that these people have done a lot of drama, and they do not forget to try their best to fake the truth when they die.
12. Final Chapter - Minute 22
In the fourth chapter, back to the Dormog Gang Bloody Minnie Mouse Shop, the gang that saved the sister hid under the floor, and told the other three to hold their breath and wait for two or three days. The extended version of the extra cowboy Joe Gage believes that the other side has just entered the house to solve the battle within 45 seconds is the best time, help the master answer when the time is ripe to shoot, but be accurate.
Cowboy should be Daisy's lover, and his eagerness to save the female demon head is no worse than Daisy's brother, so this paragraph can also show that Joe Gage and Daisy may not have an ordinary relationship.
13. Final Chapter - Minutes 24 to 28
Recount the gang members' arrangements from the perspective of the house. The film version ends with John Ruth kicking in the door with Daisy Domog; the extended version continues to repeat the situation when he first entered the door, but with a change of perspective, a different mood, and some shots of cowboys exchanging eyes with Daisy and preparing to shoot under the table. Daisy immediately reported that the sheriff and the were coming with them, and Joe Gage saw that the situation was not good and abandoned the 45-second plan.
This is linked to the previous 45 seconds proposal, where both are either co-existent or deleted. Deletion is less redundant and more concise after entering the door; if it is not deleted, it explains why it did not start immediately, reflecting the bandits' two-handed preparation and thorough planning. In short, there are pros and cons.
14. Final Chapter - Minute 33
Last place. Marquis is blown out of the egg and paralyzed on the bed, the Dormug gang leader is spattered with headshot plasma, and the female demon Daisy claims that 15 other subordinates will take revenge, intending to intimidate and plot against the new sheriff and make him stand on his side to kill the Black Major. The extended version adds a few words of help from cowboys who sit at the table and do not dare to act rashly.
The film version also has a helping voice, but it is mainly Daisy who talks to the new sheriff to seek a deal; the extended version makes Cowboy the deal proposer as well. Deletion highlights the control field of the female devil's head, and the primary and secondary are clear; if it is not deleted, it can better shape the image of the cowboy and add color to the supporting roles. There are still pros and cons.
Well, the Netflix version of "Eight Evil Men" in Quentin added something, so far the summary analysis is complete. Overall, these additional footage are helpful in presenting the overall effect of the film. However, for a movie with a limited length of time, the amount of information is not as good as possible. Fans may be greatly satisfied, and passers-by audiences will have some challenge patience.
Finally, let's talk about a little feeling after re-brushing "Eight Wicked Men". Quentin is sought after by many fans with his mouth cannon, bad taste, and black humor, loves blood plasma, loves yellow violence, and has become the "ironclad evidence" that many people feel that Quentin is deviant. But is that true? I think this is precisely where Quentin is most brilliant, he is actually a director who can't be more melodic.
Those adult-oriented things can only be regarded as his preference for cult in personal taste, and when it comes to value orientation and spiritual core expression, Quentin has never gone through a "crooked road", and even very "wei guangzheng". In "Eight Wicked Men", he pursues the concept of "the wicked have their own wicked grinding", and the overall tone is more depressed. But the only two warmths in the film come from the moment when the "wicked" read Lincoln's letter to Major Marquis.
▲ John Ruth, the fierce god, also showed rare warmth when reading the letter, and even tears
▲ At the end of the great war, everything returned to calm, and the theme was sublimated by reading letters
The opening and closing letters become the main line that runs through the film. Lincoln's significance to the American spirit is the same as this letter to the Eight Wicked Men, which is the skeleton, the support, and the backbone.
And the sentence at the end of the letter, "My wife called me to sleep", which made everyone laugh, gave the letter a soul (Lincoln's family had a bad marriage). It doesn't matter whether it was written by Lincoln himself or forged by a black major. Isn't it enough that only Lincoln could bring a glimmer of light to the bloody and brutal American West?