Comparison between the uncut Theatrical Version and the Director`s Cut

The US-label Criterion ordered director Terry Gilliam and author Hunter S. Thompson to create a special Director’s Cut. This cut contains a scene that otherwise was only to be seen in part and only in the cinematic trailer. It shows events in retrospect that the main character Raoul Duke remembers fragmentarily when listening to the recorded conversations on his cassette recorder.
Furthermore there is a slightly longer version of another scene shortly before that. There is a bit more conversation going on between Raoul and Dr. Gonzo when they want to leave because of the trouble the kidnapped Lucy (Christina Ricci) is causing.

Director’s Cut’s Pal running time is 144.1 seconds (2:24 minutes) longer because of two extended scenes.

The Director’s Cut was published in 2003 exclusively on US-DVD by the label Criterion. Over five years after that this edition was released in Germany . Since October 23rd 2008 the DC is also available on blu-ray, as was from August 2009 the German counterpart. On the German blu-ray the two extended scenes are only subtitled while featuring the original voices.

As far as the running times in the review are concerned:
The first figure correlates to the German Theatrical PAL Version. The figure following in brackets correlates to the US DVD by Criterion containing the NTSC Director’s Cut.

Logos

Mentioned for the books only as the logos are the reason for the additional discrepancies in running times.

The US Director’s Cut DVD shows Criterion’s logogram at the beginning (about 12 sec.)

The Geman DVD shows Tobis’ logo (about 24 sec.)
Only the German DVD shows Summit Entertainment’s logo after the Universal emblem which is in both versions.
The first blend of credits shows discrepancies as well, as once again only the German DVD shows Summit Entertainment’s logo.

In total the German DVD runs 24.7 secs longer in this section

82:03 (85:07-85:29)
Right after the alice-in-wonderland-style vision of Raoul and Dr. Gonzo in court, The Theatrical Version shows Raoul packing the lamp shade in his suitcase. Then Dr Gonzo starts talking about Lucy again.
The DC shows this scene without interruption- while Raoul keeps packing as cool as a cucumber other items from the room Dr Gonzo asks for the whereabouts of his weapon (which Raoul has just used to spray bullets all over the desert).

Dr. Gonzo: "Where's my .357?"
Raoul: "Fuck knows, man."
Dr. Gonzo: "You can't leave me alone in this snake pit. You bastard. What did you do with my. 357? This room is in my name."
Raoul: "Tough titty, man."
Dr. Gonzo: "OK, goddamn it. You're right."

Duration: 20 Sekunden in the DC

Correlating Pictures:

94:25 (98:12-100:26)

The DC shows Raoul sitting on his bed, starting his tape recorder, after Gonzo threw the chambermaid out of the room. DC continues with the Dr Gonzo vomitting in the bathroom.


In the DC Raoul sits on his bed a little longer. He lights a pipe which makes him remember chaotic stuff. These scenes are interrupted frequently by scenes showing him listening to the tape.

It boils down to 3 events that get mixed and are shown bit by bit (here: every bit in one quotation mark):

Event 1:

• The tape Raoul is listening to tells about an appointment with a clerk together with his orang-utang in the bar of a circus.


• Raoul returns with the money, the monkey however is gone. It seems like he bit off the barkeeper's head, attacked an old man and ended up being arrested.(???).


• Raoul: "What`s the bail? I want that ape!". Dude antwortet:"There`s too many zoos!“


• Raoul shouting furiously (first-person perspective!): "You can`t put on a circus without a tent!"


• Raoul furiously: "You`re all riders of the storm", he tears something up, then continues: "Where are you, fuckin` monkey!" Typ: "You can`t do that"

Event 2:

• Raoul and Gonzo exit a supermarket and walk towards their car.


• Raoul smashes coconuts on the engine cover. Gonzo hits the car as well.


• A passerby tells them to stop. Raoul replies that the car is property of the World Bank and the money is flowing to Italy (migh be a reference to the mafia?). The two keep hitting the car.


• People throw things on the two. Raoul starts the engine, saying: "God Almighty, you people voted for Hubert Humphrey und you killed Jesus!"

Event 3:


At night. The car seller tries desperatly to open the blocked convertible hood. Raoul tells him that someting is not right with the motor.

Finally Raoul is standing in front of some woman's kind of altar. He seems to be confessing, as Raoul confesses that he and Dr Gonzo might have got carried away a bit and that they are worried they might collapse.
("There was every reason to believe that we'd been heading for trouble. We'd pushed our luck a bit too far. The possibility of physical and mental collapse is now very real.")


Duration: 124,1 seconds in the DC

Ablauf in Bildern: