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Comparison between the Internation Version (IV) and the Korean Version (KV), both taken from the Korean DVD by CJ Entertainment.
- International version: 129:55 min with ending credits in NTSC - Korean version: 135:19 min with ending credits in NTSC - 30 alterations (different credits not counted), including * 7x alternative footage * 13 scenes in which the IV is longer * 1 recut - Difference in running time: 324,1 sec (= 5:24 min) The MovieAs easily perceivable from the title, the movie by Korean director Kim Ji-Woon (A Bittersweet Life, A Tale of Two Sisters) takes some of it's inspiration from Sergio Leone's classic The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. In both movies three protagonists are looking for a treasure, but in this movie there are gunfights literally every minute and movie quotes en masse. Of course, the plot has been changed to suit a more local background, which consists of struggles between the Japanese army and Korean resistance. Especially the good camera work and great score should not go unmentioned here. One might say that Takashi Miike's Japanese pseudo-western Sukiyaki Western Django was ahead of Ji-woons "Kimchi Western" when it was about introducing Asian western movies, but these movies can only be compared in a superficial way. The versionsIt is a quite common thing that movies from Asia are altered before they are released internationally, quite often some of the storyline is missing afterwards. The IV of The Good, The Bad, The Weird is about 5 minutes shorter than the original, but there are also some new scenes in it. It is especially striking that the KV tells more about the resistance and, consecutively, the historical background, the other remarkable thing is the alternative ending. The IV does not make it clear who won the showdown and how the story continues, the KV, however, adds two scenes in which the protagonists appear and a salute to A Fistful of Dollars can be be found. According to a statement by CJ Entertainment, the end of the IV matches director Kim Ji-woon's original vision. Both versions have their pros and cons, if someone can't decide which one to buy I can recommend the Special Edition from Korea, which contains both variants. The three DVDs also feature a lot of bonus stuff as well as English subtitles. Running time designations are formatted like this: International version in NTSC speed (Korean version in NTSC speed)
Credits
00:44-01:02 (00:44-01:07) The credits have been translated in the IV and only the KV mentions the director here. KV 5,5 sec longer
Shortly afterwards, only the KV shows three more overlays.
Alternative footage / Credits 01:37-01:51 (01:42-02:10) The IV offers some more credit overlays and the question by the boss whether he knew Park Chang-yi.
The KV presents Park Do-won / The Good for the first time here. He enters the room and we see the woman who probably got him into the Korean resistance, Song-yi. Another woman from the resistance enters, suited. Then we see the man asking the question concerning Park Chang-yi.
KV 13,2 sec longer 01:54-01:55 (02:13) THe IV shows the hands holding the document earlier. + 1 sec
Alternative footage 02:06-02:15 (02:24-03:15) More credit overlays in the IV. Then an alternative, closer shot of the client.
The KV features a short scene with The Good and the woman wearing a suit, which tells a bit more about the group's background and The Good's intentions. Woman: "Kanemaru will be on the train to North Manchuria with a map. That map is very important to us. We need it." The Good: "And why should I help you?" Woman: "'Cuz there's money in it." The Good: "It depends on the amount." Woman: "What's the reward money on Park Chang-yi's head? Will that be enough?" The Good: "Not bad." Woman: "We have no other choice but to pay you to do this. So don't screw up."
Then another talk with the boss:"Remember! You've never set eyes on that map, understood?" Man: "Of course, sir." Boss: "Now, go. Your job is to get on the train."
KV is 42,6 sec longer Additional scene in the IV 02:37-02:39 (03:37) The figure is turning longer. + 2,6 sec
Additional scene in the IV 03:00-03:01 (03:58) Park Chang-yi / The Bad can be seen longer in a close-up. + 0,7 sec
Alternative footage 03:14-03:17 (04:11-04:19) The IV shows the train ticket about 1 sec longer, then The Bad a bit earlier.
The KV shows The Good preparing himself / loading his gun.
KV 4,2 sec longer Until the 6th/7th minute there are more credits.
42:33 (43:35-43:43) More dialog between The Good and The Weird. The Good: "The independence army wants it, not me." The Weird: "Independence army, my ass. Think I'd fall for that?" 8,4 sec
71:41 (72:51-72:58) The Good tells the weird "The map and Chang-yi's head will get me 6000 won. I'll hand over the map as soon as I get Chang-yi. Just hope he takes the bait soon." The first sentence was already audible in the previous shot of The Weird and has only been moved on the soundtrack. 6,4 sec
Additional footage in the IV 71:48-71:49 (73:05) The Weird can be seen insignificantly longer. + 0,5 sec
74:17 (75:33-75:40) The Good can be seen earlier and says: "Every Korean has a sad story." 7,6 sec
Additional footage in the IV 74:19-74:23 (75:42) The IV shows him longer and he finishes the chat onscreen when he says "Yoon Tae-goo!" to the weird, the KV already shows the next shot when this sentence can be heard. + 3,7 sec
Additional footage in the IV 75:31 (76:50) The Good can be seen a tiny bit longer. + 0,3 sec
83:16 (84:35-85:25) Only the KV shows The Weird waking up from his opium trip, additionally, there is a short scene with The Good which the IV uses later. Suh (the freedom fighter) approaches The Weird when he wakes up and says: "Wait! Didn't I already say that? I said it twice, right? I did, didn't I? Right girls? Stop smoking. Tell 'em to stop, man. Girls, I can't think with all this smoke!" His face is deforming again and then there is a fade over to a shot of The Good riding around outside. 49,7 sec
Recut / Additional footage in the IV 83:36-83:52 (85:45) The first scene with the Good is reinserted here. Small difference: The first shot is longer and one can the reflection of a house in the water before it is hit by the horse's foot. + 16,5 sec
Additional footage in the IV 86:40-86:44 (88:33) There is an additional shot from further away when The Weird and the kids are driving through the desert. + 3,8 sec
Additional footage in the IV 87:04-87:18 (88:53) THe dialog starts earlier with the man saying: "I heard about what happended at the Ghost Market. The thugs there are pretty rough." The Bad responds: "You say you have something for me?" + 13,9 sec
87:48 (89:23-89:55) After Cpt. Ishihara's order, there is a talk between some of the resistance fighters in which their intentions become clear. Glasses Guy: "It's not just some secret facility. It's Japan's last source of funds to finance the war." General: "So the rumor was true." Woman: "We must destroy it before the Japanese get to it. Man: "Wait, Na-yun! We can't rush into something like this!" Woman: "General! Make your decision, sir! There's no victory without bloodshed!" Glasses Guy: "We don't have the forces to take 'em on, now!" Woman, at the general: "Give us the command, sir!" 32,3 sec
89:00 (91:07-91:30) A short scene of the woman in uniform looking for The Good in the camp and only being mocked by Song-yi. Woman: "Where's Do-won?" Song-yi, uninterested: "How would I know? Just 'cuz I work in a dump like this." The woman says "This is an urgent matter!" and then rides away. One can hear her talking from the off: "They're headed for the Korean shelter on the great plain, now! The Japanese troops are headed there, too! Hurry! Go!" 23 sec
94:22 (96:52-96:59) The IV lacks a few short cuts of the battlefield, nothing special. 6,5 sec
Additional footage in the IV 102:57-104:13 (105:34) Only the IV shows the Weird preparing dynamite in order to sptop the Japanese army. At first, The Good can be seen on his horse, he sees The Weird driving away. The Weird stops the car and attaches some dynamite to a rock face. The Japanese army is closely behind him and shoots. His own bullets do not hit the dynamite, but The Good aims at it from above. Everything explodes and the Japanese army is stuck on the other side, The Weird is driving away. + 75,5 sec
Alternative footage 104:37-104:51 (105:58-106:23) The IV only features one shot of the weird from the side.
The KV, however, starts with a camera pan starting at the feet moving upwards, then there is a closer shot of him and eventually a long aerial shot. Soon, The Weird is no longer visible.
KV 11,5 sec longer 112:15 (113:47-113:50) The Weird can be seen earlier in the KV. 2,5 sec
Additional footage in the IV 112:18-112:19 (113:53) The IV shows him longer at the end instead. The sentence "I'm gonna play a game with you two" by The Bad can be heard in both versions coming from the off. + 1,2 sec
Alternative footage 120:38-120:41 (122:12-122:17) The Weird is being hit in alternative shots. The IV shows two close shots, the KV a medium long shot and then a closer shot from another angle. KV 2,5 sec longer
122:18 (123:54-124:06) We can see The Good lying on the ground a first time, he is looking forward to Song-yi (a hallucination). The following shot starts earlier, the IV starts when he looks up. 11,6 sec
Additional footage in the IV 122:49 (124:37) The Iv shows The Bad a tiny bit earlier. + 0,5 sec
Additional material in the IV 123:32-123:33 (125:20) The fade from The Weird's hands to a shot of the desert is a bit later in the IV. + 0,5 sec
Additional material in the IV 123:46-123:52 (125:33) The IV fades out later, one can already hear music because the movie is as good as over. IV 5,5 sec longer
Alternative footage 123:59-124:22 (125:41-128:53) The IV shows the first credits after the long black screen.
The KV fades in again and shows The Weird getting up after a long shot. He says "Why am I so heavy?" and answers himself when he, much like CLint Eastwood did, produces a protecting metal plate from under his shirt and throws it away. Now he goes to The Bad and stuffs him with dynamite. While doing this he says "Never thought the past would come back to haunt me. Forget everything, man. You're goin' to hell anyways. This is for your trip there. Coming all this way for nothing. God damn it." In The Bad's pocket he finds some diamonds and is happy instantly.
After a while a whole army is standing behind The Weird and a lot of guns are pointing in his direction. When he sees them and is startled, thefuse is lightened and the whole army is fleeing. The Weird barely can extinguish the flame, but another one also caught fire. He comments "Damn luck! Shit!" and there is a fade out, the explosion can only be heard.
IV 168,9 sec longer In the next scene, which features the new "Wanted" posters, the IV continues to play the playful western music that already started in the previous scene. The KV, on the other hand, has a HipHop song palying in the background as soon as the picture of The Weird can be seen. Alternative footage 124:53-125:28 (129:24-130:38) A last time before the ending credits the two versions differ greatly. In the IV, the camera zooms away from the wall and a masked man (probably The Good) is walking away. The picture is turning into black & white and the following shot of the guy driving away on a motorcycle also does not have any colors to offer.
The KV shows the new poster longer, then there is another scene with THe Good. He goes in a room and asks the men sitting there for The Weird. The Good: "You know Yoon Tae-goo, right? Tell me where he is. Where's Yoon Tae-goo! You bastard!" After a short break he shoots everyone except the boss and asks him again"I'll ask you one last time. Where's Yoon Tae-goo?" THen there is the shot of the motorcycle, but still in living color. The KV only turns to black & white when the credits start to roll (130:38), at this point the western music starts as well.
KV 39,1 sec longer Ending Credits The ending credits are, of course, translated. It is remarkable, however, that two of the pictures shown during the ending credits are missing in the IV. One of them shows Song-yi, who doesn't appear in the IV, the other one shows a battlefield. Because of that and due to longer credits in the KV it is longer. KV 14,1 sec longer
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