Comparison between the German DVD released by Kinowelt (= Director's Cut) and the German VHS released by E.A.T. Medien (= Theatrical Version).

Overall, there are 13 differences with a runtime of 8 minutes and 4 seconds:

8 cuts in the Director's Cut = 8 minutes and 4 seconds.
1 cut in the Theatrical Version = +31 seconds.
2 alternative scenes = 33 seconds.
1 alternative scene withouth any difference in time.
1 re-cut = +2 seconds.

The movie "Picnic at Hanging Rock" tells the story of a group of girls who - for some inexplicable reason - disappear after a trip to the Hanging Rock. Even a great search operation doesn't help - they were never found. The case occured in the year 1900 and is apparently based on a true story. Since there were no witnesses, let alone any evidence, it still is unkown what exactly happened to the young women. Only one of the victims could be salvaged after the disappearance. However, she suffers from amnesia and can't remember what happend to her or any of the other girls. Others who had waited in front of the rock said that their watches stopped and that they saw strange pink clouds hovering closely above the rock. Today, the misterious rock is a tourist attraction. The movie is based on the same-titled novel by Joan Lindsay.

As opposed to the Theatrical Version, it was decided to cut rather uninteresting plot scenes (those that show the close relationship between Michael and Irma) for the Director's Cut. However, the Director's Cut DVD includes all these missing scenes as a part of the bonus material ("Deleted Scenes").


By the way, in the Director's Cut there are some mistakes in the master which won't be mentioned any further in this report.

0 Min
The opening credits were arranged differently for both versions. (Exclusive to the German VHS.)
No difference in time.

2 Min
The first scene of Sarah and Miranda is slightly different in both versions. However, these differences are rather small and hardly noticeable. (Interestingly, this is exclusive to the German VHS while the German DVD by Koch Media and the British DVD by Second Sight feature the same shots as the Director's Cut.)
No difference in time.

Director's Cut	German VHS

5 Min
The other girls wish Mlle. de Poitiers a happy Valentine's Day and give her a few presents. Then they all go downstairs.
35 sec

6 Min
Mrs. McCraw is shown longer.
4 sec

6 Min
The girls are talking and standing around the table a little langer. Mrs. McCraw enters the room and says that the girls should sit down - they do so.
22 sec

11 Min
The first shot of Albert and the two older persons was cut out of the Director's Cut.
4 sec

14 Min
The carriage drives through the woods a little longer.
3 sec

23 Min
Michael looks around in the woods and then runs on. In return, the Director's Cut offers an additional shot of Albert.
Director's Cut: +2 seconds
Theatrical Version: 10 sec

Director's Cut	Theatrical Version

82 Min
Albert walks along the way holding the cage under his arm. On his way he meets Irma who asks him if he can still remember her. He says that he does. Irma thanks Albert for saving her at the Hanging Rock. Albert says that that was nothing to speak of and that it actually was Michael who saved her, even though he couldn't really remember it. Irma - not noticing Albert anymore - smilingly looks at Michael and then walks towards him. The to of them face each other - both smiling - and then walk through the woods with Miranda. At the end of the scene Miranda looks at Irma and Michael who sat down to talk. Miranda leaves.

Michael walks up the stairs to the attic to go to Albert. He hands him a bottle of beer. Albert opens it and takes a pull on the bottle.
Albert then says that the best place to enjoy a cold beer is the pond. When Michael says that it really is hot up there, Albert replies that it always is hot there since they are directly under the roof. Michael mentions that it is surprising that Albert is even able to sleep there. Albert then asks Michael if he latlely spent some time with Mrs. Leopold - Michael affirms it.

Irma says that the sommer will soon be over. Michael replies that maybe it's for the best. He thinks that they could dare to take another boat ride. Irma says that she's not too happy about it, since the end of the summer reminds her of somebody dying. She mentions that Miranda always says that everything begins and ends at the right time and at the right place. Michael then asks Irma what happened on the rock. She doesn't answer and looks to the side. After that you see both of them standing at the lakeside.
Michael tells her that he plans to leave to go to Queensland. Irma sadly runs away while Michael cat-calls something at her.
The movie cuts to a foto of one of the girls that are missing - for some reason, this shot was not included in the Director's Cut as well...
356 seconds

82 Min
...only to re-include it a few moments later.
+2 sec

82 Min
Now follows a panning shot over the singing children's choir. When the camera stopps in front of the girls, one of them starts to cry.
56 sec

83 Min
Now you see a few shots of the reporter taking some pictures of a group of girls - this sequence was only included in the Director's Cut. Mrs. McCraw comes out of the house and says that the reporter should leave and that the girls should come home.
+31 sec

91 Min
A shot of Sarah's bed.
4 Sek

91 Min
Mrs. Appleyard searches Sarah's room and also rummages her private belongings. In return, the Director's Cut offers a shot of Sarah's bed which that was already shown in the Theatrical Version. Additionally there's an exterior view of the boarding school. The movie fades to Michael and Albert who are talking about Hanging Rock.
Director's Cut: +16 sec
Theatrical Version: 41 sec

Director's Cut	Theatrical Version

101 Min
The credits were arranged in a different way for both versions.
No difference in time.