Comparison between the Italian version and the theatrical version (both included on the German DVD/Blu-ray from Subkultur Entertainment)


- 26 deviating scenes, including 2 recuts/editing and 3x alternative material
- Difference: 360.6 sec (= 6:01 min) (without logo at start)

Background

Bloody Friday is a very special piece of German film history: Raimund Harmstorf slipped into the role of the unscrupulous gangster Heinz Klett under the direction of Rolf Olsen in 1972 and thoroughly stirred up the German bourgeoisie. Politically incorrectly orchestrated and peppered with cult-suspicious slogans, there is a planning of the very big coup that has been doomed to failure from the very beginning to be admired. Clearly inspired by a bank robbery with hostage-taking in Munich in 1971, but the film itself undoubtedly lives from Harmstorf's presence. A similarly exploitative and sleazy, and also quite multi-layered production has rarely been seen in this country.

The film has a sworn fan community not only in Germany and since the old Best Entertainment DVD didn't really do justice to the trashy hype, it naturally listened up when Subkultur announced a restoration in January 2015. For this purpose a Kickstarter campaign had been initiated, about which one could read interesting update messages in the following years again and again - in fact it took until May 2017 until the hot-anticipated release was on the shelves. The heart of the project is a 5-minute longer "long version": In the course of the work, Subkultur came across additional material and was able to reconstruct the presumed original version of the film.

In the beginning it was noticed by the single magnetic sound that there must be something more to be found. In the very recommendable restoration featurette from the bonus material of the release, the shooting of Heidi is mentioned. In fact, sound and picture are also slightly damaged at several of these cuts during the years of the worldwide common theatrical version, as they were apparently hastily cutbacks made at the last push of the button on the negative. The FSK examination at that time, as well as general reservations of the lender are suspected here by subculture as reasons. In any case one could reconstruct from many small parts gradually all scenes removed at that time.

After many discussions one even surprisingly received a huge chunk of original negatives, which were initially classified as unusable and made a second scan in 4K. Again later they got access to the complete archive and could finally verify that they had really found every snippet of material and had prepared it in the best possible way. In addition to this new long version of 4K source material, the well-known theatrical version is also included as a 2K interpositive scan and the Italian version has been reconstructed in HD. It has been shortened, re-cut in abundance and even offers some alternative material - details will follow in the present cut report.

The Italian version

As a German-Italian co-production, the cinema exploitation in Italy naturally received a little more attention and the distributor made its own version for it. Since otherwise only the german theatrical version was evaluated worldwide, this version is also meant in the following, if only the "theatrical version" is written. Especially because of some alternative material of its own, the Italian version is interesting for anybody interested in the film and was therefore restored and reconstructed by Subkultur without further ado. This was announced very early in the project planning but only in this project update they could triumphantly announce that after a long search they had still gotten the "lost" cinema filmroles. Thanks to a very bad condition, the version was reconstructed from a better source and runs about 6 minutes shorter.

The maturity difference is largely attributable to various small action reductions. Occasionally it may have been just unintentional short flaws in role changes which have now been taken over again. A clear scheme is not to be recognized here in any case and most likely are probably simply reasons for tightening to be assumed. In the second half, scenes with the head of operations, Mayer-Lippe, have been cut, which is a shame because of a few distinctive dialogue lines that allude to the real events. The same applies to the various comments from the crowd - this stylistic device based on the then popular Report-Filme was unfortunately somewhat shortened and the controversial part about the death penalty removed. Possibly you wanted to reduce the semi-documentary look somewhat which is also supported by the removed text panel at the beginning.

This also leads to unambiguous censoring interventions in the Italian version. The well-known violent peak in the middle of the film in which a policeman is torn apart by a hand grenade is much shorter here. Shortly before (by chance?) a close-up is missing in which a man is shot bloody in the hand. Also several close-ups of Heinz Klett's step, in which he also underlines his male dominance with comments have been removed. And exactly this leads to the main reason for the existence of the Italian version which shows itself shortly before the finale.

Thus the raping of Dagmar is present in a completely alternative form. Raimund Harmstorf and Daniela Giordano apparently shot a second variant here which differs considerably from the known version. The whole montage with slaughterhouse and lesbian sex shots which were placed in the well-known theatrical version under shots of the faces and can only be seen uncensored in the long version does not exist here. Instead, Dagmar still resists Klett's approaches but then succumbs to her lust during the act. This was already a controversially discussed topic for the well-known theatrical version but in the Italian version it remains a bland aftertaste.

Also in part changed sound effects have to be mentioned last but not least, the final shooting seemed a bit more massive in Italy for example. Such deviations however, are not discussed in more detail in the cut report. All in all, the Italian version is therefore a curious bonus and worth a look for the sake of completeness. However, the otherwise worldwide known theatrical version (or the new long version) is clearly the preferred choice for interested parties.



Runtimes are arranged according to the following scheme
Italian version / theatrical version

Note: The subculture DVDs from the Kickstarter edition run (because of the also to 1/3 of international interested parties existing Kickstarter supporters) in NTSC. Accordingly, the runtime data in this case are equally applicable for Blu-ray as well as DVD but the regular German DVD edition should contain a PAL version.

The following text can be found as "Notes on the version" on the disc:

The theatrical and long versions have a Gloria logo at the beginning. Then a different opening credits in which the Italian Gianni Macchia is mentioned before Harmstorf. Interestingly the concluding note "is based on similar events of recent times" has also been omitted here.


theatrical version 18.1 sec longer

Italian version	theatrical version

05:35 / 05:53-05:59

The recording in the hallway starts much earlier: Heinz comes by and says "shit!" before he runs further forward.

5.8 sec

06:52 / 07:16-07:20

The car drives clearly further forward.

3.3 sec

18:24 / 18:52-19:55

Heidi and Christian greet each other outside a bit longer. He says that he hasn't seen her for more than half a year and will soon have to say "Ms" to her. Heidi, on the other hand wonders why he's not in Hanover. When they go inside for further conversation you can still see Heinz looking out from behind a corner.

Inside it starts earlier and Christian tells that he has become a deserter. He justifies towards the angry Heidi with the fact that he didn't get along with the new master sergeant and was bullied by him from the beginning.

63.8 sec (= 1:08 min)

19:25 / 20:56-21:01

Heinz gets up a little longer and goes to the door where Luigi and Heidi come in.

4.6 sec

24:49 / 26:24-26:33

Luigi says something in Italian after the comments about social injustices ("La lingua batte dove il dente duole.").
Heinz claps, comments and strokes his beard: "Help yourself, then help comes from...".

8.2 sec

Alternative
34:00-34:01 / 35:43-36:42

In the Italian version a moment of Heidi's scene was slowed down to make the scene more round.

In the German theatrical version the scene goes a bit further instead and they discuss how it will go tomorrow. Heidi says that she doesn't want to live any longer if something happens to him. Luigi calms her down.

The next morning starts earlier: Luigi is standing in front of the shop window, Heinz and Christian are talking in the car. Christian thinks that he always has to think of the dead man from yesterday.
Heinz: "As a soldier you know that even innocent people have to fall."
Christian: "Yes, in battle."
Heinz: "That's one!

Theatrical version 57.6 sec longer



35:04 / 37:45-37:48

Klett's shots still hit a man in the hand.

2.4 sec

35:48 / 38:32-38:35

Probably a reconstructed film tear: The last shot in the bank a bit longer and then earlier the child grabbing the grenade on the street.

2.8 sec

35:58 / 38:44-39:02

The boy takes another step forward, whereupon Christian standing behind the grate speaks to him.

17.6 sec

recut
39:12-39:42 / 42:16-42:17 or 43:32-44:22

While here in the theatrical version we continue with the cars starting in front of the police headquarters, the Italian version prefers the dissolution of the grenade scene.

But in the theatrical version the crowd at the end of the previous setting slightly longer.

Italian version only at this point 28.8 seconds longer



40:17 / 42:52-42:58

Dagmar asks what would happen if the demands were not met.
The camera then drives up from Kletts crotch to his face.

5.8 sec

40:51 / 43:32-44:22

Here (after a policeman has addressed the crowd by megaphone) you can also see the hand grenade scene with the policeman in the German theatrical version. As described above in the colored box.

The final shot of Klett, in which he comments the scene with "A policeman stepped on a firecracker. Occupational risk", then actually continues directly. In the Italian version, the scene continues after this moment or the scene run synchronously again.



48:39 / 52:10-52:24

The two bank employees whimper a little longer.

13.5 sec

50:52 / 54:37-55:23

More comments from the crowd.
First an older Bavarian says something incomprehensible, then one with glasses pleads for better police training. Other people are irretated. Severals are in favor.

46.8 sec