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The original version was compared with the workprint. In a post-apocalyptic future, the world lies in ruins, and only one brutal sport still distracts people: Jugger, a merciless game in which two teams fight for a dog's skull with crude weapons and naked violence. The winners receive fame, food, and sometimes even the chance to advance to the elite leagues of the “cities.” The aging fighter Sallow travels through the wasteland with his motley crew, including the young, ambitious player Kidda. She dreams of reaching the arenas of the powerful city league. The Salute of the Jugger is the only film directed by David Webb Peoples, who wrote the screenplays for Blade Runner, Unforgiven, and 12 Monkeys, among others. The film is an unusual mix of apocalyptic film and sports saga that works surprisingly well. In the US, the film was released in a heavily reworked R-rated version. The differences between the versions are highlighted in this report. On August 6, 2025, the Australian label Umbrella released the film in a restored version on Blu-ray/UHD. It includes both the uncut original version and the US version, as well as a reconstructed workprint version for the first time. This workprint is based on the restored version, runs about six minutes longer, and contains extended scenes, especially in the first half, which give the film a little more roundness. Although the additional scenes are of significantly lower quality and not crucial to the plot, they offer an interesting insight into the film's history and show how it was reworked for the original version. The release of Umbrella is particularly worthwhile because of its excellent picture quality, which far surpasses all previous releases. Running times:
[00:00:17][00:00:17]
The original version with a text panel explaining that people no longer remember the golden age or the first time the Jugger played the “game.” The hills can be seen earlier.
In the workprint, you see a boy throwing stones at a metal plate. Another text appears. It was peace born more of exhaustion than human fellowship. The people were oppressed, but they did not resist. The Golden Age, the miracles of technology, and the terrible wars were but memories fading in a distant past. Now there was the struggle to eke out a living in a hostile landscape. Life was harsh monotony broken only by occasional bands of juggers, wandering from village to village, their faces scarred, their sacks stuffed with dog skulls and chunks of rubber, looking for money, for violence, for dignity... The boy suddenly hears dogs barking.
OV: 22 sec. WP: 34 sec. [00:00:55][00:01:27] In the original version, you can see the Juggers approaching.
The workprint shows the boy standing up as the Juggers approach.
WP: 5 sec. [00:03:20][00:03:52] After the man has thrust his staff into the ground, there is a cut to Sallow taking off his coat. The man puts down his bag.
WP: 7 sec. [00:06:32][00:07:10] After the man shouts “100 stones. Three times,” the players are seen running onto the field and taking their positions. The dog skull is placed in the center. One of the juggers swirls a chain around.
WP: 52 sec. [00:10:30][00:12:00] After the player says that she thought it would be easy here, Sallow slowly says, “They are easy.”
WP: 11 sec. [00:17:44][00:19:25] After Kidda says that she can win everything, a couple in the camp is seen going into a tent. Sallow walks through the camp and opens a bottle from which smoke is rising. He smells it and continues walking.
WP: 25 sec. [00:19:32][00:21:38] The original version shows Jugger lying on the bed.
In the workprint, Sallow turns to Jugger. He shows him the bottle and asks if he is sure he doesn't want the medicine. Jugger shakes his head and says that things will get better.
OV: 4 sec. WP: 16 sec. [00:20:03][00:22:21] Gar stops Gandhi and takes a stick from him. He gives it to Dog Boy so that he can walk better, but Dog Boy simply drops the stick and continues walking in pain. The Juggers continue walking through the camp, with Dog Boy bringing up the rear.
Kidda is seen in her bed. She wakes up and looks at the sun.
WP: 1:07 min. [00:21:10][00:24:34] The original version shows Dog Boy limping toward the others with a stick in his hand. The shot in which Kidda appears in the background begins earlier.
The rest of the scene follows in the workprint at [00:28:03]. OV: 11 sec. [00:22:53][00:24:35] The shot of the Juggers was zoomed in on in the workprint.
No time difference. [00:25:40][00:27:22] The Juggers run through the desert. Sallow stops and asks Gandhi if he has anything left for the next taxes. Gar is surprised that Gandhi still has something, since he gave everything he had at the last check. Gandhi explains that the next one also wants everything, so he can't have nothing left. Mbulu says that someone is approaching.
The scene that follows, in which Kidda meets the Juggers, was shown at [00:21:10] in the original version. WP: 41 sec. [00:25:40][00:29:35] In the evening, the Juggers sit together around a campfire. Gandhi tells a story about a memorable game. Dog Boy seems restless and tries to sleep. Mbulu starts playing his harmonica. Kidda sits at a distance and watches the Jugger camp. Some of the scenes are from the US version and some are from the workprint.
WP: 1:29 min. [00:36:21] [00:41:47] After the fight, there is a shot showing Kidda's wound being stitched up.
WP: 1 sec. [00:36:45][00:42:11] Kidda asks Gandhi if Sallow wasn't good enough for the league. Gandhi says that he was good, but made a mistake. Kidda asks what the mistake was.
WP: 12 sec. [00:45:58][00:51:37] After the fight, Gandhi is seen picking up a candle and looking at Sallow's eye. He says that it is no longer any good. Sallow tells him to remove it. Gandhi begins to remove the eye.
WP: 25 sec. [00:45:58][00:52:02] The follow-up shot of the Juggers is zoomed in on in the workprint.
No time difference. [00:46:09][00:52:12] In the original version, Gandhi says that Sallow can play well enough with one eye if he moves his head a lot.
OV: 8 sec. [00:46:45][00:52:39] After Sallow says that they are going north, only in the workprint of Gandhi can you hear Sallow saying that he is not a fool. The scene continues. Gandhi says that Sallow is only one eye away from going blind.
WP: 13 sec. [00:48:28][00:54:36] Sallow sits in a tent and washes his feet. He watches as Kidda tries to stitch up his wound. Sallow shakes his head.
WP: 34 sec. [00:49:08][00:55:50] In the original version, there is an earlier cut to Gar, who says, “That's what it is.”
In the workprint, there is a close-up of Sallow Kidda helping to stitch the wound. Gar's line is the same.
OV: 3 sec. WP: 3 sec. [01:00:19][01:07:00] After the dog is seen over the fire, there is a cut to Kidda. She smiles as a girl shows her a wooden doll.
WP: 5 sec. |
