Comparison between the Theatrical Cut (on the German DVD by HDMV) and the Taiwanese Extended Cut (on the Taiwanese VCD by Thunder Media)


- 17 changes, incl. 2 re-cuts
- Difference: 234.4 sec (= 3:54 min) [in PAL]

A few additional master errors with a duration of less than 0.5 sec each were not listed.

 

Executioners was shot back-to-back with Heroic Trio in 1993. Once again Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung and Anita Mui are reunited here under the direction of Johnnie To and Ching Siu-Tung. The comic-style predecessor quickly gained cult status, so the more somber Executioners pales in direct comparison for most interested viewers. However, it is rock-solid Hong Kong action from the early 90s, which delights the genre fan by the star lineup alone and of course some appealingly staged show values.

As with so many Asian productions, one could also discover an exclusive long version in Taiwan. Of course, the quality of this version (in the form of this VCD with a standard image width of 352px) is not too good. Therefore, it is not a real alternative to watching the "normal" theatrical version.

The differences are only minor. Nevertheless, there are interesting things to discover in this rare exclusive version. For example, audience favorite Takeshi Kaneshiro gets an additional scene that deepens his character a bit. During the prison stay of Anita Mui's character, we now see in several additional scenes that her fellow inmates are deceitfully killed and dragged out of their cells like animals. There has been a bit of recutting here and elsewhere. There is also an additional shootout to see. In addition, there are a few trivial mini-deviations, some of which may simply be master-related in both versions.

Runtimes are arranged according to
German DVD in PAL / Taiwanese VCD in NTSC

Additional notes/logos on the Taiwan VHS. Not included in cut duration/quantity.

32 sec

In the pre-credits sequence, the Taiwan VHS interestingly shows a few shots open matte, while otherwise it is also covered (to about 1.66:1). The black bars are noticeably larger on the VCD at the bottom. Also, the title insert has been replaced, otherwise the credits match.

German DVD (Theatrical Cut)	Taiwanese VCD (Extended Cut)

For the following screenshots, the image of the Taiwan VCD was cropped to the visible area.


04:15 / Disc 1: 04:59-05:00

Tak (Ching Wan Lau) moves into the frame from the left.

0.9 sec



27:08 / Disc 1: 28:56-29:48

Inspector Lau rattles on a bit longer. Afterwards, there is a small meeting, in which Chong Hon (Takeshi Kaneshiro) first explains his motives. Mr. Kim would have saved him a few years ago, so it wasn't that easy for him to turn against him now. However, he wants to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. Ching (Michelle Yeoh) says that she tried everything to convince Chong Hon, but he would just like to cooperate with the government. Chong Hon still hesitates, but then agrees. The three put their hands on each other and are enthusiastic.

50.2 sec

41:06 / Disc 1: 44:25-44:27

No cut, but documented for the sake of completeness: At the end of Disc 1 of the Taiwan VCD, a few letters flicker briefly.

Re-cut
42:27-42:46 / Disc 2: 01:24 bzw. 02:30-02:50

Before Tung (Anita Mui) wakes up in captivity, Chat (Maggie Cheung) is seen walking through the battlefield outside in the theatrical version. This comes a little later in the Taiwan version, after Tung's escape attempt.


42:46 / Disc 2: 01:24-01:38

Instead, the Taiwan version has a few first shots of more bodies in the prison, a first shot of Tung and of guards in the hallway.

Note: At this point, the logo of Long Shong appears briefly in the picture.

13.4 sec

43:29 / Disc 2: 02:23-02:30

After Tung is caught, she (or another prisoner) is still dragged into a cell here.

6.9 sec

43:29 / Disc 2: 02:50-02:56

The following scene (after the previously mentioned re-cut) also begins a bit earlier: It is panned downwards from the ventilator to the child.

5.8 sec

Alternative / Re-cut
45:31-45:50 / Disc 2: 05:04-05:29

The scene with Tung, the bread and the rat was edited differently. In Taiwan, the view of a dead rat is missing, but here you see Tung in an additional shot.

In the theatrical cut, it starts with a shot of a rat sitting on the bread. Then Tung looks at her bread and with another shot of the floor we see that next to another piece of bread lies a dead rat. Tung then drops her piece of bread as well and immediately the rat, which is still alive, runs there.

In the Taiwan version, instead, we first see Tung looking at her piece of bread without interruption and then dropping it. The rat runs to the piece of bread and Tung is shown again, closing her eyes in exhaustion. Finally, the shot of the rat can be seen here too (a bit longer), which was shown in the beginning of the theatrical cut.

Taiwan cut 5.2 sec longer

German DVD (Theatrical Cut)	Taiwanese VCD (Extended Cut)

46:48 / Disc 2: 06:29-08:09

At the end of the scene, the Taiwan version now also shows the piece of bread, which here is probably supposed to represent the one from Tung's hand, with the dead rat next to it. This shot is a bit longer than in the theatrical cut.

After that, someone is dragged through the corridor again: This time, however, out of the cell. Another prisoner must have eaten the bread and died.

Meanwhile, Tung gets a pan from the floor and pushes it under her dress. Thereupon various pans are filled with water by the guards, and Tung also has some poured in. However, the other prisoners quickly lose consciousness after taking a few sips. So Tung prefers not to drink. More dead people are dragged away from the cells.

Lastly, first shots of the streets. A few people panic, while the military announces that the whole city is now under a 24-hour curfew. A man running away is shot down in slow motion.

95.6 sec (= 1:36 min)

48:17 / Disc 2: 09:42-09:54

Before the men come rushing in, there is some dialogue inside. The assistant stresses the necessity of the operation for the people and says that it should be kept secret. There is a knock on the door. The president looks over and invites them in.

11.2 sec

59:04 / Disc 2: 21:10-21:11

The shot starts a little earlier, after Tak has shaken Chat a little and then lets go of her.

1.4 sec


59:22-59:23 / Disc 2: 21:30

The first shot of the following scene (sick president in hiding) starts insignificantly earlier in the theatrical version.

+ 0.7 sec


75:24 / Disc 2: 38:15-38:16

Also totally irrelevant: A tracking shot through the hallway starts a bit earlier.

1.1 sec



76:30 / Disc 2: 39:25-39:27

After the wall is torn down, here is another shot of Chat realizing the gravity of the situation.

1.6 sec

77:10 / Disc 2: 40:08-40:49

Ching drives away with the president, but the gasoline is empty. She thinks that they would have to continue on foot.
In a small shelter they are then supplied by allies. Ching thanks them and the man refers to "Wonder Woman" (Anita Mui). Ching is pleased.

38.5 sec

80:23-80:24 / Disc 2: 44:11

Master error on the Taiwan VCD: As Ching walks across the room, a shot from behind starts a bit early.

+ 1 sec

81:28 / Disc 2: 45:18-45:20

A shot of Ching starts a little earlier.

2.3 sec

87:51 / Disc 2: 52:00-52:01

The President's soeech begins a moment earlier.

0.9 sec


89:59 / Disc 2: 54:15-54:16

Chat is seen a moment earlier as she mentions it was only done for good friends.

1.1 sec