In 1942 Orson Welles wrote a screen play for, and directed "The Magnificent Amberson’s”. This was his next movie post "Citizen Kane"* (Rosebud, Rosebud!) and apparently he hated it.
Not the movie itself, or the book, but the editing that occurred post production. He was stuck in Brazil during the editing process (stupid world war and all) and though he was consulted over the phone and through telegrams during this time, he was (again, apparently) largely ignored.
He is quoted to have said the end result looked as if "it had been edited by a lawnmower". I would have to agree.
The studio cut almost 50 minutes out of the film and rewrote the ending. All the scenes cut from the movie we’re destroyed so there is no chance of a ‘directors cut’ ever appearing.
I watched the movie last week. It was very good. Agnes Moorhead, (Endora from 'Bewitched') who played Fanny, George Minifer’s old maid aunt, is amazing. She was nominated for an Oscar for it.
But if I had not read the book prior to watching the movie I would have been thoroughly confused. Some scenes only make sense because I know about them in relationship to scenes in the book that do not appear in the movie.
I hate that about books turned to movies and it happens all the time!
George Minifer is played by Jonathan Rhys Meyer’s (The Tutors, Bend it Like Beckham, Gomanghast**), which let’s face it, it reason enough to watch it. Can we say hot?
well... moving on...
I watched it yesterday. I don’t know if it reflects what Orson Welles originally dreamed of, but it’s a good movie. It stick’s much closer to the book in story and dialogue. At 2 hours and 20 minutes it has more time to tell the story and it does it well.
It’s not an amazing movie, but it’s not horrible. One can watch it without having read the book and understand what’s going on; why the characters are acting the way they do and so on. Unlike the cobbled together 1942 version where this is not the case.
I’m always one to prefer the book over the movie. I encourage the reading of the book over watching a movie any day. But if someone is going to watch a movie version of “The Magnificent Amberson’s” watch the 2002 version, sorry Mr. Welles, it wasn’t your fault.
Footnote: Citizen Kane* - If you haven't watch this movie, please go do so now. Even if you know the ending. I knew the ending thanks to "Animaniacs" of all things. But it's still a great movie. It's even better when you realize how ground breaking the cinematography of this movie was for it's time in 1941. Here's a review that says what I want to say about the movie - a lot better than I can: http://www.reelviews.net/movies/c/citizen.html
Oh and the Animaniac's Citizen Kane Spoiler can be seen in this video with all the alternate endings of the theme song from one of the best cartoons ever created.
Footnote: Gormenghast, by Mervin Peak. While reading the books on this list I'm also created my own 100 list, based on my own personal opinion. "Gormenghast" is on my list. This is the case of seeing the movie before reading the book, tho, but they did a good job remaking this book!
Flipping the TV channels one afternoon a number of years ago and passing by a show on Space "The making of Gormenghast" I was fascinated, and lucky the BBC mini series was on directly after. I loved it. It's an amazing mini series. I wanted to read the book it was based on.
It turned out that it was based on the first two books in Mervin Peaks Trilogy "Titus Groan" and "Gormenghast". I love these books. Mr. Peak died before completely the third book "Titus Alone", he had only written a draft, so it's not as well written as the first two.
(My crush on Jonathan Rhys Meyers was also cemented watching this show.) See what I'm saying? Hhhhooottt!
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