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  1. #1
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    Daredevil - Theatrical Cut Vs. Director's Cut

    Note: The following essay includes spoilers for both the Theatrical and Director's Cuts of Daredevil. If you have not seen either versions of the film and do not wish to know about specific plot points and events, it is suggested that you see the film before reading the essay

    Also, since this is meant to serve as an in-depth discussion about the differences between the two versions, please refrain any general comments about the film itself, whether you enjoyed the theatrical release or not.



    Last edited by WorkShed; 12-03-2004 at 03:29 PM.
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  2. #2
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    couldn't you have picked a better movie to do an essay on ??? there are alot better pictures out there than this one...

    i personally thought that this movie was one of the worst i have ever seen in a long time. the only redeeming quality about this movie were the credits...as i knew my torture was over and i could go home and finish the slow death i was experiencing throughout this movie.
    "I hate to advocate weird chemicals, alcohol, violence or insanity to anyone …
    but they've always worked for me,"

    Hunter S.Thompson

  3. #3
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    You could have picked LOTR, Dawn of the Dead (Remake), there are a lot of better movies.

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    I've heard that the director's cut is a much better film than the theatrical one.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Charismaslover
    You could have picked LOTR, Dawn of the Dead (Remake), there are a lot of better movies.
    I was planning on doing some more essays on other films, but since I have to reveal them now, I was planning on films like Dawn of the Dead (2004) and Superman (DVD edition).

    However, there is such a wealth of information and character scenes in the Director's Cut of Daredevil that are very revealing of the original intention of the director, until Producer Gary Foster raped and pillaged and destroyed the film, released as the Theatrical Cut. I feel that an essay on this film not only showcases what has been added, but what divides the audience perceptions and characterizations between the versions.

    They are quite different.

  6. #6
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    TC VS DC - Part I

    0:07:00 (DC)



    The first addition to the Director’s Cut includes a small bit between the young Matt and his father about the fight that Matt had with three kids in Hell's Kitchen. While not integral to the overall story it gives some information about his father, Jack's, raising of the boy. While Jack was a fighter, he always taught his son to walk away from a fight. It also shows a little humor to a pathetic character, when Jack says "Don't curse. What kind of ****?"

    This extension also makes a smoother transition into Matt revealing the plot point about Jack potentially working for Fallon, a local thug, which is brought up in the Theatrical Version.



    0:08:17 (DC)



    Following a slightly extended shot of young Matt looking at the moon, there is a dissolve into Matt walking through a dangerous work area by the docks, looking for his father. Matt finds the foreman and the foreman tells Matt that Jack hasn’t worked in the docks for a couple of months. In this scene, the pain in Matt’s face when he learns that his father lied to him is better expressed and a shot of Matt’s report card falling into a puddle is used to a better effect as the cap of this scene, instead of the scene that follows: when Matt finds his father beating up some lowlife who owes Fallon money.

    The scene is beautifully shot and sets up the dangerous work area that Matt stumbles into for the accident that robs his sight. Ben Affleck’s narration in the Theatrical Version is also removed during this scene, allowing it to play out in real time as opposed to a standard film flashback.


    0:11:43 (DC)



    In the scene where Jack first confronts Matt after the accident, there was originally a larger scene. In it, Jack is fighting to tell his son that he’s blind. Matt already knows and tells his father that he heard Jack and the doctor talking. Jack is confused and Matt says that he hears everything. This then leads into the version of the scene in the Theatrical Cut.

    The biggest change in the tone of the scene is that Matt reveals to his father one of his new-found powers. Instead of keeping it a secret, as Matt does in the Theatrical Cut, he reveals it, much like any normal person, let alone a child, would.

    Another very interesting change in the scene is the deletion of Matt comforting his father. He still hugs him at the end of the scene but no longer tells him that everything is okay. Matt may have forgiven his father about the accident, but at this moment, he still won’t forgive him about the lies Jack told him. This leads well into Jack’s mission to change his life around for the forgiveness of his son.


    0:13:58 (DC)



    There are three short sequences added into the montage of Matt’s training of his senses. In the Theatrical Cut, Matt’s training of his balance is a moment where he bangs his walking cane on a pole and then slides down it into a bunch of trash. This moment is in the Director’s Cut but three bits are added beforehand. There is a shot of Matt doing gymnastic flips on the edge of a building and another where he is jumping between the support beams of a sign. Another short shot of Matt sliding down a ladder, while not amazing, is interesting in that it was a shot that was shown in the second trailer for the film, but cut out of the Theatrical Version.

    Again, this is not integral to the plot, but allows for a few more moments of amazement at Matt’s new powers and some fun with the boy’s enjoyment of his new gifts.


    0:15:09 (DC)



    In the fight between the young Matt and the three kids from Hell’s Kitchen, there are a couple of extended moments. The first moment happens at the beginning of the scene after Matt agrees to the fight. He dodges the main bully’s punch and stands back to give the other kid a moment to back away from the fight. When the bully doesn’t Matt hits him with the cane, signaling another warning. When the bully goes after Matt for the third time, Matt hits him numerous times on the face with his cane like in the Theatrical version. There are also more shots of the bullies reacting to Matt’s fighting prowess and the main bully becoming more agitated by losing to the blind kid. This is a theme that will come up later between The Kingpin and Daredevil. This scene lays the groundwork for the future moment.

    The scene now ends on a humorous note with the bullies sprawled on the floor and Matt walking away, using his cane to guide him. This allows for a much better cap to the scene instead of the Theatrical Version’s cap of Matt smiling at his display of violence. The ending in the Theatrical Cut never quite settled right with me. I didn’t take joy in the fact that Matt can beat people up because he seems more out for himself instead of listening to his father and not getting into fights. Instead of enjoying youth violence, the Director’s Cut focuses on the lesson that Matt taught them: appearances aren’t always what they seem.
    Last edited by WorkShed; 12-03-2004 at 06:07 PM.

  7. #7
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    Very interesting. Very Interesting Indeed. You made part of an essay about the movie DareDevil interesting. Bravo. Im kiddin, but it is interesting seeing what extra scenes have been included, might tempt me to buy it when it drops in price to about £3.

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    TC VS DC - Part II

    0:16:22 (DC)



    Before Jack goes to fight boxer John Romita, he is visited by Fallon who orders him to take a dive. That scene is a part of the Theatrical Cut, but right after that scene the Director’s Cut has a tracking shot of Jack “The Devil” Murdock gearing up for the fight.

    He walks past Matt, who is sitting on the floor and learning the tricks of his fold-up walking cane. Matt gets up and follows behind Jack to the doors of the arena. This series of shots definitely add more to the mood of the moment than the high angle static shot shown in the Theatrical Cut in the place of this scene. Not only is it a moment for the sound effects to shine, as the closer Jack gets to the door, the more that Matt falls behind him because he has troubles with loud noises.

    The scene sets up many future events in a more precise fashion than the Theatrical Cut. Not only do we get to see the beginning of the evolution in Daredevil’s main weapon, but the scene sets up the rest of the fight, which will be told from Jack’s point of view. Even though these moments are meant to be Matt’s flashback, he pieces the events together to tell the story of why his father was murdered.

    0:17:12 (DC)



    Even the fight between Romita and Jack is extended to show more blows between the two fighters and more shot-reverse-shots between Fallon and Jack. In the Theatrical Cut, the scene begins with Jack hitting the ground before any build up of the fight.

    While the Theatrical Cut does make the flashback sequence move more quickly, it loses any emotional impact. We don’t see the struggle that Jack is having, not only keeping his head in the moment of the fighting, but also dealing with whether or not to throw the fight. We know that he made the promise to his son, but he knows what kind of a threat Fallon is and about the dangerous Wilson Fisk.

    Also, we get to see that Jack is becoming a better fighter and isn’t the bum that Fallon is making him out to be. Fallon’s other fighters may have taken the dive, but Jack probably could have beaten them, anyway, which we get to see when Jack knocks Romita to the ground and smiles at Fallon.

    0:19:40 (DC)



    After the first devastating blow by Fisk, the murder of Matt’s father is edited differently in the Director’s Cut. In the Theatrical Cut, the scene is presented in order through the following shots: a tracking shot following Matt as runs and throws the red Devil robe onto the camera, a close up shot of Fisk dropping the rose, a close up of the rose falling onto the still chest of Jack’s body, and finally a medium shot of Matt as he stops running in front of Jack’s body.

    In the Director’s Cut the sequence is as follows: a tracking shot following Matt as he runs and wearing the red Devil robe, a close up shot of Fisk dropping the rose, a close up of the rose falling on Jack’s chest, back to the tracking shot of Matt as he throws the robe onto the camera, to a new shot of Fallon rolling up the window of his getaway car, and ending at the same medium shot of Matt.

    While the difference may not be noticeable to many casual viewers, the re-structuring of the scene does create little nuances not present in the Theatrical Cut. First off, cutting the tracking shot of Matt in half suggests a cut in the continuity of time. In the Theatrical Cut, Fisk is still standing there while Matt runs up to his father’s aid. It is a tragic moment because Matt cannot see his father’s killer, even though he is standing in front of him.

    In the Director’s Cut, the cutting of the shot suggests that Fisk dropped the rose while Matt was a further distance away. In that time, he got back into the car and Fallon was the one watching Matt when Matt arrived to help his father. The sad look on Fallon’s face shows that he does not enjoy this work, even if others in his organization do. It could even be assumed that, since this is the last time that Fallon is shown in the film, Wilson Fisk killed Fallon and took his place on his power struggle to the top. Without the last shot of Fallon, like in the Theatrical Cut, Fallon is presented simply as the cliché of a New York thug.

    0:21:47 (DC)



    During Matt’s opening routine, and our first introduction to the adult character since the opening of the film, the director’s cut adds one panning shot of Matt’s chamber room. Along a rack we see many white folded towels. The shot pans to the right as Matt first steps out of the water chamber. We see several scars on his knees and the bones crack as he stands.

    This shot provides little to what will be shown later in the film. It does introduce the visible deterioration that the character is going through in his daily life, but it is shown better throughout different scenes. Also, the composition of the shot is rather flat compared to the rest of the morning ritual sequence.

    0:22:49 (DC)



    During the first courtroom sequence (and the only one in the Theatrical Cut) there is a difference in the opening statement provided by Matt. In the Theatrical Cut he says, “Ladies and gentlemen, justice is blind but it can be heard and today the truth will come out.”

    I always found that opening statement to be an example of very cheesy and poorly written dialogue. After Quesada was found not guilty, I didn’t blame it on The Kingpin; I blamed it on a horrible opening statement by Matt Murdock.

    In the Director’s Cut, the line is changed to “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re here today to seek truth, to seek justice.” While not the best statement, it helped convey the feeling of routine for Matt that continues from his opening rituals. Even the mise-en-scene of the opening statement helps prove the point of Matt’s boredom as a lawyer, not with the innocent clients but with the uncaring and corrupt system.
    Last edited by WorkShed; 12-03-2004 at 05:52 PM.

  9. #9
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    one of the more interesting threads i've read in a while keep it coming workshed


    [My Top 20 Movies@Ymdb] - ([)(]) Dolby Digital the choice of ML's - [~My Place ~]

    {Drag The Sunrise Down: You know the light can hypnotise, so shut it out and close your eyes - Rooster}

  10. #10
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    Part III

    0:24:10 (DC)



    In the Theatrical Cut, after the judge bangs his gavel at the end of the courtroom scene, there is a jump cut to Quesada outside the courthouse laughing as he enters a black car. In the Director’s Cut there is a short scene of Matt and Froggy leaving the courtroom talking about the case.

    In the newly added scene, we learn more about their raped client and the fact that she had a history of drug abuse. Matt explains that that history occurred a long time ago and Froggy mentions that juries like to have flawed victims. While the main information, the fact that they lost the case, would not be affected with the deletion of this scene, we feel more for Matt’s contempt for the justice system with the scene intact. After their few lines of dialogue, the scene returns to the shot of Quesada entering the black car, as in the Theatrical Cut.

    0:25:59 (DC)



    After Daredevil’s feats of fancy through the city, we see an extended introduction to the biker bar in the Director’s Cut. After Quesada takes his flaming shot, he talks with the female bartender. She tells him that he’s got a lot of nerve coming to the bar after what he did and he says that he’s innocent, with a guilty smirk on his face. Just then, two motorcycles edge their way into the bar and a waitress pours alcohol on the rear tires. The bartender becomes annoyed and yells at the bikers while they proceed to burn the alcohol off the tires, creating a cloud of smoke. Quesada takes a hit off a cigarette and smiles before a cutaway that reveals Daredevil poised on the ceiling of the bar, seen in the Theatrical Cut.

    While the scene is fun, it ultimately goes too far over the top. Having motorcycles inside the bar performing stunts that wouldn’t normally be seen removes the sense of realism for the audience. What’s more important is that these motorcycles aren’t even seen again throughout the remaining sequences on the set. It feels like a set-up that never gets paid off. Also the dialogue between Quesada and the bartender tell the audience again that Quesada is guilty, even though we learned the truth through Daredevil’s “lie detector” trick.

    This addition is ultimately deemed unnecessary.

    0:28:06 (DC)



    Within the fight sequence that shortly follows in the biker bar, there are a few slight extensions and a newly re-instated line of dialogue that was shown in the second trailer.

    The first new bit occurs before the guns are fired on Daredevil. In this quick 15 second clip, Daredevil gets into a brawl with numerous bikers carrying pool cues. Daredevil takes a few hits on his back but quickly knocks each of the attackers to the ground.

    The second bit lasts a few seconds. It occurs on the top of the staircase on the second story of the bar. Daredevil lays a few more punches on one guy before he surfs his body down the rail, as seen in the Theatrical Cut.

    Another few seconds have been added to the moment when Daredevil is jumping from ceiling fan to ceiling fan. At first, in the Theatrical Cut, I always wondered why he was jumping on the fans. The few extra seconds show that Daredevil is jumping on steel fans that are strong enough to ricochet the bullets that are being fired at him. A few of these bullets kill three gunmen. Only one gunman was shot in the Theatrical Cut and the reason for the gunshot was not clear.

    The final bit occurs when Daredevil walks across the flaming pool tables. In the Theatrical Cut, Quesada bails before Daredevil takes his first step across the flames. In the Director’s Cut, Quesada sits still behind one of the tables. Daredevil kneels by the flames and tells Quesada that it is time to pay the devil his due. This was a line that was shown in the second trailer for the film, but deleted from the Theatrical Cut. After the lines, Quesada runs away and continues like in the Theatrical Cut.

    I feel that each moment that is added to the fight sequence helps to create a better unity for the scene that was severely lacking in the Theatrical Cut. The extra line of dialogue given to Daredevil shows his mental state at the moment. He is in full vigilante mode and believes himself to truly be an angel of judgment sent to strike down the wicked. The smile on his face proves that he is enjoying the hunt, as well.

    0:30:47 (DC)



    When Daredevil follows Quesada into a subway station, there are a few small additions in the Director’s Cut. The first moment occurs after the first train passes and Daredevil finds where Quesada is hiding. Daredevil is walking towards the hiding Quesada and does a few flips with his cane before turning it into a tether.

    While this addition takes away from the sudden surprise of Quesada being choked, the audience is kept in the head of Daredevil as he readies his next move to surprise Quesada. We also find a little more about how his weapon works as he turns it from a club into a tether.

    There are also a few more lines added to the brief exchange between Quesada and Daredevil. These are very brief and basically entail the two men verbally threatening each other. Nothing too much to note beyond Quesada asking Daredevil, “Who made you judge?” and Daredevil threatening Hell upon Quesada after he dies.

    These lines aren’t important to the overall story arc and just add more tension to the scene. It also gives more space between the oncoming trains, which seemed to be arriving a little too quickly in between each other in the Theatrical Cut. Also, Daredevil’s line about Hell in the Director’s Cut allows for a better transition into his line that is in both versions, “That light at the end of the tunnel. Guess what? That’s not heaven. That’s the C Train!”

    0:35:06 (DC)



    After Matt returns home and listens to the Dear John message, there are few brief moments that extend Matt’s nighttime rituals before he goes to bed. The first bit has Matt walking to his Daredevil costume closet and touching a clothes hanger. He begins to take off his jacket, completely stoic, until he feels immense pain. The next shot is of the jacket hitting the floor and the scene picks up as it was in the Theatrical Cut, with a close-up of the scars on Matt’s back. The extra moment beforehand puts a face on the anguish that Matt goes through being Daredevil. It’s not as easy as being Spider-man.

    The next part takes place after Matt chews his pain medication. He opens a drawer full of salt and takes a scoop to pour in his water tank. This is not a big moment but does show more of Matt’s routine and the pain that he puts himself through by sleeping in a pool of saltwater with numerous open wounds on his body every night. It takes a lot of pain to keep the water chamber clean.

    The most important addition to the scene in the Director’s Cut occurs while Matt is about to shut the water chamber. He hears the struggle of a woman after she is shot. He has a vision of her in the same room as him and then he shuts the water chamber door while listening to her last breath. This is an important character moment, as well as an important plot moment for the future of the story. In the Theatrical Cut, Matt just lies in the water chamber as if he had a hard day at the office. The moment isn’t as tragic as it is in the Director’s Cut.
    Last edited by WorkShed; 12-03-2004 at 11:58 PM.

  11. #11
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    This is very interesting indeed. I wonder what it would be like if you do a LOTR essay.

    Keep up the good work

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    The next part will probably come up within a couple of days. I have to take some time off because I am writing a 15-18 page essay on the adaptation of Maxim Gorky's "The Lower Depths" by Jean Renoir and Kurosawa. That is going to be taking up most of my time. Also, I've been working on a short film project (which I may be able to provide at least a scene for sometime soon) that has a deadline of Dec. 14 that is taking up the rest of my time.

    Glad that people are interested.

    When this essay is finished, I will probably post a Word file with extra screenshots.

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    Part IV

    0:37:02 (DC)



    After Matt falls asleep in the chamber and hearing the prostitute’s last breath, there is a scene between a young Matt and a nun. The nun hovers over Matt and tells him to sleep. The scene is played completely in silhouette and shows Johnson’s technique as a visual director.

    It was just too bad that he picked this scene to use that trick on. This is a moment that could have worked better with some more visual information. For one, it isn’t entirely clear that the person in the bed is actually Matt as a young boy after the accident. Also, only fans of the comic books would know that the nun is actually Matt’s mother. However, this is not brought up to light within the film. While pretty, it becomes confusing and will most likely take the audience out of the moment.



    In the place of this scene in the Theatrical Cut, there is a short dialogue scene between the priest and Matt within a confessional. Matt comes into the scene asking for forgiveness but enters a verbal spar with the priest being the victor over the moral implications of Matt’s vigilante justice in the guise of Daredevil. A great line, delivered by Quesada in the Director’s Cut, alludes to Matt being a lawyer during the day and judge and jury at night.

    This entire scene is pivotal to the Theatrical Cut because all of the omitted scenes from the Director’s Cut help solidify Matt’s changing ethics and his inner struggles between himself and his duties. Without this scene in the Theatrical Cut, the film would have made less impact story-wise.

    This scene also creates a dichotomy between the Theatrical Cut and the Director’s Cut. Not only is it a scene that is specific only to the Theatrical Cut (and rightly so because the information is delivered in other scenes of the Director’s Cut) but it also changes the priest character. Now, he does know that Matt is the Daredevil and he now acts as a father figure. This is all changed in the Director’s Cut, which in turn, lessens the impact of the character on Matt in the Director’s Cut of the film.

    0:39:03 (DC)



    During the first coffee bar scene between Foggy and Matt, there is a slight extension that occurs after Foggy mentions that their client, Mr. Lee, made his first payment in fluke. Matt motions to a scratch on his face and Foggy asks about it. Matt lies, saying he ran into a door and Foggy doesn’t fall for it. Then, Matt tells him that he’s actually in the fight club. This is by far, the best joke in the film and it is too bad that it was cut out.

    They two move into another story about how Foggy bought Matt a seeing eye dog because they bond for life. Matt’s ran away. It’s a funny moment that shows off Jon Favreau’s comic timing and also provides more back story into their friendship. This is a great inclusion into the film and should have never been cut out.

    The scene ends on Matt laughing before he smells Elektra approaching, as shown in the Theatrical Cut. The scratch on Matt’s face is digitally altered in the Theatrical Cut to be less noticeable and is removed in certain shots. The digital removal is used in future scenes including the school yard fight between Matt and Elektra.

    0:43:53 (DC)



    After the fight between Elektra and Matt in the school yard, there is an additional scene between the two. Elektra’s bodyguards show up and Matt fears a lawsuit soon after he figures out Elektra’s bloodline. Elektra starts to leave and Matt asks how he’ll find her. She states that she’ll find him. This is the beginning of a reoccurring theme within the Director’s Cut that isn’t very expressed in the Theatrical Cut.

    A wonderful touch occurs at the end of the scene when Matt uses a watch with a removal glass front to know what time it is. Matt finds that he is late for his court hearing and runs off. The short bit with the watch is another moment that clues the audience in onto his daily life. All of the things that we take for granted, like the money in our wallets and the display of our watches have to be different for a blind man. It shows that they’ve done their homework. Also, the removal of a future scene between Matt and Elektra removes the notion that Matt will drop being a lawyer whenever a girl walks past. This makes Matt in the Director’s Cut a better friend to Foggy and a more professional lawyer than in the Theatrical Cut.

    0:45:31 (DC)



    After the first reveal of Wilson Fisk overlooking New York behind his large window, there is a cut to a Stead-i-cam shot of Wesley walking through the Fisk Corp office. This allows a sense of scale to the building that was severely lacking in the Theatrical Cut. It shows that there’s more to the Fisk Corp building than just an office and a meeting room.

    Also, in the background of the scene, N.E.R.D.’s “Lapdance” is showcased completely unedited, further solidifying the Director’s Cut’s R-rating.

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    Part V

    0:45:56 (DC)



    After Wesley claims that someone’s been talking to the New York Post, there is a new scene in the Director’s Cut. In it, Fisk begins with some light intimidation towards his new bodyguards. It starts as a joke until Fisk unexpectedly kills both his bodyguards within a matter of seconds by a swift smash in the head with his cane and snapping the other’s neck with his bare hands. He then leaves Wesley to clean up the mess when Nikolas Natchios arrives.

    This provides more of a threat to the Kingpin character because every scene that follows this violent one, the audience is anticipating the next time the Kingpin will go on a murder spree. It shows that he can do the dirty work himself, but hires assassins like Bullseye for more high profile kills. This is a point that is not made in the Theatrical Cut and weakens the Kingpin in that version.

    This also provides the incentive for Wesley’s character that was not presented in the Theatrical Cut. He doesn’t stay with Fisk because he feels an obligation, or because he is a cliché character, but instead, he stays with Fisk because he is scared for his own life.

    0:47:50 (DC)



    After Fisk asks Nikolas about his daughter, Elektra, we are treated with a new scene exclusive to the Theatrical Cut. In this scene, there is more of a love connection made between Matt and Elektra. Elektra talks more about her past and her martial art abilities through her training as a child after her mother was killed. Matt acts the gentleman and stops her before she is struck by a car, recalling the scene in the beginning with Stan Lee’s cameo.

    While the scene is lovely, it drastically changes the character of Matt. Not only is he given a dramatic break that is not afforded to him in the Director’s Cut, but his abilities become confusing. He tells Elektra to watch out before she steps in some unknown substance. This is confusing because it is unknown what would cause Matt to see this object because it is not giving off a sound to be heard. Also, Matt’s line concerning Elektra being trained to be a warrior is a little too on the nose.

    What we don’t receive from this scene in the Theatrical Cut is Matt’s realization that Elektra’s father is a billionaire or Elektra’s exit from Matt. It is just assumed that they part ways before Matt trudges his way back to the courthouse and to Foggy who is actually doing his job. No wonder Foggy is so annoyed with Matt; Matt’s never at work.



    Instead of the Elektra scene, in the Director’s Cut we are presented with something more substantial plot-wise. Matt returns to the courthouse and meets with Foggy to tell him about Elektra. This is a scene that occurs later on in the Theatrical Cut. The scene continues in the Director’s Cut to the introduction of Foggy and Matt’s next case: the murder of prostitute Lisa Tazio and the defense of Daunte Jackson. Daunte was found unconscious around the street corner with the murder weapon and filled to the brim with drugs. Foggy makes a humorous remark about Lisa Tazio being “your friendly, neighborhood prostitute” which makes an inside-joke against the happier nature of the Spider-Man films.

    When Matt and Foggy meet Daunte, Matt asks him if he’s innocent. Daunte replies that he is and Matt uses his lie detector senses to prove that Daunte is correct. To the surprise of both Daunte and Foggy, Matt takes the case. Little does any of them know, but this case will be the most important case of their lives. Surprisingly, this plotline, which provides the trail to the identity of the Kingpin, is all cut out of the Theatrical Cut.

    A note about Coolio in the role of Daunte Jackson: he is superb. Many musicians have tried their hands at acting and few have succeeded to bring the warmth that is present in Coolio’s portrayal. Daunte is a man that brings much comic relief to his scenes and the film, while still being extremely compassionate and far outside the cliché of a drugged-out black man as seen in numerous cop dramas.

    After this scene, it returns to Fisk ordering Wesley to create a paper trail accusing Nikolas of being the Kingpin, as seen in the Theatrical Cut.

    0:51:33 (DC)



    After Bullseye’s introduction in the English bar, we cut back to a new scene between Foggy and Matt talking about Daunte. Foggy states that Daunte will probably pay for his fees with chronic while they are almost hit by a cab. Foggy yells at the cabbie about almost hitting him when he’s helping a blind man crossing the street. The cabbie tells them to use the crosswalk and drives off.

    The scene is a nice moment for Foggy and Matt to further showcase their friendship and shows them working even more, something not expounded on in the Theatrical Cut.

    0:51:54 (DC)



    Immediately after the previous scene, another scene is added showing Bullseye’s arrival at an airport. Bullseye acts very cocky as he moves his way through the security checkpoint and showing the audience that he has a paper clip in his mouth.

    In this scene we are also privy to a shot that showcases a Catholic crucifix on Bullseye’s black shirt that acts both as a public mockery of the religion by Bullseye but also as another bullseye. With the bullseye on his shirt and the one on his head, Bullseye’s villain costume is set in reality but is still a throwback to the design in the original comic books. The crucifix isn’t prominently displayed in the Theatrical Version.

    It’s another good character bit for Bullseye as he walks the line between being liked by the audience and being feared by the audience, which wasn’t walked at all in the Theatrical Cut. This scene, according to the director, was originally supposed to be the introduction to the character. I’m glad that they decided to stick with the English bar as the introduction in that it makes the paper clip gimmick make more sense. The security personnel do not know that Bullseye just brought a deadly weapon on the plane.

    Due to this fact, there could have been pressures from the studio for this scene to be cut from the Theatrical Cut following the shoe bomb incident shortly following 9/11. This interpretation allows Bullseye to have an anchor in a reality-based fear that is present in the modern world. In the Director’s Cut, Bullseye is a much bigger threat.

    Also, the use of the camera is very different than its use throughout the rest of the film. While jarring to some, it helps present an almost documentary quality to the scene, thus making it feel even more real.
    Last edited by WorkShed; 12-10-2004 at 07:44 PM.

  15. #15
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    Part VI

    0:53:12 (DC)



    Following the airport scene, we cut back to Foggy and Matt outside the residence of Lisa Tazio. Matt kneels down to feel the remnants of a candlelight vigil for her and decides to investigate further. He picks the lock, much to the dismay of Foggy, and begins to touch around the room. He finds the smells of ammonia over dried blood on the floor and believes that Tazio was shot in her house and dragged outside to look like a robbery. It is here that we realize, with Matt, that the woman who Matt heard dying the night before was Lisa Tazio. He moves over to the computer desk and finds a few impressions in the wood reading “MOM 6-8” before Foggy pushes Matt to leave before they are arrested.

    There are some great moments in the scene; most of these showcase more of Favreau’s comic timing. It almost hurts to realize that his comedy was lost in the Theatrical Cut, as with most of his character. We also see more of Matt’s day-to-day interactions and how he uses Foggy for support in a new environment. There are many subtle moments of uncertainty with Matt, as when he first arrives in the room, he moves to the wall to get stability and a better feeling of the environment.

    After seeing three sequences in a row with new plot points that were not available in the Theatrical Cut, it feels more like watching a sequel than a Director’s Cut. It also makes the introduction of Daunte Jackson the beginning of the second act, when the introduction of Elektra was the beginning of the second act in the Theatrical Version.

    0:57:21 (DC)



    After the scene with Bullseye in the airplane, the Theatrical Cut moves into the scene where Daredevil beats a man in front of a young boy. In the Director’s Cut, this scene comes later. The scene that follows the airplane scene is another courtroom scene. This time, the opening statement for Daunte is given in a much grander courtroom due to the nature and media attention of the case.

    Matt starts out giving his statement to the jury through an analogy about being blind. It’s hokey but it’s meant to be. It is also here that the line “justice is blind, but it can be heard” is now given. It makes better sense here because Matt and Foggy both know that they don’t have a lot for Daunte’s defense so they are pleading for pity from the jury. It shows how far Foggy will use Matt’s blindness if it will secure them a win.

    There’s some great moments when Foggy comes up to help Matt to his seat and plays a practical joke on Matt by getting him to think that he is about to sit in a chair, but having his hand on the wrong armrest, causing Matt to almost fall to the ground. Matt is tired of this joke and tells Foggy so. Another good character moment for the two and shows more about how Matt deals with being blind on a day-to-day scale. It is in these details that the audience feels more for Matt’s character in the Director’s Cut.

    The scene moves into the first witness, Officer McKensie, who states that he saw Tazio dead on the steps of her apartment and Jackson passed out in the alleyway with the murder weapon. Matt uses his lie detector skills and is puzzled to find McKensie’s heart is beating normally, meaning that he is not lying. This sets up a mystery in Matt’s powers that is not present in the Theatrical Cut.

    Due to the media coverage of the trial, the introduction of Ben Urich is moved to the end of this scene. He gives a wave to Matt and Foggy and we feel that something is suspicious about Ben’s friendliness towards the two.

    The scene moves into the re-introduction of Elektra when Matt is walking down the street at night and the rain scene on the roof. Both of these following scenes take place much later in the Theatrical Cut.

    0:59:58 (DC)



    At the beginning of the scene between Elektra and Matt on the street there is a line change. In the Theatrical Cut, she tells Matt, “I knew I’d find you.” In the Director’s Cut, she says, “I told you I’d find you.” A very subtle change, but a change nonetheless. Also, one that emphasizes the theme of Elektra being able to find Matt without him looking for her. By deleting the earlier scene between Elektra and Matt on the street, the audience gets wrapped up in the Daunte murder case, as does Matt, and we forget all about Elektra until this scene.

    1:01:30 (DC)



    On the rooftop scene, after Matt asks about Elektra’s necklace, in the Director’s Cut Elektra reveals to Matt in this scene that her mother was killed. It’s a good moment for her to reveal the dark part of her life. It also ties the two characters together because they both had to endure the loss of a parent at an early age. It then goes into Matt trying to lighten the mood by telling her to stop for the rainfall.

    After Matt sees Elektra for the first time, he hears a fight occurring down below. In the Director’s Cut he forces himself to leave Elektra alone in the rainfall. This moment shows Matt’s loyalty to duty, even if it costs him happiness. Has his duty turned into an obsession?

    The scene continues into the scene when Matt beats a man in front of his child. The one-two punch of the evening makes for a tougher morning on Matt, when he goes to work in a very sour mood. Not only did he potentially lose Elektra but he could have become the one thing that he fights against.



    In the Theatrical Cut, Matt readies to leave, but Elektra stops him. The two spend the night together in a passionate love scene that is beautifully shot. Matt wakes up the next morning to find Elektra gone. In her place is an invitation to the Black and White Ball. By this moment in the Director’s Cut, we haven’t been introduced to the Black and White Ball yet, so there’s no possible way for the love scene to have been re-instated into the Director’s Cut, beyond the pleading of some Elektra fans.

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