Bilge,
 
I totally about the current version of Thin Red Line. Since it's at least tied
for my favorite film of all time (Days of Heaven is there beside it, for
personal, sentimental reasons), it's difficult to imagine another version taking
its place. Although if anyone could hold our rapt attention for six hours, it
would be Malick. And I'm with you too on the cult of personality where Malick is
concerned. It would be nice if people could focus soley on the work, but then
his story is a fascinating one, especially the disappearing act between his
second and third films. Gluttony on my part, but I hope he has something on the
horizon after Tree of Life, other stories he'd like to tell.
 
Best, Oscar




________________________________
From: Bilge Ebiri <ebiri@...>
To: terrencemalick@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 9, 2009 9:05:43 PM
Subject: Re: [terrencemalick] Re: Glance on Malick [During TNW shooting]






> Thats not a voluntary "PR" photo of Malick, he was very perturbed about
> the leak of it.
>
>

That may well be, but that does appear to be the photo included in the
official studio presskit for TTRL:

http://www.moviegoo ds.com/movie_ product_static. asp?master_ movie_id=
10762&sku= 156987

Look man, as I said, I'm not doubting this dude's veracity at all. (My
confusion over the press photo is inconsequential, though hopefully Malick
realized that the world did not collapse on itself after his photo was
leaked to the world.) I see nothing in his account that doesn't sound like
Malick. It is, if anything, an incredibly valuable glimpse of the man at
work -- way more valuable than the 800 puff pieces that ran in magazines
around the time of the film's release. (Though some of that of course is
Malick's doing as well -- I doubt he'd have been so outgoing if he thought
this guy was going to twitter about his experiences. )

My only complaint is that the rumors of a 6-hour cut of TTRL have a
frustrating tendency to confirm some people's complaints about the film that
currently exists. And it's a film I love dearly, and I'd hate for people to
start seeing it as some kind of studio hatchet job.

-Bilge




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