Yes well it seems pretty much clear that CW had a proper epic fantasy that would have stood up well against LOTR…and NLC were having none of it. They thought the ending too down beat and completely changed the outline of the plot in the (in my view) mistaken belief that they would make more money. They f*cked CW over and remade the movie by re-editing the scenes he shot to massage it into what they perceived to be a more main stream movie.
It’s interesting to look at the finely nuanced comments of the cast just prior to the release,(e.g. Sam Elliott “I’m just a hired hand” etc) they must have realised what had happened but couldn’t speak too openly.
CW must be spitting blood.
I just hope that CW can get his vision out on DVD, so we can see the movie in the proper order with all the elements in place.

December 15, 2007 4:36 am | link

…and let’s face it CW isn’t the only director to have this problem by any means.
Ridley Scott had similar problems with Blade Runner and Kingdom of Heaven and he is a director with enormous clout.
And most famously Terry Gilliam and huge problems with ending of Brasil…
Oh well that’s what happens in Hollywood.

Just imagine the scene.

Cast:
CW: Ambitious young director
Bob Shea: NLC producer dressed in classic three piece suit, puffing on huge cigar.

A darkened screening room somewhere in LA.
Closing credits to GC roll.
Dead silence.
CW: “Uh, what do you think”
pause
BS: “Roger dies, ROGER DIES!”
the rest is, I’m afraid, history

December 15, 2007 4:45 am | link

I completely agree.

December 15, 2007 5:59 pm | link

…this is to say nothing of the Golden Compass themed CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS I saw in my local bookstore yesterday. I mean, if you want to talk about real inconsistencies, that’s a great one. I laughed so hard I nearly cried. Not that I don’t want one — the idea of a little alethiometer or (better) Iorek Byrnison ornamenting a symbol of a religious holiday is just… hilarious. Hilariously awesome.

December 16, 2007 12:39 am | link

The seams definitely showed. For one of the group who attacked the Gyptians to say to the others that Lyra was worth more alive made absolutely no sense if she was being taken to the bears - only if she was going to be sold to the “child-cutters.” I’m assuming (though I don’t know for sure) that after they cut the ending they decided to have the climactic scene be the battle outside of Bolvanger, though I don’t know why it couldn’t have been the fight between Iorek and Iofur or whatever they called him. That was the one that got all the advance publicity.

December 21, 2007 10:01 pm | link

After I found out the ending had been cut, I was disappointed, but I went to see the movie anyway. Shortly after seeing the movie at the mall, I wandered into the bookstore and looked at the movie companion… then I saw that they had FILMED the ending and still cut it. After that I wouldn’t shut up about it for hours.

January 13, 2008 7:15 pm | link