MovieChat Forums > 2046 (2004) Discussion > science-fiction cut

science-fiction cut

posted 13 years ago by coffeeplus
4 replies | jump to latest

What would you think of a recut, remastered version of 2046 without the science-fiction scenes(i.e. the train scenes and android scenes). Do you think it might work and make the movie better? I've been thinking about this although I enjoy the movie very much as it is, but sometimes I think that without those scenes it would be even more powerful and better masterpiece.
The whole novel thing and story could be just mentioned, narrated, showing scenes from the actual 1960s universe in which the main part of the story takes place.

[–] GlennInWinnipeg 13 years ago

Nope -- needs more the science fiction story. The original script had WAY more futuristic stuff, but they simply could not afford to do it. Had almost all of it removed.

However, you might be hitting on something.

2046 was started in 1997, and it ended up tuning into "In the Mood for Love" (which was actually two stories combined). My pondering thought is that, given they had the budget, cast, and time; they could have made another move before the final chapter of 2046. Perhaps the "middle film" would have largely been the science fiction story; and then the final movie would be more like you suggest.

In any case, I thought the 'meat' of the story was contained in the fictional writings/stories -- as the fiction contrasted the "reality" of the main storyline so well.

[–] JeffAtlanta2004 13 years ago

I've thought about making my own personal version of the movie with the sci-fi scenes cut. They may work great for those looking for an abstract/artistic bent, but they make the movie unaccessable to most.

The movie is very slow anyway (which is not a bad thing), but the android scenes tend to force viewers to tune out and never return.

[–] wraith5z 12 years ago

To me the SF scenes are just as essential as anything else in the film. The extended visual metaphor of the train in the future makes real the idea of love as a life-long journey to no true destinations, while more specifically I'd say Chow's parsing of his own real life loves through his fiction is just another example of the character's own development. The SF scenes didn't take me out of the film at all. Quite the opposite in fact, as to me the final scene of the film still managed to be pretty much the same thing as the "fictional future" journey of the train.

[–] Moshrom 12 years ago

I agree wholeheartedly. The SF scenes are integral to the themes of the film.