Tornatore: my struggle to save the "Pianist"
The director talks about the endless discussions on the
editing he had with the American distributors
translation of an article by MARIA PIA FUSCO, published on La Repubblica
AGRIGENTO - Giuseppe Tornatore chose his home, Sicily, to tell the truth on the
controversy about The Legend of the Pianist on the Ocean concerning the festivals and the
American release. In Agrigento, where he received the Efebo d'oro, award for films
inspired by literature - Tornatore was ironic as usual, but exceptionally reconciled .
"In these months I tried to avoid the discussions on the film, some of them were
inspired by positive curiosity, others were inspired instead by malignant attitudes, there
have been however exasperations I didn't like".
What about the cuts to the film?
"It was hard, I understood the difference between European and USA cinema is not only
in the subjects or in the language, but it is in the perception of cinema itself, in the
relationship with the audience, like the problem of the fourth showing which is lost with
a film lasting more than 2 hours. It is not as mandatory as in the US down here. In my
contract I have the final cut, that is the right of having the last word on the editing
and the length of the film, but I didn't know that Medusa, in their contract with the
American producers, had accepted the 2 hours long movie. So the long and tiring struggle
began. I could have used the final cut and refuse the cuts, but the movie would have never
been released in America. After so many meetings, fax exchanges and discussions, I
decided. I re-edited the film, cutting 45 minutes out, making drier sequences. Now I
delivered it, it lasts two hours, it should be released by the end of the year".
In spite of everything, is the result positive?
"Positive, yeah, I'm glad, Baricco liked it and Tim Roth asked me whether I
have him in mind for another film. And the 11 billion Italian Lire we earned in Italy is a
good sum in a period in which the audience rejects everything but comedy".
You seem detached...
"It was about time, after living with it for about 3 years. It hasn't been easy to
decide, Ennio Morricone helped me. "When I write music for you, it is much longer
than the 5 minutes you use. Does it get less beautiful because of this?", he told me.
Now I wouldn't like that The Legend of the Pianist on the Ocean, once re-edited, was
considered as a cut film. It would not be correct.
What about the failed partecipation of the movie to Berlin and Cannes?
"The Berlin Festival wanted the film as it was, 2 hours and 45 minutes long,
but the American distributor wanted to go to Cannes. As far as Cannes is concerned, the
truth is that the film has never been invited. Gilles Jacob had seen it long before than
the festival, he had called me, he was kind and really interested, but he never contacted
the producer to ask for the film. Couldn't it be right to think that the Americans
influence the choices in festivals more than we imagine?".
So the cuts controversy has nothing to do with Cannes?
"No. A lot of wrong information has been given. Once I would have got extremely
angry, I'd have called everyone to clarify, but I would have made a mistake, I would have
made the discussion even harsher. I'm more mature and I chose silence. In this whole
situation I was only irritated by what Maurizio Nichetti, member of the jury at Cannes,
said on the fact that, when one does a movie with the Americans, one has to accept certain
rules. It was not very wise to speak without knowing how things really went".