William ArnottAll the Pretty Horses
September 4th 2008 19:05
'In the end, Mr. Cole, we all get cured of our sentiments. Those whom life doesn't cure, death will.'
- Miriam Colon in All the Pretty Horses
- Miriam Colon in All the Pretty Horses
'All the Pretty Horses' is a strange book to behold. It is concise in it's story, yet, never feels anything less than epic. At 320 pages, it contains more adventures, themes, signs of friendships and breathtaking descriptions than some books twice it's length. Cormac McCarthy hits every note perfectly in his novel and it cries for a cinematic experience that would leave you dieing to see it at least 100 more times. 'All the Pretty Horses' the movie is not that cinematic experience.
Hold on, hold on. For those of you that love this movie, don't hate me just yet. Hear me out.
First off, I LOVE this movie. LOVE it. I saw it in a theater that had about 4 other people in it and when it was over, I clearly remember wondering if anybody else had realized how great this movie was. As it now has a 5.6 on IMDB.com, I can safely say that not many people did at that time or since have realized how truly great it is.
So, why is it not the cinematic experience it should have been? Simple. The answer is time. It is simply not long enough to capture the full scope that it promises.
The movie runs 116 minutes. It runs under two hours. How can you possibly capture the epic quality of the novel in under two hours. You simply can not. Imagine, if you will, a 'Gone With the Wind' or 'Ben Hur' or 'Dances With Wolves' or 'Braveheart' or your favorite epic movie running under two hours. Imagine all those characters that you have grown to love over the years getting their screen time cut in half or even some of the minor characters disappearing altogether. What a disater.
I love almost everything about this movie. I love Matt Damn as John Grady Cole and Henry Thomas as Lacey Rawlins and I certainly love Lucas Black as Jimmy Blevins. All the supporting cast is about as good as one could hope for. And, oh God, just look at Penelope Cruz. Wow.
I love the cinematography and how Barry Markowitz really does make all the horses look so damn pretty. I love how the big ambitions and the big dreams of the characters are depicted with big, sprawling John Ford-like shots of the land and the sky. I love the forbidden romance between Damon and Cruz's character. I love how the minor parts are cast with such precision that I didn't question one casting choice. I love the dialogue (Cole: So why do you think I'd let you come with us? Blevins: 'Cause Ima American.) And I love and admire Billy Bob Thornton's direction and obvious passion for this project.
My biggest problem is that I want more of it all. And that problem is driven by the fact that I know there is a longer version out there. Billy Bob's personal collection is said to hold the 2 hr. 42 min. director's cut and I know that his first cut was somewhere around 4 hrs. long. I want to see everything. I want a 6 hr. cut if there is one. The fact that I know these versions exist and I can't see them makes me sad and leaves me wanting everytime I watch it.
But there is a small light at the end of the tunnel. I think the only thing holding up a big director's cut of 'All the Pretty Horses' is some dispute over the original score that Thornton wants and the studio doesn't. I'm sure it is more complicated than that, but I really think it will happen. Fingers Crossed.
I am thinking about writing a personal letter to Billy Bob, maybe it makes it past the people that screen his mail and into his hands, and maybe I can ignite a little passion in him to get on the ball. Who knows, maybe I can talk him out of a private copy.
Got any thoughts about this movie? I would love to hear them.
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