At this point, saying that Steven Spielberg is one of the best directors in the history of cinema, is meaningless. He has shaped incredible works and, without judging me what his best movie is, I am clear that the one I can see, another and again without boring me is ‘In search of the lost ark’.
Not only is the first in the saga of Indiana Jonesbut also a round tape with humor, good argument, sharp dialogues and masterfully shot action. His initial scene with the great rock chasing the archaeologist is part of pop culture and I know I am not the only fan of this film. But I also know that not so many people have seen the black and white version, without sound and industrial metal sounding in the background.
Because yes, ‘Indiana Jones: In search of the lost ark’ he has a version made by a fan. And that fan is a winning film director of the best director: Steven Soderbergh.
The other Indiana Jones face
Soderbergh is a peculiar director. He has films that have been a failure and are somewhat rare, surprises like the raw ‘traffic’ that made him deserving of the academy award and balls such as the saga ‘Ocean’s’. In addition to directing, produces, edits and is director of photography of many of his creations. Also those of others.
The director has a blog in which he releases his thoughts, but between filming and filming, at some point in 2014 he thought something like “Has people really see the work so impeccable Spielberg at photography level?” Or something like that, go. Being a director of photography, some of this knows and something proposed: to make his version of one of the most mythical films in history: the aforementioned first installment of ‘Indiana Jones’.
I have to admit that, of all the times I have seen it, I had never done it as when I saw the Soderbergh version. I focus on action, I look at the definition of the first planes, I let myself be carried away by the music of John Williams and I must admit that the grain and the color palette flips me. But never, and see that I like photography, I had given me to value that aspect of the movie.
I of course was good, but with what Soderbergh did … there I realized to what extent Spielberg is a teacher. Because Stephen does not want to improve what Steven did. Not only would it be a disrespect, but a boldness. What he wants is, precisely, to exalize Spielberg’s work, that everyone can put aside the elements that have nothing to do with pure and hard photography.
And, for this, he applied a series of changes to the tape. The first and most evident: it was the color. Not only did he put a black and white filterbut made it hard, accentuating the shadows until it is indistinguishable. It is what stands out the most, but as soon as reproduction begins, the second thing that attracts attention is that John Williams has disappeared. All the sound of the movie, really.
The industrial and heavy music of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross bathe each scene. Turning a blockbuster As this in something similar to the silent cinema of German expressionism, Soderbergh wants us to concentrate on one thing: admire Spielberg’s hand and eye. Also be didactic and that those who are learning from cinema can do it with one of the best.
In this link that leads to your blog we can see the full film in this format, and it is surprising that, beyond that you know it or not, only with the frame, the rhythm of the assembly and the movement of the camera, the argument can be followed so well. You can ride the dialogues in your head: the movie simply works.
And be careful, it is not the only film that made an alternative montage. There is also ‘2001: Odyssey in space’, but unfortunately that entrance was erased from his blog. The truth is that, in this case, Kubrick sure would not have made him a hint of grace. And it is also true that there are films that these changes feel better than others.
‘Logan’ has a black and white version and I think it would also work if we take away the sound and focus on what we see. But – by saying another that amounts to me – something like ‘Matrix’, for example, I would not work at all with such a change, at least in my opinion. The color is tremendously important in the Wachowski tape.
I will be delighted to read in comments what this version of ‘Indiana Jones’ “remastered” by Soderbergh. (And what amounted to me most is that you can see free being Disney’s rights).
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