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Highlander: Director's Cut
When Highlander hit movie screens in 1986, it vanished in a matter of weeks. It had a nearly non-existent ad campaign and an extremely limited theatrical release. Critics attacked the film, saying it was full of plot holes and underdeveloped characters. The director, Russel Mulcahy, a rock video veteran, was accused of being a director of style, not substance. Perhaps if the version that we US viewers saw had not been shortened from the European version by nearly 6 minutes it would have had a more favorable fate. The video release of this film became extremely popular, leading to two (ugh) sequels and a highly praised television series (now in its fifth season) and yes, I hate to admit it...an animated series (with Quentin MacLeod, Connor's bastard child maybe?). The news that excited me the most was the release of a director's cut in celebration of the film's 10th anniversary. This highly coveted version contains nearly identical footage as that of the European version, which American viewers never saw (unless they managed to view the grainy, bootleg versions of the European version). I will attempt to list some of the differences in the popular American version and the daring, coveted Director's Cut.
The Soundtrack and Special Audio Effects
Although the Queen songs add an excellent atmosphere to the
movie, in the Director's Cut (DC) Laser disc, it seems the re-mastering has increased the
volume of them to a point where the dialogue is almost too low to hear. Also added to the
DC (but not present in the European version) is a not-so-subtle, wind-like
"whooshing" sound that occurs whenever two immortals meet. This sound effect has
become a normal occurrence in the television series, but it was never present in the
original film. The effect was added to the following scenes: 1) When Connor is in the
basement of the wrestling match, right before he crushes the Coke can; 2) When Ramirez is
talking to Heather (Beatie Edney, by the way), before The Kurgan (Clancy Brown, in case
you were wondering his real name) barges in; 3) When Connor pulls Brenda (80's to the
core, Roxanne Hart) into the alley before The Kurgan attacks; 4) When The Kurgan arrives
in the church where Connor is sitting and 5)When Connor lingers at the zoo after Brenda
leaves (new scene, by the way). One thing taken out, regretfully, is when after Ramirez
and Connor run up a hill and get ready to jump into a body of water, Ramirez, in the
original, says, "MacLeod, this is the Quickening!" Odd to remove this, because
it can even be heard during the DC audio commentary!
The Wrestling Match
The wrestling match sequence in the European version and the DC is slightly different than
the version we are used to seeing in the American version. In the US version, the camera
panned from the monitor view of the wrestling match, around the venue, and finally stops
on a subtly lit, emotionless face of Connor MacLeod who turns his head sharply as a
maniacal fan slaps him on the shoulder. After more wrestling footage, Connor gets up and
leaves.
In the DC, after the fan slaps him, the scene switches to a
group of Highlanders ascending a hil in 16th Century Scotland, with banners flying. Then a
scene of rival highlander clans battling savagely occurs. Then the scene fades back to
Connor, still daydreaming, but with his eyes open now. The fighting highlanders are shown
again stabbing and hitting each other. Back to Connor, eyes now shut. More fighting.
Connor's eyes still closed while camera pans left to the same fan screaming, "Kill
'em! Stomp on the son of ..." This is then followed by a shot of a wrestler head
butting his opponent. A fan, wearing a Jason-style hockey mask, cheers on. Back to the
battle. A video monitor then shows the wrestling match as the camera then pans back to
Connor's face, who then turns his head slightly. More fighting, with many dead highlanders
scattered on the ground. The wrestlers fighting. One highlander is on the ground as
another trips and falls on him. They roll off-screen. Finally, Connor gets up and leaves
the match.
This whole sequence only lasted 46 seconds, but it was left out of
the US version. 20th Century Fox apparently decided that US audiences would not understand
what was going on. Go figure. Interesting note: The original script called for this
opening scene to be at a hockey game in NY (Rangers vs. Edmonton, in case you were
wondering). The NHL would not give permission to shoot the teams, though. I guess they
lost out and the Freebirds (I think that is who it was, I hope I am not upsetting any
Wrestling Fans) got the spot instead.
Kate's Character Explained
After showing the parking lot
battle, there is another flashback, showing Connor and his cousins Dugal (Billy Hartman,
for inquiring minds) and Angus (James Cosmo.No, not Cosmo Kramer) headed for the battle.
The original US version showed them crossing the bridge, then cuts back to the castle in
the distance, shrouded by fog.
In the DC, there is an additional scene which introduces
Kate, Connor's love. After the shot of the castle, a small child is seen running as a
female voice yells, "Connor!" There are soldiers walking in formation and Kate
runs into frame from behind them. She comes to Connor, riding a horse. "Take these
flowers and think of me," she says. Connor leans down from his horse and kisses her
as she hands him the flowers. "Remember," she says, "you fight with God on
your side, Connor." Connor, Angus and Dugal ride their horses side by side. Dugal
says, "A girl like that can wound a soldier more than a Frazier's sword, my
friend." Kate, still running alongside them says, "Angus, you and Dugal keep him
in one piece, d'you hear?" Dugal replies, "And we all know what piece that
is!" He and Angus laugh as Connor rides on. This fills in the plot hole that is
present in the earlier US version when Connor comes back from the dead and Kate after
crying over him screams, "He's got the devil in him!" Also left out of the US
version is each of the villagers getting a chance to punch or head butt Connor as he
leaves for his exile.
World War II Sequence
This excellent scene appears in the DC after two police
officers, Moran (Alan North) and Bedsoe (Jon Polito) are seen discussing the fact that
Brenda was seen in Connor's antique shop. The scene begins with a shot of Connor, in a
darkened room of his apartment, staring out a large window. Rachel (Sheila Gish) enters
the room behind Connor. "What are you looking at, Rachel?" Connor asks, without
turning around. "The eyes in the back of your head," she replies. "People
are asking about you. What am I supposed to say?" Connor laughs and says, "Tell
them I'm immortal." At this point, the screen explodes outward like shattering glass,
beginning another flashback sequence. We see Connor in 1940's Germany, wearing a white
shirt, black pants and suspenders, running and jumping over pieces of wood in what looks
like a combat zone. He falls to the ground. Nazi's run all around yelling in German.
Connor gets up and continues running. He enters a war-ravaged building and rests aging a
wooden beam. He looks rather exhausted and dirty. He sighs and shuts his eyes in pain. A
child's soft cry is heard. He moves to an old crate and opens it to find a little girl,
dirty and scared, inside. Connor "gains the confidence of the child" (whose name
is Rachel for you really astute readers). After some brief dialogue, he picks her up and
begins walking at which point a bullet bursts through his chest (somehow missing Rachel,
ahem) as a Nazi fires from behind him. Rachel is amazed when she sees Connor open his eyes
back up. He whispers to her it is a "kind of magic." In a matter of moments,
Connor disarms the Nazi and when the Nazi ignores his orders, he says to him,
"Whatever you say, Jack-- you're the master race!" Then Connor fills him with
about 20 rounds of ammo and proceeds to carry Rachel into the distance. The scene shifts
back to the present where Rachel is awarded an additional line of dialogue. "That was
a long time ago."
This is the most crucial scene that was dropped from the US
version and led to a HUGE plot hole as to who Rachel was and how she learned of Connor's
secret. It also contains that line, "It's a kind of magic" that when Connor says
it again at the end, loses much of its impact without it.
Sword fight With Basset
The sword fight with Bassett
(Ian Redington), a flashback to the 17th Century triggered by Connor's encounter with
Kastagir and his potent potable, is slightly longer in the DC. In the US version, after
Connor repeatedly was stabbed and stubbornly got up, refusing to die, the scene ended when
Connor says, "Stop, sir, I beseech you. I apologize for calling your wife a bloated
warthog, and I bid you good day."
In the DC, Hotchkiss (Tudor Owen), Bassett's second, had a
grim fate. After Connor turns and begins walking away, Hotchkiss runs toward Bassett with
a gun in each hand and begs him to shoot Connor in the back of the head. Bassett struggles
with the irate servant until Hotchkiss is accidentally shot in the back. Apparently,
Panzer said they didn't want to ruin the joke by making it ridiculously long.
The Zoo Scene
This sequence occurs after the
scene of Brenda and Connor making love. It begins with them watching a pair of caged
lions, growling fiercely and jumping around. Connor explains that he doesn't want to get
involved with another mortal woman. After winning a brief staring contest with one of the
lions, they walk away and a dark human shape (obviously The Kurgan) is in the background.
Brenda says, "You know what's weird? Most people are afraid to die. That's not your
problem, you're afraid to live. Take care of yourself. Don't lose your head." She
kisses him and walks away, and in the background, the shape also walks off. This scene
explains how The Kurgan tracked Brenda back to her apartment, where he kidnaps her.