Lean’s Notes: Page 3
But if we have got to cut it it could go with the audience none the wiser. The only way to do it would be to dissolve from "What do you recommend?" to the snow blowing across the hole in the ruins.
If pure length is our sole criterion then it must come out. If it be speed or fear of boredom in the audience I think it should stay in.
Bey Scene. I don't agree with the suggested cut. (This, Robert, is because it unfortunately seems that here in America at least--and I can't speak for England as I have had no opportunity to question people on this point--don't understand that anything happens to Lawrence after the beating. The buggering. The reason would take another 6 foot of silence on Ali's close up before the music start I now realise) The suggested cut is that we somehow cut directly from the beating to Lawrence being thrown out into the puddle--as if there had been no time lapse. I don't agree with this and have another idea which may even be better and more to the point than the version running at the moment.
I think the suggestion of a time lapse in which something other than the beating is taking place is very important, and believe it doesn't come over because we haven't made enough contrast but have been to smooth. Now. I would dissolve form the final shot of Ali and the moon. I would have no music--and this is an important part of it--but would have the track of dogs barking and only start the music when the lights came up in the windows. This would mean cutting out the shot of Ali--the long tracking shot--which starts on him listening at the sounds of beating down the street as the sound of feet and door bangs die away to nothing--which at present starts the music.
I think this is a first rate cut irrespective of length problems. We would go from the Bey in the doorway to Ali mooching about outside darkened windows--with no sound but barking dogs. Then the lights would go on--and I think most audiences would cotton on here if they hadn't done so before. But we must have a silence. The audience have to to wonder what's going on and music will somehow smooth it all away.
Tafas Rape scene. Length or no length I would make a cut of the first shot of the rape--after Allenby has said , "I wonder where they are now?" --which consists of a scarf blowing up between dead bodies. I would cut directly to the shot of the hanging man with the Turks in the distance because many people have been completely misled and think the massacred people are Turks! Yes. This is because the line, "I wonder where they are now" implies that the people one is shown immediately after are the Turks Allenby has referred to a moment ago. I see this now. I know, Robert, we were trying not to be obvious. But it really does confuse so do lets cut that one shot and be quite simple about it. It isn't that bad after all. "I wonder where they are now?" and there they are.
That's it as far as I'm concerned. As a P.S. I add that Sam Goldwyn, with whom I had a long talk, says we should have heard the screams and the arguments when Gone With The Wind came out. They prophesied the length would be box-office disaster.
[signed] David December 30th '62