``Snatch'' Guy Ritchie takes on a Hollywood offer and takes on the challenge of a speedy pop masterpiece.

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2018.07.03Atsunobu Ushizu

Editing work that brought life to disorganized footage

Although Brad Pitt was acquired for an unusually low salary, the film still faced financial difficulties and was produced on a low budget as usual. It was difficult to gather extras, so the entire staff appeared to fill in the gaps. During the boxing fight scene, all the extras had to move around as the camera angle changed, and a lot of thought was put into how to portray a packed audience with a limited number of people. Despite these hardships, the cast seemed to enjoy the friendly atmosphere of the filming set, and even spent the waiting time joking with each other and playing chess. . When I hear stories like this, I can understand why Ritchie wanted to ``make it again with the same cast and genre as the previous movie.''

However, once filming was complete, unexpected challenges awaited them. I had so much fun shooting the footage, but when I put it together, it didn't seem interesting at all. That should be it. This movie has many characters and many episodes. Even if I just arranged them in chronological order, they were all just a clutter, and I couldn't say it was a cohesive movie. When Ritchie saw the tentatively edited version, he felt depressed and thought, ``I think I've made a really bad piece of work.''

However, this is where he really shines. After all, Ritchie's style relies on elaborate editing and music. First, we cut out boring parts of the three-hour video. Furthermore, small edits are used to add a unique rhythm and sense of speed. Scenes that seemed redundant or scenes that lowered the tension were divided into two using a "split screen" and combined with other light-hearted scenes to create a pop feel.

A new editor, John Harris, was put in charge of this. Since this was my first time working on this project, I stayed at the office to make my mark and devoted myself to the editing work with Richie, sparing no time to sleep. When Ritchie hires actors and staff, he emphasizes their personality, reliability, and passion, as well as their talent, and thanks to the hard work of the determined Harris, the video material comes to life with vigor. It was instilled with me.

18 years have passed since then, and John Harris, who was a newcomer, has been involved in many of Matthew Vaughn's works since `` Layer Cake '' (2004), and has also worked on `` 127 Hours '' (2010), `` Trance '' (2013), It became an integral part of Danny Boyle's works such as `` T2 Trainspotting '' (2017). All of these films perfectly embody the unique director's vision, and are all works in which the editing really speaks volumes. Without ``Snatch'', his awakening would not have been possible.

This work was created by intertwining so many different elements. Looking at it from above, I can't help but think that it was a work that was supported by the vitality, sensibility, and instantaneous power of his youth. At worst, it's a bit of a "grilled blade," but that's actually the real pleasure. In fact, perhaps what should be praised most is the fact that he was able to turn his unique lightness and lack of organization into a solid charm on his own.

After that, Guy Ritchie received little praise from the public with the box office hit `` Swept Away '' (2002), but made a brilliant comeback with `` Sherlock Holmes '' (2009). Although he has had yet another box office flop recently, this man has never given up and is sure to be looking for a chance to land a mount at some point, just like his beloved Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He'll definitely do it. As a fan who was once captivated by his songs ``Lock, Stock'' and ``Snatch,'' I look forward to the ``moment of comeback'' of this man who never gets up even if he falls.

By the way, the movie "Snatch" was reborn as a TV series in 2017. Although Guy Ritchie is not fully involved, Rupert Grint, best known for his role as Ron in the `` Harry Potter '' series, not only stars but also produces. In Japan, it is also distributed on Hikari TV as `` Snatch the Series '', so why not take your time and compare the two?

Text: USHIZU ATSUNOBU

Born in Nagasaki in 1977. When he was 3 years old, he saw ``Superman II'' with his father and became fascinated with movies. After The Graduate from Meiji University, he worked for a movie broadcasting channel and then became a movie writer. Currently, in addition to writing for Eiga.com, EYESCREAM, Real Sound Movie Club, etc., he also contributes to media press and theater programs.

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"Snatch"

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Blu-ray 2,381 yen (excluding tax) / DVD 1,410 yen (excluding tax)

Publisher/distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment

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