The Battle of Neretva - original uncut version

[Harvey Chartrand]

Does anyone know where I can find the original uncut version of Veljko Bulajic's The Battle of Neretva (1969), in which Welles played a pro-fascist Chetnik senator? This big-budget epic followed the exploits of Yugoslav partisans fighting the Nazis during the Second World War. (It co-starred Yul Brynner, who died on the same day as Welles.) The original 175-minute version was nominated for an Oscar as Best Foreign Film. Unfortunately, when The Battle of Neretva was released in North America, it was cut to 102 minutes, making it rather chaotic. Several of Welles' scenes were cut.
In a sense, The Battle of Neretva reteamed Welles with his Citizen Kane composer Bernard Herrmann, who wrote a rousing score for the film. Around this time, Herrmann made scathing comments about Welles in a BBC television interview.

[Cole]

Unfortunately I can’t answer your question Harvey, but you mention an interview with Bernard Herrmann where he made scathing remarks about Orson Welles. What exactly were his complaints? Inquiring minds want to know.

[jaime marzol]

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i have a documentary about herrmann. his close friend said he made scathing remarks about everybody. he didn't mean anything by it, that was just benny. if you knew him you didn't take it seriously.

great story welles tells about herrmann and irving reeise, both being emotional types, throwing fits and cue sheets up in the air right before going on the air, and having the show one cue off all the way through.

[Cole]

So maybe Herrmann was just blowing off a bit of steam, but he didn't hold any grudge against Orson due to the Ambersons fiasco, did he? I've always wondered about that.

[jaime marzol]

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from what i saw in the herrmann docu i don't think he was blowin off steam. it seems like herrmann was a just a crappy guy who was always angry.

he was one of the most revered composers, and he was bitter because he wanted to be a conductor! that's like the guy sitting in the back office doing the books at mcdonalds being bitter because he really longs to ring the register and hand out burgers to the cheap lunchers.

hermann finally got to play a conductor in THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH.

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it's amazing how much more important a dumb name like HERMAN looks after you throw in few extra letters.

JAIIMME
(do i look more important, like i know what i'm talking about?)