5 great movies that took a very, very long time

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

New "Mad Max", the adaptation of the novel by the Strugatsky brothers and other films that have been stuck in production for many years.

1. Mad Max: Fury Road

• Australia, USA, 2015.
• Science fiction, action, dieselpunk.
• Duration: 120 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

In 1985, the third part, Under the Dome of Thunder, was released from the Mad Max franchise. The film was commercially successful, but many critics scolded it. Then the Australian director George Miller decided that the story of Max Rokatansky was over.

But by the end of the nineties, he got the idea of a new tape about the same hero. In the continuation of the post-apocalyptic story, the marauders once again fought for resources. This time - for living people. Together with British artist Brendan McCarthy, the director created a detailed storyboard and planned to start production by 2001.

However, after the events of September 11, the financial crisis broke out and the Australian dollar rate jumped sharply, which made filming in Miller's homeland unprofitable. Then there was a problem with the leading actor. Mel Gibson, who played in the three previous films, at the beginning of the 2000s fell out with almost all Hollywood bosses, and no one wanted to fund the picture with his participation.

By 2006, Miller decided to shoot a sequel, albeit without Gibson. They wanted to take Heath Ledger for the main role, but he passed away in 2008. A little later, it was announced that Tom Hardy would become the new Max Rockatansky and the film crew would go to the desert area of Broken Hill in Australia.

It was important for the director to find a suitable location, since most of the film is about car chases, and Miller wanted to shoot everything not using computer effects, but on location. But by an unfortunate coincidence, by the time filming began, torrential rains began in the usually arid region, turning the desert into a swamp with frogs. Miller waited another year, but then he still moved his work to African Namibia.

As a result, the picture was released only in 2015. Unfortunately, she did not achieve tremendous box office success, but she was highly praised by fans and critics. The fourth "Mad Max" was nominated for an Oscar in 10 categories, and the authors managed to take six awards.

2. Adolescence

• USA, 2014.
• Drama, parable.
• Duration: 166 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 9.

Director Richard Linklater began filming this tape in 2002. He decided to tell the story of a child from a typical American family growing up. Mason boy is going through a divorce of his parents, is fond of music and teenage films. And then he gets interested in girls and booze.

There were no problems with the shooting, and the production went according to plan. But in order to convey the image of a child as believably as possible, seven-year-old Ellar Coltrane was taken on the main role. At the same time, they immediately signed a contract, according to which the actor will remain in the film until the end of filming. They returned to work twice a year for 11 years.

Moreover, the director did not have a specific scenario, only general sketches: he, of course, could not predict what would happen in the world in the future. And thus, in the frame you will see not special effects, make-up or some kind of substitution, but the real growing up of a person, the aging of his parents, changes in the life of the country and fashion trends of the time.

The film was released in 2014 and immediately won many awards, including six Oscar nominations.

3. Coffee and cigarettes

• USA, Japan, Italy, 2003.
• Comedy, drama.
• Duration: 95 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 1.

The famous Jim Jarmusch began filming this picture back in 1986. He decided to collect many short films, where the characters will just sit at the table, drink coffee, smoke and talk.

At first, only a 16-minute film was shot with Roberto Benigni - he just worked for Jarmusch in the film "Outlaw". Stephen Wright was his partner. Three years later, the "Memphis Version" appeared about the twins arguing over which of them was evil. And in 1993 - "Somewhere in California." In this novel, Tom Waits and Iggy Pop discuss how to quit smoking.

The final version of the picture of 11 stories was released only in 2003. All plots are united by several parameters: black and white picture, coffee, cigarettes. And the main thing is the complete absence of any dynamics, the characters just talk.

This structure makes you forget that the film has stretched out for years in production, although it is very unusual to see a young Benigni and then Tom Waits at a more mature age.

4. It's hard to be a god

• Russia, 2014.
• Science fiction, drama.
• Duration: 177 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 7.

Four years after the publication of the book "It's Difficult to Be God," director Alexei German wanted to film the work. In 1968, together with Boris Strugatsky, he wrote the first version of the script. But at the same time, Soviet troops entered Czechoslovakia, and for political reasons, the leadership forbade filming the controversial picture.

They returned to work after the beginning of perestroika. But the producers of Sovinfilm decided not to give the production to Herman, but hired Peter Fleischman from Germany. The Strugatskys could not find a common language with him and therefore left the project. As a result, Fleischmann released his picture in 1989, but many were unhappy with it.

Alexey German decided to continue working on his own version. They began to write a new script already in the nineties. This time the director's wife Svetlana Karmalita was the co-author, and they decided to deviate from the original source.

Filming began in 2000. The main role of Don Rumata - an observer sent to a planet mired in the Middle Ages - was taken by Leonid Yarmolnik. The work continued until 2006. And then they spent a few more years on editing and scoring: the pace dropped dramatically due to health problems of Alexey German. The tape was released only in 2014. Unfortunately, the director could not see her: he had already passed away. The final editing was done by his son Alexey German Jr.

5. The man who killed Don Quixote

• Spain, UK, France, Portugal, 2018.
• Fantasy, comedy, adventure.
• Duration: 132 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 4.

Back in 1989, Terry Gilliam decided to film the novel Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. They even planned to invite Sean Connery to the main role, and Danny de Vito could play Sancho Pansu. But soon after the start of work, the director left the project due to insufficient funding. They tried to find a replacement for the master, but gradually the production was simply curtailed.

In the late nineties, Gilliam returned to the story again, significantly reworking it and adding a fantastic component with time travel, and after a couple of years filming even began. Jean Rochefort was cast for the role of Don Quixote, but he soon injured his back and everything stalled again.

By 2008, there was already talk that they were planning to invite Johnny Depp or Ewan McGregor to the picture, but then the next problems with financing began, production was curtailed.

The final version began only in 2016. Now the main character, played by Adam Driver, comes to shoot a film based on the book of Cervantes and meets there an aged shoemaker, who once played Don Quixote.

Here you can even say that Gilliam partly decided to tell in the plot about his many years of work on the picture. And the saddest thing is that soon after the premiere, the producers deprived the director of the rights to his tape.