The one scene Brad Pitt fought to keep in a movie: “They said it was the most hated scene”
There’s an image of Brad Pitt that can be a little hard to shake. Though he has regularly been deemed as one of the better actors of his generation and has been consistently working in high-profile movies, taking on esteemed roles and collaborating with the best directors, Pitt can often be thought of as the more simple side of acting.
That’s not to question the actor’s intelligence, but his seemingly consistently laidback attitude has made it appear as if he rarely gives an ounce more of himself to a role than is required. Performers like Robert De Niro and Daniel Day-Lewis are famed for their meticulous attention to the detail of their characters’ inner psyche, with both men famously enveloping themselves in their roles to deliver their best work. However, Pitt has always appeared to be somewhat aloof when it comes to his characters.
Perhaps it is because he has often played a similarly comedic and nonchalant role, with Fight Club and Ocean’s Eleven providing an image of the actor that is slicker than slick and rarely bogged down by the idea of artisanal craft. Maybe it’s more simply that, within interviews, Pitt operates with a jovial guard up, unwilling to too often let it slip so that he can save himself from unwanted column inches. But, the reality is that Pitt is as committed to his work as any other.
He once famously labelled The Assassination of Jesse James his favourite movie he ever made, even though it failed miserably at the box office: “I can turn out the hits over and over, and I just, my favourite movie is the worst-performing film of anything I’ve done, The Assassination of Jesse James.” Picking a movie to which he gave himself so readily is a sign that Pitt really does care. Another is how deeply he fought to save a cut scene from Legends of the Fall.
The 1994 movie was to mark out Pitt as a shining star on the rise as he took on the role of the restless Tristan. The film is a tale of passion and resilience, following a family in Montana as they struggle to cope in a rapidly changing world, underscored by breathtaking landscapes and the inexorable passage of time. Pitt as Tristan is one of the better parts of the movie as he discovers romance and guilt-ridden grief through a career-highlight performance. However, the movie will always hold one regret for the actor: a scene that he could never get into the final edit.
Director Ed Zwick was told to cut Pitt’s favourite scene of the movie: “They said it was the most hated scene. I said, ‘That can’t be. I understand that it’s uncomfortable, but it’s a monumental scene. Can I see these reports?'” It was a bold move for the young actor, but he clearly felt connected to the mystery scene. Once given the reports, Pitt was dismayed to learn that it was merely a devotion to data that would see the scene cut.
“They showed them to me,” he continued. “It was also the second-most-liked scene, and I go, ‘Guys, this is exactly why we’re here. We want to evoke emotion, not favourable opinion, not agreement.'”
It is one of the more unwanted aspects of Hollywood. The continuous reliance on surveying and audience reports to create movies that simply please their intended viewers rather than sticking to what is artistically right for the story is an ongoing problem. Studios are constantly trying to get a return on their investment, and they see a pleasurable cinematic experience as the easiest way to do that, even if it goes against the creative morals of those making the movies.
Sadly, Pitt wouldn’t get his scene back in the movie, and the studios would both cut the scene and make huge returns on their $30million investment, with Legends of the Fall making $160m at the box office. So perhaps they know what they’re talking about.
