I'm pretty late to the party on World War Z, but since I finally saw it over the weekend I felt compelled to talk about it on here. This won't be a traditional review as other films I've seen were, though; this is going to be something a bit different.
Every now and then a major film production hits a snag, and the film's script has to be rewritten either while the film is still being shot or even in post-production. Many films have gone through this process, including Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Devil's Own, The Exorcist prequel, and Superman II. If that sounds like the recipe for disaster, that's because it is; most films find themselves crippled if the scripts are heavily rewritten so deeply into production. The sheer cost of keeping the production staff and cast together long enough to complete the film as originally conceived is crazy. Many times the film in question is doomed if something so drastic happens, with Superman II being one of the few exceptions.
Chalk World War Z up as another exception to the rule. The film by itself is one of the most intense movie experiences I've had in a long time, and I'm still pressed to come up with the last time I was gripping my seat from the first five minutes of a movie. That the film is even halfway decent is extremely impressive, given its troubled (to say the least) production history.
For starters, the film was originally supposed to be released around Christmas last year. The film was delayed by six months for a number of reasons, primarily because at that point, the studio hated the third act of the film. A new writer was hired to rewrite the script and come up with a new ending to the film entirely, while still leaving the door open for a sequel.
Before I get too much into that, it's also worth noting that Brad Pitt and director Marc Forster reportedly hated each other during filming. It supposedly got so bad that they only communicated back and forth via handwritten notes. Part of the source of their mutual dislike was their disagreement over how to adapt the book in the first place; Pitt loved the book's style and how it retold events of the zombie apocalypse after it had already happened, while Forster wanted to tell a linear story and show the origins of the apocalypse itself. (I should mention that I can't confirm how much of these details are accurate. I read all sorts of articles about these issues with varying degrees of detail over how well or little Pitt and Forster got along)
If you've seen the film, then you'll be able to follow what I'm about to discuss. If you haven't, be warned because SPOILERS abound here.
The point where the original ending and the rewritten third act started with Pitt's character Gerry and another soldier escaping Jerusalem after it was overrun by zombies. They board an airliner with the intent of getting to a World Health Organization facility in India in order to find something that will help them develop a cure for whatever disease has turned so much of the planet's population into zombies.
Trouble is, there's a problem on the plane, and by "problem," I mean zombies. The plane crashes, and Gerry and his soldier companion are the only survivors. They make their way to a W.H.O. facility nearby, and have to work with the few doctors on site to come up with a way to protect the remaining healthy humans. It's a very intense game of hide and seek within the hospital, and actually served as a great contrast to the previous crazy action sequence in Jerusalem.
Compare that to this breakdown of the original third act.
Where to start?
I didn't even notice Matthew Fox as the paratrooper who had saved Gerry's family at the beginning of the film. I didn't recall his name listed in the opening credits either. Fox is actually one of my favorite actors right now, and it wasn't until I had read that breakdown that I even knew he was supposed to be in the film at all, much less play a crucial role by the third act.
The more I've read about this original climactic action sequence, the more curious I am to see it. I've seen other alternate endings and deleted scenes from movies on DVDs and Blu Rays I own, but the only two notable films I can think of that were so vastly rewritten and reshot that were made available to own were The Exorcist prequel and Superman II. Ideally, I'd like to see everything that was originally shot edited with the rest of the movie, along with details over stuff that was conceived but not shot. I don't expect much of any that to be included though.
Here's the kicker: The ending used in the final film was, in my opinion, a better choice than the original ending. I thought the climactic sequence in the W.H.O. facility was dark, suspenseful, and the perfect contrast to the loud, crazy action sequences in Jerusalem and on the airplane. Making another huge battle sequence in Russia to follow everything else would have been both exhausting and anti-climactic, not to mention the tagged on plot element of Gerry's family being de facto hostages. There was plenty of set up for a sequel in the finished film, while still providing closure to everything that had happened already. The original ending would have provided closure to nothing, and merely act entirely as set up for a sequel.
On second thought, I think what I'd like to see more than the footage shot for the original ending is a documentary on the entire process. I'm sure that will never happen though, given how it would likely paint the overall production of the film in a negative light. Such a piece would probably highlight the animosity and frustration of the staff, along with showing them butting heads with the studio suits. No film producers would so openly show themselves as combative or confrontational as they would have to be in a behind the scenes documentary like the one I'm imagining. I can picture the producers approaching the director and writing staff on their desire to radically change the tone and pace of the film. That might be painful and awkward to watch.
Regardless, I'm extremely impressed with how World War Z turned out, despite all the headaches that went on behind the scenes. It's definitely one of the few exceptions where such headaches were worth it.
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