Digger tanked at the box office, but what if it didn’t have to?

I have had some spirited conversations about the marketing of the film vs the acceptance of what the intent of the film for the audience. I carry a somewhat controversial opinion that the film wasn’t finished/delivered correctly for audiences to see the messaging. To prove it, I did a very fast color grade on the trailer for Digger that better suits the Vision3 film stock. Then I stacked the original with my take as a color blind filmmaker with limitations around some of my color processing centers to make the image more accessible. My version on top, theatrical trailer below.

Why did I do this? Because my eye gets totally lost in the desaturated frame and the comedy is lost along with it.

Details that are color based rather than just exposure based are all processed by different neurological pathways. There is a significant differentiation between detail perceived by the parvocellular (fine detail / red – green), koniocellular (yellow – blue / eye reflex / backups), and magnocellular (contrast / motion / depth) pathways in the brain.

This is very important to me as a color blind as well as partially blind filmmaker who has learned some neurology following brain surgery. Without activation of individual pathways, the brain struggles to comprehend the specifics of the imagery.

Perhaps Iñárritu’s mind works in a way that this looks absolutely perfect. He is a genius. And Chivo is one of my favorite cinematographers. I believe most audiences were totally lost in the sauce. That begets the everlong question of the intent of the artist vs the exhibition of the art in conveying the intent. 

I stacked the videos so you can easily pause and compare what was to what could be. Details to look out for:

1) Being able to differentiate every character in every scene

2) Recognizing individual background actors and set dec as more than just a blur of motion

3) A more compressed dynamic range where light and shadow are differentiated

4) You can make out important contextual details like John Goodman’s tie being red, colors in the murals, Lady Justice’s sword and scales being gold, etc.

You be the judge. Free LUT and PowerGrade downloadable below.

I do have to raise the $173M question – did the studio change the theatrical cut?

Here is a frame from the studio cut of Payback

And this is Brian Helgeland’s Director’s Cut

If there was something like this going on, it would be extremely difficult for anyone who worked on the film to speak on it (IYKYK) so we will be left to wonder.

Notes: I personally believe the movie should get a wide re-release with the color updated. There is historical precedent for this happening including Cats and Solo.