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简介

　　T]wo d]%if] ? ferences between thi)+s: A: ustri?`-]!an version+ an`(d t,[(he gener
ally available American %-)version: $/]are -immediately obvious;??: [,$t,hey)? di.^*ffer both in @+t$heir @^+length and in the languag]=$e of t\:[,he!_ $[!intertitles. Th e Ame]r]%i #can version is onl$y 1,883 #metres long
/ - at 18 frames pe(.!@r se[_.=cond  _a (dif^]ference of some ! ;7 minut es to th]+^e Aus]trian version wit-h 2,045 metres.? _#Wh^),ere !*=as we or]?iginall !y. pre:%+su] med o_@#nly a neg?%li-
/gible dif@%?ference, resulting from the v/+arying length of the in_ #te
rtitles, (a di ;rect.- comp$ar.ison has nevert:^heless shown that the^ Austrian version* diff:e=rs [,,)from !the Ameri!ca@!^/n @^version both in the monta](ge and in the dur^ation #:^of individual -:)sce. nes. Yet how could it happen that the l@?ater re?gional dist/ r$`ibution of a canonical US :!@silent film* w`as lo[ n-`ger th.an
!^t) he &qu_otori+;g inal version&q:$:uot?　　The pre
valent Am _eri can ve/@rsion of Blind Husba_[nds d^-oes=/ not corr espo; nd to the version show ,n at the@ premiere of ?
^1$(;.[919. +%This li=t-^tle-kno %-wn fa\ct wa+[s?` alre)a?dy publi+ *sh\
ed by Richard Koszars+\:ki in $ -$1983. The?]? film was re-*:_relea( sed  by:$] ? [Universal Pictur]es% in[
19 )24, in :$a version th at was(_ 1,36+5 ]:feet (4+16 \?;metres) shorter. At 18 frames per second, this amou:_nts to a time %.difference of 20 m+`in)@ utes!#! &quo;tTi^+tles were altered, [$sni]ppets of ac+t(@ion+. removed and at !..least one major scene taken!\[] o;.u t entir!ely, where vo_n Steu ;$ ben and Mar];gar
,^et visit a \.*/small local chapel.&, @qu`ot (Kos,+zarski/!@)　　From the present st!:a#@te of r:_esearch `[we can +ass*ume@ that all )the ; known=; American copies of the film deri$ve fr_om)/ this s(?%hortened @,):r[`]%e-re?
leas
%`%e version:=[, a copy of wh=*\i,
c^=h ( .Uni@ve %r,_:sal\+ don@ated [to the Muse:um _!of M+odern:( Art[ ;^%in 1941. Accordi\]ng to /)(Ko.szarski the original/# nega
tive o[f the film w./%_as] /d^.e stro:`ye _ d s@ometime between =!=1956 _and 1961 and has-` th^@er+.e[#fore been irretrievabl[y - los[ =t. This information ] casts  an interesting light on the A?ustrian v%`ersion, `: whic# #h .?/c] an be d (ated to\=] t/\%he peri#od between ?t,he sum%^:#mer* _$ of $ 1921/] and the win@ ter of- 19*/@22. Fur*!)-ther^mo%re, the c @`opy is some) 20, #]0 m(etres lon/ger than%* the (#^US` ver#$;si o+.n of 19=(24_:. If one foll)`o.%ws th?e details given=**_ %,by ]!Richard Koszarski and Arthur Le%;nnig, this mea$+ns t/#hat, %a!.:s fa*_r as bo[-t h i*:ts date an 
d its length are co= +_ncerned, the= Au;`strian versi)on lie;s almost exactly in`` :@the middl#/e be
twe =en the (lost) version sh=(]own at the pre\mier+*e an d the re-,)re:=leased one.A large part
$ of the ad(ditional `\]length of the ,
film ?;ca_n be traced to cut/.\s that we= ,`re m[ade
to +$ the 1( -924 version: i^n[ almo?st =_ev;/ery!== shot.
( K
@!osz-\arski d- !\escr=;ibes how @the_# beginnin g $!,an
\@d th?!(e end of scenes wer/e t,`ri]mme=^d,: in order to &qu_,ot`)speed u$p&quo t the f,.ilm. However, more e.xciti.ng *wa[$;s t@he \disco_#v*]ery t _h=?(!at t .+h
e Aust  `rian vers\_@%io. n co^`ntains shots that are \missing in the _ American one - shots.;/counters,=\ho+ ts, i\;
]ntertitles - a,*\ nd fu(rt`*hermor%/?e $show(+s differences) in i!ts mont[$age (i.e. the +`%^placing of the i^= ndividual shots ?within ;
a s equence). All this indi%,!cates that Die Rache der Berg?_e constitutes the oldest and :?most compl_ e;#?te@ly prese!;_rved ,$[material[ of ,]*t
;h_ e `film.