This is a review of a “Fan Edit,” and is intended for people who are familiar with the “original” studio cut(s). I may reveal details of that version, including twists and the ending.
In an era of feeble videogame-based films, and jittery, grainy, and generally unattractive cinematography used as a replacement for talent in attempting to create frights, Silent Hill is an anomaly. It is creepy, clever, engaging, and beautifully filmed. There’s a bit of Arnold Böcklin mixed with H. R. Giger in its look, and no horror movie could ask for more than that.
The story follows Rose and her daughter, Sharon, as they uncover the hidden past and monstrous present of the nightmare that is the town of Silent Hill. Sharon is driven to find what is disturbing her child. At the same time, her husband Christopher fights with the local police to get the answers himself, and bring his family back home. (See my full review of Silent Hill here)
While very effective, there are a few rough spots, and fans generally focus their criticism on three items: the info dump, Christopher’s parallel storyline, and the ending. (Non-fans don’t notice those, and instead complain that it is too complicated, but then there were those who couldn’t figure out Mission Impossible. I ignore both groups.) The info dump, where the entire plot is spelled out to Rose in a faux filmstrip, is a minor problem, and impossible to fix without massive additions. The husband’s journey is a different matter. It is the great flaw in the movie, slowing the pace, decreasing tension, and taking the focus away from where it should be (Rose and Silent Hill). It is also poorly written and irrelevant. Christopher looks for awhile, fails, and is sent home by police officer Gucci (whose mere presence causes problems—the poor makeup used on actor Kim Coates fails to give the illusion that he’s aged between 1974 and 2006). Worse, Christopher actually goes. So what was the point in showing us his adventures? Apparently, the point was that the studio was unhappy with the lack of male characters, so had one added. He’s a quota character. Luckily, he’s only around for approximately eighteen minutes, sprinkled over two hours.
The ending is fitting, and poignant, but is disliked by gamers because it makes it awkward to connect the film to the videogames. So? This isn’t a game, it’s a movie, and should stand on its own. In the games, characters go into another dimension when they enter Silent Hill, and then later, can leave. But the film’s ending makes it clear that Rose and Sharon are dead. OK, it isn’t quite that simple to anyone arguing semantics, since they aren’t dead in the ground being eaten by worms, nor are they dead on their way to Heaven or Hell. Many don’t want to use the word “dead,” including the director. But in the grand old tradition of cinematic ghosts, they’ve tossed off the mortal coil and aren’t coming back (use whatever term you want). Seeing Rose and Sharon in a slightly changed home, unable to touch the living world, gives the film its final kick, but it isn’t a sad ending, per se (except for Christopher, who gave up looking for them, so who cares about him). Rose now has her daughter, forever. And Sharon…well, Sharon isn’t just a little girl, but she has a mother, so she’s content, which should keep her out of trouble.
It looks to me as if there’s quite a bit of room for a fan edit.
Silent Hill: The Spence Edition 
Editor(s): Spence. Runtime: 103 min (-22 min). 2006.
Spence’s cut (I don’t know if Spence is an individual or a group) renewed my interest in fan edits. I’d seen a few previously, mainly of Star Wars films, and was impressed with the work being done. But they can be tricky to find, and I can only watch The Phantom Menace a limited number of times, no matter the version. Then I stumbled upon Silent Hill: The Spence Edition, and this cruel critic’s scowl changed, ever so slightly. You see, at the end of my review, I commented that “I still have hope for a changed version on the DVD,” a version without Christopher chatting to nuns or scuttling away. And here it was.
Spence chops out the entire pointless subplot. Christopher (played by Sean Bean), appears at the beginning, along side his wife and adoptive daughter, and later speaks briefly on the phone to Rose, and then is gone from the picture. Since nothing he did ever effected Rose, or anyone, Spence didn’t need to clean up any problematic story threads. The husband has vanished without even a whisper. Not only does this streamline the movie, but no longer is the ever-growing tension released prematurely. This makes for a more disquieting experience, which as any fan of horror knows, is a good thing. We stay with Rose. We experience events with her, never being distracted by irrelevant details. It’s her story, and by never leaving, it is easier to empathize with her.
Spence has also clipped off the denouement, leaving Rose and Sharon on the road, heading home. The implication is that everything will now return to normal. It is a weaker finish, but not majorly so, and is a cheap price to pay for the loss of Christopher.
While watching, I was so captured by the improved flow that I rarely noticed the cuts, but they are there to be seen (well, heard actually) if you are looking for them. On several occasions, the music switches too abruptly. Obviously, this is a difficult thing for fan editors—who don’t have access to the original audio tracks—to fix. That doesn’t mean it isn’t annoying, just that it is expected. While the visuals transition smoothly most of the time, there is a single frame of Christopher and the policeman in the middle of the movie. It passes so quickly, that it seems to be only a flash of yellow light in a film filled with unexpected events. These are minor flaws (far less troubling than the missing ending), and again, are trivial when compared to the improvements.
The DVD I viewed not only included the main film, but as an extra, had a short constructed from the cut scenes. In this form, the material is welcome. It’s fine to know what Christopher was doing, as long as it doesn’t interfere with the real story.
Silent Hill: The Spence Edition demonstrates the value of fan edits. Here was a good film, with a specific, easy to spot fault, which could not be repaired by the studio. Artistry had nothing to do with the blemish; it was fear that the picture wouldn’t sell unless it was compromised. Spence has trimmed away unneeded, tasteless gristle, with the result being an improved piece of art. Even the often used attack on fan edits, that they damage the filmmaker’s vision, is hollow in this case. (First off, “filmmaker’s vision” is one of the most useless terms currently in the English language. Avoid it.) Silent Hill: The Spence Edition is the original “vision.”
I look forward to seeing other “Spence” editions.