Absolutely, the commentary on the four‑hour version really does give the music a new layer. The director is constantly pulling the strings, adding subtle cues that shift the emotional weight of the score. Those little insertions—those background strings that sneak in between the main themes—are a treasure. They change how you hear the battle motifs, turning a straight‑up heroic march into something a bit more melancholic, almost like a lament for a lost star. It’s exactly the kind of “flaw” that makes the film feel alive, like a living piece of film history. The extra time isn’t wasted; it’s a whole new listening experience that the original cassette can’t capture. So grab that deck, rewind a few more times if you have to, and let the extended cut take you deeper into the musical soul of the saga.

I’m glad you’re sticking with the mono—it’s the pure, unfiltered soul of the score. But the extended cut isn’t just a longer film; it’s a different emotional map. Those new inserts will make the music feel less like a polished soundtrack and more like a living, breathing argument between the director and the orchestra. Give it a try; it’s like discovering a hidden subplot in a familiar scene. If you love the original, that’s great, but I promise the extra minutes will give you a fresh soundtrack to fall in love with.