I just watched an uncut version, except for the commercials and screen size, version of Saving Private Ryan on ABC. They didn’t cut any scenes. It had all the nasty death scenes including people being shot, blown up and otherwise killed in nasty ways. Also all the foul language, including Fuck, were left in the movie.
This is the first time, at least that I can remember, that an R rated flick was shown on one of the big three networks without being cut. It also came on in prime time in my area. (8 p.m. P.S.T.)
I love the movie so it made me happy to watch it again. At the same time I am really suprised that ABC, which is owned by Disney, showed the movie uncut. Some of the scenes shouldn’t be seen by kids. The one that sticks in my mind is the scene when they get to the beachhead on Omaha and a soldier gets a hit on his helmut. He takes it off to look, someone tells him he is a lucky bastard and then he gets hit in the forehead with another round and you see blood spray from the back of his skull.
Anyway, is ABC going to start a trend with this? Are othe R rated flicks going to be shown on the big three during prime time? And should they be shown?
I don’t think so because I would have made it a point to see that movie. I didn’t see it in a theater but I really want to watch it. But I could be wrong. That is why I asked.
It was an NBC Sunday movie back in 1999. I remember some politican from Oklahoma bitching and moaning because NBC had the gall to show nudity during prime time.
I doubt it, sleestak. It is Veteran’s Day weekend, after all. And we’re not talking about gratuitious violence and language like a Steven Segal movie, we’re talking about an Oscar winning film (as was Schindler’s List) with an important message.
CBS showed the French film brothers’ documentary on 9/11, with no editing for language. I think it depends on the context.
ABC covered its ass by giving disclaimers before the movie and after commercial breaks. It also listed the TV rating as TV-MA (Mature Audiences) for language and violence.
It’s nice to see that the networks are willing to show movies like Shindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan uncut. They’re movies with a very important message that should be seen and discussed.
In any case, there is a lot of news footage that is a LOT more violent than any movie footage. During Vietnam, network television showed images that make movie violence seem tame in comparison. I also remember seeing images of the Chicago Riots (much later; I’m not that old) and the L.A. riots in the '90s. A movie isn’t really going to make much of a difference in light of the real-life events that are shown on network television.
That said, I don’t think any network is going to show, say, American Pie uncut. I think this is reserved for special movies that need to be shown uncut.
I hope this is a trend. I never watch films on network TV because of the censorship (and high level of commercials, especially as you approach the end). I’d prefer to see a “watershed” time like in the UK. In the UK, you know that after 9:00 PM, shows can contain nudity, violence and bad language. Parents can act accordingly.
The self-censorship by the American TV companies imposes some people’s morality on all of us, instead of allowing us to exercise our own judgment. If someone doesn’t want to see an R movie, or doesn’t want their kids to see it, guess what - you can change the channel.
amarone, it’s all about money. Nudity, language and violence don’t play well with advertisers, and it’s these advertising dollars that support television in the first place. Advertisers are afraid of controversy, because angry people don’t buy their products.
I agree with you that it’s an imposition of morality and I would love to see more adult-oriented programming that included language, but until that happy day comes, we’re stuck with what we’ve got.
Steven Spielberg has enough clout that he can insert into his contracts provisions that forbid any tampering with the films without his permission.
That being said, the networks are not exactly opening the floodgates. In a recent network showing of the PG-rated James Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever (1971), the tan-colored bra and panties on Lana Wood were digitally darkened into black just to make sure you wouldn’t think she was nekkid.
The Deer Hunter was shown on network primetime television in the mid 80’s, uncut and with only two commercial breaks. I remember the same questions being asked at the time.
I was a bit shocked to find it on television. I never saw a disclaimer (or any promo spots) so I was pretty suprised to just surf by during the landing sequence and see some guy looking for and finding his recently detached arm.
Of course I have always that SPR should have been NC-17 and not R for the theatrical release but violence, expecially historical violence, gets a much easier time than sex. I guess they think it is educational.
Someone aired it earlier than that. I graduated high school in 97, and it aired that year. There were a few intermissions, and it was sponsored by Ford. Stupid shit to remember, yes, but hey, gotta use my brain for something.
May not be the best place to respond to this, but personally, I don’t see self-censorship of television programs by the studios to be some big huge human injustice. They’re not forcing their views of morality on anyone, they’re expressing their own and complying to what they perceive to be the morals of their audience. Most families don’t want their 6 year old children watching movies full of horrific violence and foul language at 4:00 in the afternoon on Satrudays, so the stations edit it out (or at least, most of it…you can’t cut all violence out of an action flick). People don’t have time to monitor their children’s television viewing 24-7, so it’s a comfort to a lot of people that these self-censors are set in. As for the “change the channel” line, if you really feel having the violence, sex, and foul language cut out of a movie ruins it…go out and rent the fucking movie.