Thursday, January 27, 2011

Hollywood consider censoring The King's Speech

Hollywood considering censoring The King's Speech
Hollywood is considering re-editing "The King's Speech," the British film nominated for 12 Oscars, in order to remove coarse language for US audiences.
(link via telegraph.co.uk)

I've seen The King's Speech and yes, there is some "coarse" language in the film but it is an important part of the storyline about the stammering Duke of York (who eventually becomes King George VI) when he is treated by the unconventional speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). The expletives are uttered by Prince Albert, the Duke of York (Colin Firth) to show how he doesn't stammer when he swears.

Apparently, the reason the film might be re-edited for US audiences is so that the rating can be changed. In the USA, The King's Speech was given an 'R' rating (Restricted) because of the swearing. The restricted rating means anyone under 17 has to be accompanied by an adult to see it. This means the audience numbers aren't as high as they could be if the rating was less restricted. By contrast, The King's Speech is rated 12A‎‎ in UK cinemas.


I think if the expetives are removed, it would take away a vital part of the story and also would remove one of the funniest scenes from the film!

What do you think? Have you seen The King's Speech? Were you offended by the swearing? If you haven't seen the film yet, are you bothered by the fact that it contains swearing? Do you think the film should be censored in the USA?

Related link from my blog:
The King's Speech - movie review

2 comments:

  1. Pointless, but all too typical! Flighty xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, typical because it's really all about making more money.

    ReplyDelete

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