I guess we’ll see soon enough what cuts, if any, Lars von Trier’s controversial Antichrist will endure upon its US release. In the meantime, however, it warmed my heart to learn that British censors are allowing UK distributor Artificial Eye to release the movie as-is with an “18” certificate.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, BBFC director David Cooke says that the censor’s lack of intervention on the movie “reflects the principle, strongly endorsed in a number of public consultations, that adults should be free to decide for themselves what to watch or what not to watch, provided it is neither illegal nor harmful.” Oh, my! What a rational concept! We Yanks could certainly use a bit of it on our shores.
The trade’s article continues to explain that BBFC Guidelines for “18” rated works state that the more explicit images of sexual activity will not be allowed unless they can be exceptionally justified by context and the work is not a “sex work” whose primary purpose is sexual arousal. Said the BBFC: “For these purposes Antichrist is very clearly not a ‘sex work.’”
Lord only knows what the MPAA will think about that interpretation of von Trier’s vision.