The Dark Knight - uncut/uncensored versions?

[Punchinello]

Last I heard, that the Australian edition of the DVD set is to be rated MA15+, which is a rating higher than America's version of the DVD, PG-13. Is this still going ahead, or what? Is there actually going to be a 'uncut' version and a 'normal/cut' version?

 

[Seditionary]

Different country's probably have different rating systems.

 

[SuperestHero]

Yeah but it wasn't rated that when it came out at the cinemas.
MA15+ is a restricted rating.
It was prolly re-rated for DVD release.

 

[ChAnOoD]

Yeah but it wasn't rated that when it came out at the cinemas.
MA15+ is a restricted rating.
It was prolly re-rated for DVD release.

When I went to the cinema to watch "V for Vendetta" here in Spain, the movie was NR-18 (not recomended for people under 18). In the DVD case, it´s NR-13 so I think those things happens...

 

[CapedCrusader14]

The DVD is going to be M15+. Not MA15+.

 

[Punchinello]

Yeah but it wasn't rated that when it came out at the cinemas.
MA15+ is a restricted rating.
It was prolly re-rated for DVD release.

I know, which is why I asked the question, because it'd be awesome if the DVD we're getting will be the 'full', uncensored version =D Not exactly a Director's Cut, since Nolan doesn't approve of them, but you know. Anything is better than a edited PG version.

 

[Punchinello]

Different country's probably have different rating systems.

They do =) America's PG-13 is mild, and lower than our MA15+. America's R would be our MA15+, whilst our R (vice-versa) wouldn't exist mostly since there's nothing higher than R.

It looks like nobody really knows the answer to my question yet, however. I'm just getting told what everyone should already be aware of: different ratings mean different things, DVDs are different to theatrical releases, etc.

 

[Seditionary]

Its sorta nolan's style to use everything he films in his theatrical cut...the theatrical cut is his directors cut. I wouldn't expect anything more than what you've already seen.

 

[DDS]

Its sorta nolan's style to use everything he films in his theatrical cut...the theatrical cut is his directors cut. I wouldn't expect anything more than what you've already seen.

Yup.

You already saw the "uncensored" version in theaters.

 

[tommyblah]

Yup.

You already saw the "uncensored" version in theaters.

i wouldn't call that "uncensored"...there is a part where joker is coming toward batman on the street and he clearly says the f-word, but his voice drops out, like it would on a tv cut. there is also the part where the joker says 'why so serious' and cuts that guy's mouth...very obvious cutaway and suppression of the cutting sound effect.

i've seen enough censored cuts as opposed to director's preferred cuts to know this was last minute stuff to satisfy the MPAA...they had to make it PG-13 to attract the typical batman audience, and the movie was overall too intense and dark...something had to go. i want an edition with those parts restored. as adults, we should get the choice.

 

[sty]

i wouldn't call that "uncensored"...there is a part where joker is coming toward batman on the street and he clearly says the f-word, but his voice drops out, like it would on a tv cut. there is also the part where the joker says 'why so serious' and cuts that guy's mouth...very obvious cutaway and suppression of the cutting sound effect.

i've seen enough censored cuts as opposed to director's preferred cuts to know this was last minute stuff to satisfy the MPAA...they had to make it PG-13 to attract the typical batman audience, and the movie was overall too intense and dark...something had to go. i want an edition with those parts restored. as adults, we should get the choice.

Ha! I'm glad I'm not the only one bothered by that. It's also funny how little damage bullets can do in Gotham: people just go down without any torn clothing or blood.

Man, an R-rated Dark Knight would have been fantastic. Also, I want one of the ferries to blow up. Don't care who does it, but it needs to happen.

 

[Ryan]

I thought one of the best moments that DIDN'T make the film was when Batman was laying in the street, the limping Joker (back to the camera) walks forward and ejects his knife blade. I always thought that great moment was censored to tone down the violence aspect of the film.

 

[Bathead]

Ha! I'm glad I'm not the only one bothered by that. It's also funny how little damage bullets can do in Gotham: people just go down without any torn clothing or blood.

Man, an R-rated Dark Knight would have been fantastic. Also, I want one of the ferries to blow up. Don't care who does it, but it needs to happen.

I really don't buy the idea that an "R" rating would have automatically made this, (or any other movie) any better.

 

[sty]

I really don't buy the idea that an "R" rating would have automatically made this, (or any other movie) any better.

Certainly there is no correlation to speak of. However, in this particular case, I think the film would have benefited from not self-censoring itself so as to appease parents of teenagers.

Even with the vast amounts of destruction in Dark Knight, there is more actual violence in a movie like Naked or Gangster No. 1, and it detracts from the purported realism.

 

[tomstoyz2]

Yeah, an R Rated Batman movie would be pretty cool...but economically would never happen. Hollywood depends on the money of kids too much.

 

[Brother Jack]

I really don't buy the idea that an "R" rating would have automatically made this, (or any other movie) any better.

I agree. Just look at The Animated Series.

 

[kmrbeckman]

Last I heard, that the Australian edition of the DVD set is to be rated MA15+, which is a rating higher than America's version of the DVD, PG-13. Is this still going ahead, or what? Is there actually going to be a 'uncut' version and a 'normal/cut' version?

If you remember correctly, Australia is a big wussy country that got all bent out of shape when Fallout 3 was coming out for Xbox 360, PC and PS3; they threatened to slap it with an adult rating (higher than mature rating by the ESRB) for the use of "actual drug names and accessories" in the video game. It just goes to show you that some countries are just too sensitive and feel that the masses need to be protected. I will get off my soapbox now but let me tell you this: all this censorship and protection is only going to lead to the "kid in a candy shop" syndrome: when the blindfold comes off - people will react with reckless abandon. Same reason why they won't lower the drinking age in US.

 

[Mace Dolex]

Don't know if this counts but watching The Dark Knight on HBO and noticed that while the entire movie is in full screen all the scenes shot in IMAX are inserted.

Was comparing it to my DVD and noticed there was more from top to bottom on HBO.

 

[SuperFerret]

i wouldn't call that "uncensored"...there is a part where joker is coming toward batman on the street and he clearly says the f-word, but his voice drops out, like it would on a tv cut. there is also the part where the joker says 'why so serious' and cuts that guy's mouth...very obvious cutaway and suppression of the cutting sound effect.

i've seen enough censored cuts as opposed to director's preferred cuts to know this was last minute stuff to satisfy the MPAA...they had to make it PG-13 to attract the typical batman audience, and the movie was overall too intense and dark...something had to go. i want an edition with those parts restored. as adults, we should get the choice.

Ha! I'm glad I'm not the only one bothered by that. It's also funny how little damage bullets can do in Gotham: people just go down without any torn clothing or blood.

Man, an R-rated Dark Knight would have been fantastic. Also, I want one of the ferries to blow up. Don't care who does it, but it needs to happen.

Some people have no imagination.

 

[tommyblah]

Some people have no imagination.

i'm all for using my imagination when it's the director's intention. many movies do cutaway shots for effect & it works. this, on the other hand, is a case where i feel like i'm watching something on network television. it's cut as an afterthought and doesn't look like it was done by the original editor. ...just my opinion. it doesn't flow.

i don't see it being a big deal to make an 'unrated' version...it doesn't have to be 'R'. lots of PG-13 movies are released on BD & DVD as only unrated editions...and many of them don't have anything that would justify being anything more than PG-13. ...because 'unrated' is a popular marketing ploy...nobody would have had a problem with this movie saying 'unrated' on the cover.

we need an ultimate edition. a BD where you can choose between the IMAX or the straight 2.40:1, rated or unrated. blu ray can do the seemless branching so it wouldn't need to take up that much extra space to enable these options.

 

[SuperFerret]

And yet, all I'm reading is "I wanna see da blood!" Which would go a long way in making the movie a lot more laughable.

 

[mikey1974]

to be fair,there was one whole scene cut from the film...

after the Joker drops Rachel out the window,and her and Bats fall,the Joker gets into the backseat of a car driven by one of his thugs...he sees that Bats saved Rachel,and figures out he has a thing for her...giving him his idea for later...

not a huge scene,per se,and i'm honestly not sure if the Joker had any dialogue,but it was filmed,so it's possible there's more cut footage out there...

 

[Brother Jack]

Well that scene was probably only seconds long. The only cuts that were made were mostly unimportant stuff that was cut for time.

 

[spidermilk]

to be fair,there was one whole scene cut from the film...

after the Joker drops Rachel out the window,and her and Bats fall,the Joker gets into the backseat of a car driven by one of his thugs...he sees that Bats saved Rachel,and figures out he has a thing for her...giving him his idea for later...

not a huge scene,per se,and i'm honestly not sure if the Joker had any dialogue,but it was filmed,so it's possible there's more cut footage out there...

any confirmation on this?

makes sense as to why it was scrapped though, Unless joker flew down there with batman there's no logical way he could be ready to leave in such time.

 

[MasterOgami]

The deleted scene, as scripted anyway:

INT. CAR --CONTINUOUS

The Joker looks back as his car SPEEDS away. He's breathing hard, EXHILARATED. He touches the blood running down his sweaty white makeup. SMACKS the back of the driver's seat -

DRIVER
What do we do about Dent?

THE JOKER
I'm a man of my word.


That's it. Then it goes back to Bruce and Rachel on top of the taxi. It does have Joker and his thugs making their getaway a bit to soon, but if they'd moved the getaway to -after- Bruce and Rachel's exchange on the taxi it would've served as a bit of (needed IMO) closure for the sequence. In the whole picture its the only editing decision I have trouble with.

And tommyblah. Say whaaat? Can I get a timestamp for that alleged Joker "F" utterance? I can't imagine Nolan would've even halfway thought he could get away with anything like that and have never noticed it.