From Russia with Love - censorship

[grim_tales]

Thought this was quite interesting - found an article on DVD Talk and I wasn't sure where to put it.
MLAM could you do a comparison of From Russia With Love (R2 SE) v R2 UE?

It seems FRWL still contains the same cuts its always had, in the UE, except for one shot of Tania walking naked towards a bed.

Quite a lot of stuff was changed - according to:

http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s2065russjump2.html

1) - References to "lovers" and "physical enjoyment" have been cut. There's no indication of exactly where these references appear.
2) - The dance in the Gypsy Camp has been shortened to remove wriggling and shots of the women bending over backwards, as a small amount of pubic hair is on show.
3) - The fight that follows between the Gypsies and the Bulgars has been considerably reduced.
4) - Tania walking nude towards the Bridal Suite bed was cut for the cinema release, but reinstated into video and DVD editions. In all editions I've seen, the actress or her double is actually wearing a body stocking and is veiled by some curtains.
5) - Bonds reference to searching Tania is missing, and the kissing is reduced.
6) - Tania's remark, "I hope I came up to expectations" is cut.
7) - The scene of the two of them in bed has been darkened and shortened.
8 ) - The use of "Was I" in "Was I as exciting as all those Western girls?" has been changed to "Am I?" The past tense implies that the couple have had sex, while the present tense implies that Bond just finds her attractive.
9) - Bond's line "two hours should straighten this out" as he lowers the blind on the Orient Express is cut.
10) - Killer Red Grant (Robert Shaw) gets the drop on Bond in his compartment on the Orient Express. Grant's remark "What a performance!" when he throws the compromising 8mm film reel at Bond is removed.
11) - The subsequent Bond-Grant fight is shorter than it was originally.
12) - When Bond shoots SMERSH assassin Rosa Kleb (Lotte Lenya) in the Venice hotel room, shots of her dying have been trimmed and removed, and her death cries have been muted on the soundtrack.
13) - Bond's repeat of Red Grant's quip, "What a performance!" as he examines the film reel in the Gondola, has been cut.

I wasn't aware that much was missing!

[Killer Meteor]

Quite a few films were massacred by the BBFC before they ever saw the light of a cinema. The Curse Of The Werewolf was a similar case but fortunatly the US print retained the cut footage.

In those days, it was common for several censoring stages, similar to how the MPAA works. The BBFC would censor the script - and usually return it with patronising comments as to its quality - a black and white print and then a colour print. The Curse Of Frankenstein is shown on DVD in its final censored form but a print used to do the rounds on BBC1 that was an uncensored colour print - ie one having the cuts inflicted on the black and white print but containing footage removed before the final censorship

[Markgway]

Most, if not all, of the Hammer films from Universal are now uncut on their Franchise Coll.

Re. From Russia With Love. It was the most cut 007 movie until Licence to Kill. Lots of silly cuts that wouldn't cause anyone to blink an eye now. Shame we'll never see the film uncut. That last cut is particularly awful.

[chenlung]

Hopefully the US edition will restore it.

Where are these scenes uncut?

[Markgway]

There's NO uncut version of From Russia With Love and likely never will be. It has never been released anywhere on a home video fromat. I can't speak for theatrical releases.

[bradavon]

I don't see a review or comparison, moving

[MLAM]

Well I watched my copy of the Ultimate Edition "From Russia With Love" and its the same print as per SE, the last cut at the end isn't THAT obvious if you haven't seen it before as the jump in the music is in a quieter part.

Great film and I love the Matt Munro song.

[Markgway]

I noticed that cut when I was a kid, MLAM. It is that obvious, sorry.