Criterion Censors “Racially Insensitive” Dialogue in ‘The French Connection’

[Brian in Mesa]

Criterion Censors “Racially Insensitive” Dialogue in ‘The French Connection’

Criterion Censors “Racially Insensitive” Dialogue in ‘The French Connection’ — World of Reel

A racially offensive passage in William Friedkin's “The French Connection” was nixed from the Criterion Channel’s version of this 1971 classic.

www.worldofreel.com

Yesterday, a commenter on Hollywood Elsewhere, Benjamin, noted that a racially offensive passage in William Friedkin's “The French Connection” (one that contains two ethnic slurs, both spoken by Gene Hackman‘s “Popeye Doyle”) was nixed from the Criterion Channel’s version of this 1971 classic.

What film will be next?

“The French Connection” is a down and dirty gritty film. The character of Doyle isn’t loveable, I’d go as far as to call him an anti-hero. It’s what Friedkin was going for.

This seems so antithetical to Criterion’s stated purpose. They exist to restore and distribute important classics. Criterion serves film and media scholars, cinephiles and public and academic libraries. Their job isn’t to censor dialogue.

 

[Chaplin]

Criterion Censors “Racially Insensitive” Dialogue in ‘The French Connection’

Criterion Censors “Racially Insensitive” Dialogue in ‘The French Connection’ — World of Reel

A racially offensive passage in William Friedkin's “The French Connection” was nixed from the Criterion Channel’s version of this 1971 classic.

www.worldofreel.com

Yesterday, a commenter on Hollywood Elsewhere, Benjamin, noted that a racially offensive passage in William Friedkin's “The French Connection” (one that contains two ethnic slurs, both spoken by Gene Hackman‘s “Popeye Doyle”) was nixed from the Criterion Channel’s version of this 1971 classic.

What film will be next?

“The French Connection” is a down and dirty gritty film. The character of Doyle isn’t loveable, I’d go as far as to call him an anti-hero. It’s what Friedkin was going for.

This seems so antithetical to Criterion’s stated purpose. They exist to restore and distribute important classics. Criterion serves film and media scholars, cinephiles and public and academic libraries. Their job isn’t to censor dialogue.

I disagree with censorship, but it is a tv channel and television has edited movies for air for decades. Shawshank was a staple on TNT for years—how much editing do you think they did in that movie?? A hell of a lot more than Criterion did for French Connection that’s for sure.

As long as you can get the uncensored version other ways, then whatever.

 

[puckhead]

I disagree with censorship, but it is a tv channel and television has edited movies for air for decades. ...

Wait, that airing of Porky's on TBS wasn't exactly what the director intended? Now I'm wondering if I may have missed something.

 

[puckhead]

We need a thread on "Worst TV Edits of Movie Lines."

I think The Breakfast Club could take up four pages! "No, dad, what about you? Forget you!"

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Criterion Censors “Racially Insensitive” Dialogue in ‘The French Connection’​

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Criterion Censors “Racially Insensitive” Dialogue in ‘The French Connection’ — World of Reel

A racially offensive passage in William Friedkin's “The French Connection” was nixed from the Criterion Channel’s version of this 1971 classic.

www.worldofreel.com

Yesterday, a commenter on Hollywood Elsewhere, Benjamin, noted that a racially offensive passage in William Friedkin's “The French Connection” (one that contains two ethnic slurs, both spoken by Gene Hackman‘s “Popeye Doyle”) was nixed from the Criterion Channel’s version of this 1971 classic.

What film will be next?

“The French Connection” is a down and dirty gritty film. The character of Doyle isn’t loveable, I’d go as far as to call him an anti-hero. It’s what Friedkin was going for.

This seems so antithetical to Criterion’s stated purpose. They exist to restore and distribute important classics. Criterion serves film and media scholars, cinephiles and public and academic libraries. Their job isn’t to censor dialogue.

Completely agree.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

We need a thread on "Worst TV Edits of Movie Lines."

I think The Breakfast Club could take up four pages! "No, dad, what about you? Forget you!"

Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?!!

 

[Cheesebeef]

Best for me is “Yippee Ka-Yay Mr. Falcon!” in Die Hard redubs.

 

[Stout]

The Last Boyscout was incomprehensible on TV lol

 

[Devilmaycare]

Editing for TV I get due to the FCC rules for broadcasters but this is for streaming. I don't agree with editing old works at all for it or for disc.

 

[Chaplin]

Please remember, Criterion isn't the producer of the movie, they get what they get from the Distributor. My guess here, as a long-time fan of Criterion, they got whatever the distributor gave them. They aren't editing movies they get themselves.

Some providers definitely do S&P (we do here at Hallmark a lot), but others don't.

A good way to find out for sure is to just look at another movie on their service with objectionable material. They have a bunch, so don't you think it's odd that The French Connection was edited by Criterion and the others weren't? Pretty sure the rage is directed at the wrong place.

 

[Devilmaycare]

Please remember, Criterion isn't the producer of the movie, they get what they get from the Distributor. My guess here, as a long-time fan of Criterion, they got whatever the distributor gave them. They aren't editing movies they get themselves.

Some providers definitely do S&P (we do here at Hallmark a lot), but others don't.

A good way to find out for sure is to just look at another movie on their service with objectionable material. They have a bunch, so don't you think it's odd that The French Connection was edited by Criterion and the others weren't? Pretty sure the rage is directed at the wrong place.

I've always been a big Criterion fan too. I'm guessing Brazil wouldn't be a favorite of mine if Criterion never did the DVD of it.

My main concern is that this is a new policy and that they're going to be doing it more going forward. If it's just them getting a bum copy from the distributer than that's good news.

But on the "they don't edit themselves" comment, is that accurate? Genuine question here. I thought they did the restoration on the old films and that seems like it would lend itself to doing edits if needed. I always assumed that was the case and that there was at least micro edits if they had to stitch the reels together.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

One of the more interesting things about this is that Ryan Reynolds specifically did this for Deadpool 2 and it didn't change the gist of the movie. He took a Rated R movie and made it PG. Was it less funny? Yes but overall it's the same movie.

I don't really care about this

 

[Chaplin]

I've always been a big Criterion fan too. I'm guessing Brazil wouldn't be a favorite of mine if Criterion never did the DVD of it.

My main concern is that this is a new policy and that they're going to be doing it more going forward. If it's just them getting a bum copy from the distributer than that's good news.

But on the "they don't edit themselves" comment, is that accurate? Genuine question here. I thought they did the restoration on the old films and that seems like it would lend itself to doing edits if needed. I always assumed that was the case and that there was at least micro edits if they had to stitch the reels together.

As someone that knows Criterion, I’m surprised you’re asking that question. To my knowledge, CC never cuts movies unless they have direct involvement from the director or something.

 

[Phrazbit]

I still hear "Money for nothing" with no edit on the radio sometimes and it blows my mind.