Movies from Sweden that were cut or banned in Australia.
Pre-November 1971 decisions are here.
As the Naked Wind from the Sea
Directed by Gunnar Höglund / 1968 / Sweden – West Germany / IMDb
In August 1970, a 9447-feet (104:58) print of AS THE NAKED WIND FROM THE SEA was banned because of ‘indecency’.
At the time, the highest classification was SOA (Suitable only for Adults). This was broadly equivalent to an M-rating.
Too explicit for an R-rating
Liberalisation of the Australian censorship system took place in November 1971. This resulted in a resubmission of the 9447-feet (104:58) dubbed version.
AS THE NAKED WIND FROM THE SEA passed with an R-rating in May 1972 after 64-feet (00:42) of ‘indecency’ was censored.
Blake Films were the applicant.
Why was it censored?
Matt reports.
Klubb Super 8 Video (se) – 2007 DVD as …SOM HAVETS NAKNA VIND – 100:41 (PAL).
There is numerous very mild softcore sex and brief glimpses of full-frontal male and female nudity. Most of this involves Leander (Hans Gustafsson) bedding various women. It is unlikely that any of this was strong enough to be part of the 0042 cuts.
Three scenes may have been the issue.
36:00 – Gärda (Anne Kulle) is assaulted by the mentally-retarded Adolf (Charlie Elvegård) with the help of his mother and sister Agnes (Ann Andersson). Bizarrely, the scene plays as a comedy and ends with Gärda laughing uncontrollably.
72:00 – The Pastor climbs climbs on top of Lola (Barbro Hedström) and tears at her clothing. She briefly imagines it is her father and says ‘Papa’.
91:00 – Leander and Mejt (Lillemor Ohlsson), his half-sister, have sex. A very tame scene and that mainly consists of them kissing.
The movie is based on Gustav Sandgren’s 1965 novel of the same name. According to the Swedish Film Database, this adaptation was passed by their censor in November 1968. The print ran 2825-meters (102:58). In America it was retitled ONE SWEDISH SUMMER.
Anybody’s
Directed by Arne Mattsson / 1970 / Sweden – Yugoslavia / IMDb
In December 1972, a 2560.32-meter (93:20) print of ANYBODY’S was banned because of ‘indecency’. This running time is considerably shorter than the Swedish release.
This decision was upheld by the Film Board of Review later in the month.
A 2563.90-meters (93:27) version passed with an R-rating in March 1974.
In all cases, Blake Films was the applicant.
Worldwide versions compared
Matt reports.
According to the Swedish Film Database ANN OCH EVE – DE EROTISKA was passed by their censor in May 1970. The print ran 3005-meters (109:32), 15-minutes longer than the Australian version.
A cut 94:00 version, also titled ANYBODY’S, was passed by the British Board of Film Censorship with an X-rating in July 1970.
The 2008 Danish DVD from Another World Entertainment has a running time of 105-minutes (PAL). When converted, this appears to be the uncut version. However, reviews mention the application of optical fogging to censor much of the sex, including the lesbian bedroom scene.
Something Weird Video issued it under the American theatrical title of ANNE AND EVE. This version does not have the fogging but is in worse shape than the DVD and reportedly has the last two reels out of order.
Thriller: A Cruel Picture
aka Thriller (Theatrical title)
Directed by Bo Arne Vibenius / 1973 / Sweden / IMDb
In November 1976, a 2523.00-meter (91:58) print of THRILLER: A CRUEL PICTURE was censored by 12.3 meters (00:27) for an R-rating.
The cuts were made to remove ‘excessive violence’.
It was submitted and released theatrically by Filmways under the title THRILLER.
DVDs seized by customs
In September 2004, THRILLER: A CRUEL PICTURE was released on DVD for the first time. Synapse Films, an American label, issued it in a ‘Vengeance Edition’ and a ‘Limited Edition’ that included hardcore inserts.
There are three confirmed customs confiscations, presumably of the ‘Limited Edition’, and rumours of several more.
September 2004
– Seizure Notice
DVD entitled THRILLER depicting SEXUALIZED VIOLENCE.
…subject to Regulation 4A(1A)(a) of the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956.
– Australian Customs Service
Vico reports.
In September 2004, a member of the dvdmaniacs.net forum reported they had just lost a copy of a Synapse DVD. Customs told them that the eyeball scene and a few minor bullet hits were the main determining factor. They were also informed that the majority of packages sent by Xploited Cinema, an American DVD mail-order site, ended up being seized.
A follow-up call to the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) confirmed that THRILLER was R-rated in Australia but only if the eyeball scene and a few bullet hits were removed. Presumably, the OFLC was referring to shots they censored back in 1976. However, surely it would be the sexual violence, which now included hardcore inserts, that would prevent it from being R-rated in 2004.
At the time, Xploited Cinema included this warning for the film on their website.
2004
– xploitedcinema.com [dead link]
Important note to Australian customers.
We have had some of these DVDs confiscated by customs.
Some have made it through but some have been stopped.
Order at your own risk!
Worldwide versions compared
In New Zealand, an 89:00 version was submitted for classification by MGM Fox Film Distributors. It was Refused Classification by the Chief Censor of Films in July 1974.
Movie-Censorship has three comparisons that explain the differences between the various versions.
No. 1 – Synapse Films ‘Vengeance Edition’ vs ‘Limited Edition’.
No. 2 – Synapse Films ‘Limited Edition’ vs Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray.
No. 3 – Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray vs. THEY CALL HER ONE EYE theatrical cut.
Vinegar Syndrome’s uncut Blu-ray runs 108:14, over 16-minutes longer than the original 91:58 submission from Filmways. Their 90:03 THEY CALL HER ONE EYE version is presumably closer to what we saw in Australia.