Film Cuts A: Aa

• 2001 cinema release

US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated for:

• 2011 Criterion RA Blu-ray via UK Amazon and at US Amazon
• 2004 Criterion R1 DVD via UK Amazon and at US Amazon

• 2002 Tartan R2 DVD

The BBFC noted:

• Cut required to scene of sexual assault on young girl to address the specific danger that video enables the scene to be used to stimulate and validate abusive action.

Further details were supplied after an email query to the BBFC:

The cinema version was passed '18' uncut following expert legal advice. Nevertheless the Board was concerned by the film's climactic scene, which shows an under-aged girl - played by a 13 year old actress - being raped. Our legal advice confirmed that the scene was not indecent within the meaning of the Protection of Children Act 1978 and the Board therefore agreed to pass the scene intact.

The Board also took the opinion of a leading consultant clinical psychologist at the time of the original cinema submission. He expressed a concern that, in his clinical experience, the rape sequence could potentially be used by paedophiles to 'groom' their victims. The Board was satisfied, however, that this concern about potential abuse was minimal in the context of an adult cinema release where the possibility of children being taken to the cinema for grooming was remote.

Videos, by contrast, are more easily accessible for personal use by abusive individuals and the risk of the video's use for grooming was felt to be far higher. Furthermore, the potential for the scene to be played repeatedly and out of context on video concerned the Board far more so than on film. It was felt therefore that, on video, the scene presented a particular problem as both stimulus material and to validate abusive behaviour. The Board's concerns were confirmed by a further opinion from a second consultant psychologist specifically in relation to the video release, which echoed the opinion of her colleague. The scene was therefore removed in its entirety on video.