Slap the Monster on Page One is a 1972 Italy/France mystery thriller by Marco Bellocchio
Starring Gian Maria Volontè, Fabio Garriba and Carla Tatò
BBFC cuts were required for a 15 rated Blu-ray release in 2024. The BBFC cited child protection issues.
UK: BBFC 15 rated for strong bloody violence, language, threat, injury detail after BBFC cuts:
The BBFC commented: This film required a compulsory cut to a potentially indecent image of a child. Cuts were made in accordance with BBFC Guidelines, policy, and the Protection of Children Act 1978.
Thanks to Mike who reports on a discussion from another forum:
At one point in the film an investigative journalist goes to the house of the chief murder suspect and takes a look inside his closet. He sees a range of pictures of children and religious iconography of cherubs. These
images are all perfectly innocent, but there is another composite image of a nude adult woman in a sexualised pose with the head of the underaged murder victim stuck on top of it. As I understand it, this would be considered a
pseudo-photograph under UK law, and indecent since it gives the impression of being an image of a child. If so, then I'm fairly sure it's the first indecent pseudo-photograph that the BBFC have ever cut..
Promotional Material
Days before a general election a young girl is raped and murdered. Bizanti (Gian Maria Volonté, The Working Class Goes to Heaven), the editor of a right-wing newspaper uses the story to help the conservative
candidate his paper supports. The tumultuous time of Italy's 'Years of Lead' are captured in Marco Bellocchio's powerful political drama which directly addressed topics of its day and even prefigured the creation of the right-wing paper Il giornale,
which came into being two years after this film. In an age of media manipulation Slap the Monster on Page One has never been more relevant and stands proudly alongside such Italian activist classics as We Still Kill the Old Way and The Mattei Affair.
LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
- 4K restoration of the film from the original negative by Cineteca di Bologna in collaboration with Surf Film and Kavac Film, under the supervision of director Marco Bellocchio
- Uncompressed mono PCM audio
- Archival interview with
Marco Bellocchio (21 mins)
- Newly filmed interview with critic and author Mario Sesti (2024, 25 mins)
- Appreciation by filmmaker Alex Cox (2024, 10 mins)
- Newly improved English subtitle translation
- Reversible sleeve
featuring designs based on original posters
- Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Wesley Sharer
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