New Censored Version of The French Connection

[Sharon&Susan]

The article linked below blames Criterion, but I'd probably guess Disney (who now owns the movie) is the one who cut out the scene since Criterion doesn't usually censor the movies on their platform.

One Of The Most Classic Crime Movies Just Got Censored By Film-Loving Company

One of the greatest crime films in cinematic history is surprisingly being censored. Here's what we know about it!

www.giantfreakinrobot.com

A censored version of Gene Hackman’s classic 1971 The French Connection is currently in the Criterion Collection, as reported by Word of Reel. The censored scene in question, which doesn’t appear in the version whatsoever, contains two ethnic slurs in dialogue spoken by Hackman’s Popeye Doyle character. In the scene, Doyle says “You dumb guinea,” and “Never trust a [slur].”


Although the cut scene is minor, it is an interesting choice to censor it considering the context it gives Gene Hackman‘s character. Hackman plays an NYPD detective in The French Connection, and Doyle is frankly an unsavory person, so it’s not surprising that a cop from the 1970s would be racist. Taking the scene out probably makes Doyle seem like more of a good guy than he actually is.



There are definitely plenty of films that use racial slurs haphazardly, but in this case, it definitely seems like Gene Hackman’s character should be recognized as a bigot since his character is more of an anti-hero at best. Of course, this version of The French Connection could just be the one that The Criterion Collection has the rights to stream, so it may not necessarily be an intentional choice. Regardless, it is a pretty small thing and your experience watching the movie won’t likely change that much missing out on it, you might just miss out on a small bit of context for Doyle’s character.

 

[TalkingHead]

Reprehensible stewardship by Disney, but this has been the case for a while. It was commented on last year (or the year before?) when TCM showed this censored cut of the French Connection. At the time I believe it was speculated that Disney/Fox supplied TCM with the version that was edited since TCM is branded as “uncut and commercial-free.”

Goes without saying this should be decried by any serious filmmaker and, frankly, it’s further reason to view Disney as the worst operator in the movie business.

 

[Phroobar]

Looks like I will have to find an earlier release of the dvd.

 

[TP2000]

It's a shame ABC passed on All In The Family 55 years ago and let CBS have it instead.

If ABC had kept it in I969, today Disney could offer it on Hulu with Archie Bunker censored into a lovable and charming community leader.

 

[Ghost93]

This is why I was a bit nervous about Disney being in control of all of 20th Century Fox's adult content. You shouldn't censor old movies. I can understand a disclaimer, but editing movies retroactively is bad for film history.

This isn't even a situation like "Song of the South" where you can say "Oh, but think of the children!" The French Connection is an R-rated film strictly for adults.

 

[Disney Irish]

This is why I was a bit nervous about Disney being in control of all of 20th Century Fox's adult content. You shouldn't censor old movies. I can understand a disclaimer, but editing movies retroactively is bad for film history.

This isn't even a situation like "Song of the South" where you can say "Oh, but think of the children!" The French Connection is an R-rated film strictly for adults.

Why, movies are edited all the time for various reasons. Heck for something like 70 years movies have been edited for TV broadcasts.

Also we don't know if this was for sure Disney or not. It could be but since Disney isn't the one who is releasing this we don't know if it was them or Criterion editing it themselves due to modern times or only having rights to an edited version from say a TV broadcast.

 

[LittleBuford]

Why, movies are edited all the time for various reasons. Heck for something like 70 years movies have been edited for TV broadcasts.

Also we don't know if this was for sure Disney or not. It could be but since Disney isn't the one who is releasing this we don't know if it was them or Criterion editing it themselves due to modern times or only having rights to an edited version from say a TV broadcast.

A broadcast on network TV is a very different matter from something available through a streaming service or purchased digitally. In the latter cases, there’s no good reason to censor what is already clearly marked as unsuitable for children.

 

[Disney Irish]

A broadcast on network TV is a very different matter from something available through a streaming service or purchased digitally. In the latter cases, there’s no good reason to censor what is already clearly marked as unsuitable for children.

Things get edited for cable channels too, so its not just network TV.

Point is that editing content for distribution for various reasons is not new.