Censors Slammed For Release of Eastern Promises

British censors have been criticised over their decision to allow violent film
EASTERN PROMISES starring NAOMI WATTS and VIGGO MORTENSEN to be screened
uncut.

The David Cronenberg film centres on the Russian mafia in London, and
includes shocking scenes including one in which a knife is twisted into a man’s
eye and two victims have their throats cut in graphic detail.

The scenes were so gruesome that members of the audience at the premiere last
Wednesday (17Oct07) at the London Film Festival gasped and turned away from the
screen.

Now the decision by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) to award
the film an 18 certificate without any cuts has come under fire from former
censors.

Andreas Whittam, former president of the BBFC, says, “If I thought this was
the type of film that was likely to make people leave the cinema, or even make
them have to look away for quite a while, then I would question why the scene
should be left in.”

But the BBFC stood by the decision, a spokesman adds, “Scenes that make
people turn away are part of the fun of going to movies. These days we are not
here to cut; we are here to provide information and let people then make up
their minds.”

(KMJM/WNSTI/JC)