In a previous post it was noted that almost this entire scene was cut from the US version. Here is a close up of the heads. https://www.peplumtv.com/2011/08/photo-of-day_29.html
Peplums at the time seemed to try to surpass each other with elaborate depictions of execution / torture scenes. What was this thing with audience expectations and depictions of such violence in Europe? Perhaps we should consider all this akin to cartoon violence as opposed to reality and not think about it too much. On a personal note, once, when visiting a historical museum, I found my stomach turning when I contemplated a sword close up and thought about its past...
The scene in the US version is abbreviated. Yes, the violence and cruelty is abbreviated, as I noted in the old post, but it can also mean they wanted to shorten the movie, which was standard practice back then.
Everything between 0:14 and 1:27 is cut in the US copy I have.
The US version has the added benefit of making Semiramis look better as she appears to decisively put an immediate stop to the proceedings as opposed to the lingering cruelty and terror of the uncut version.
"The US version has the added benefit of making Semiramis look better"
True...but...
In the US version, there's a continuity issue. When she stops it, men have been killed and we see spears at the heads. So yes it makes her looks better but the men are still dead because the scene shows the dead men with spears.
This scene is very interesting. Yes, the cruelty seems excessive but for me there's more to it: She doesn't even know Kir is there. The scene is meant to show fate. Prior to this, Semiramis has been looking for Kir and couldn't find him. She doesn't know the man there is Kir. She stops it and inadvertently saves Kir...but to what end?
In a previous post it was noted that almost this entire scene was cut from the US version. Here is a close up of the heads.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.peplumtv.com/2011/08/photo-of-day_29.html
Peplums at the time seemed to try to surpass each other with elaborate depictions of execution / torture scenes.
What was this thing with audience expectations and depictions of such violence in Europe?
Perhaps we should consider all this akin to cartoon violence as opposed to reality and not think about it too much.
On a personal note, once, when visiting a historical museum, I found my stomach turning when I contemplated a sword close up and thought about its past...
The scene in the US version is abbreviated. Yes, the violence and cruelty is abbreviated, as I noted in the old post, but it can also mean they wanted to shorten the movie, which was standard practice back then.
ReplyDeleteEverything between 0:14 and 1:27 is cut in the US copy I have.
The US version has the added benefit of making Semiramis look better as she appears to decisively put an immediate stop to the proceedings as opposed to the lingering cruelty and terror of the uncut version.
ReplyDelete"The US version has the added benefit of making Semiramis look better"
ReplyDeleteTrue...but...
In the US version, there's a continuity issue. When she stops it, men have been killed and we see spears at the heads. So yes it makes her looks better but the men are still dead because the scene shows the dead men with spears.
This scene is very interesting. Yes, the cruelty seems excessive but for me there's more to it: She doesn't even know Kir is there. The scene is meant to show fate. Prior to this, Semiramis has been looking for Kir and couldn't find him. She doesn't know the man there is Kir. She stops it and inadvertently saves Kir...but to what end?