“Rocketman” recently premiered across the globe and it’s already received quite a bit of backlash.
The musical biopic, which is based on Elton John’s life, won’t debut in Malaysia until July but we can already foresee a similar negative response.
Just recently, it was reported that Russia’s censorship had cut all gay scenes from “Rocketman”. Any visuals involving men kissing, getting physically intimate, and partaking in drugs were removed.
Film critic Anton Dolin claimed that approximately 5 minutes were edited out. A photograph referring to the Grammy winner’s life with husband David Furnish and their 2 sons – Zachary and Elijah – were also reportedly cut out.
In response, John together with Paramount and actor Taron Egerton spoke out against the Russian distributors (who were responsible for the changes made). According to them, the biopic needed to “conform with the legislation of the Russian Federation” and to protect kids from “non-traditional sexual orientation”.
Here’s what John and Egerton said:
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Many who have watched the screening felt that cutting the sex scenes from “Rocketman” made it worse. The biopic focuses on John’s sexuality and private life, including his relationship with manager John Reid (played by Richard Madden).
The music icon revealed that he had to fight to make sure “Rocketman” was R-rated as the sex and drugs phase was essential to understanding his relationship with Reid and it was a core aspect of his life.
Screen Rant also made a valid point. “Reid becomes a kind of villain in John’s story, someone who manipulated John and outright abused him in one shocking instance,” the publication wrote. “Viewers might wonder why John would stay with such a blatantly abusive man, and the answer is in the sex scene: Because Reid is the first man John forms that real connection with and because John loves Reid.”
Last year’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” also faced the same problem when the movie was criticised for undermining Freddie Mercury’s sexuality.
Sources: Screen Rant, Daily Mail.
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