News culture 34 years later, Disney wants to censor this James Cameron film: a particular scene is in the viewfinder

Culture news 34 years later, Disney wants to censor this James Cameron film: a particular scene is in the viewfinder

Can a director get away with everything during a shoot? Certainly not, but how far can he go? Disney is clearly asking the question about James Cameron’s The Abyss…

The Abyss, a film whose filming did not only make people happy

In 1989, James Cameron left his mark on the world of cinema with The Abyss. However, controversy has recently arisen around this iconic film, as Disney considered censoring a scene considered very shocking, since animals died from it. This possible censorship has raised profound questions about the perspective of production houses on old films, and the artistic freedom of their authors. James Cameron, even if he is a director celebrated for his cinematographic successes, is not no stranger to controversy, and this situation highlights changes in social and ethical norms over the years. This complex situation also highlights how changing public perceptions and sensitivities can make certain film scenes increasingly questionable. Censorship, sometimes relevant, always raises questions questions about artistic freedom and creative choices which can be questioned years after a film’s initial release.

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Five animals died during the filming of a single scene

The Abyss is a film whose the filming is known to have been particularly grueling, and carried out in sometimes quite questionable conditions from an ethical and moral point of view. At the heart of this controversy is a scene involving the cruel use of a rat in a liquid ventilation demonstration, consisting of filling the animal’s lungs with perfluorocarbon. This sequence, initially accepted by Disney, was aroused the indignation of the NGO American Humane for the inhumane treatment inflicted on the animal. Indeed, this scene is not simulatednot rigged, and the fluid cannot be removed from the lungs, resulting in the death of the animal within a few hours. Five rats were used – and therefore killed – to shoot the scene! THE British censors requested that the scene be removed of the film when the 4K version was released.

“No animals were mistreated” … yes, yes, clearly.

Initially, Disney agreed to remove the scene for this 4K output. Only, Lightstorm Entertainment, Cameron’s production company, refused all clear. This therefore led to the cancellation of the film’s 4K release in the UK. This confrontation shows that Complex controversies can arise in film production and distribution, even years later the release of a movie. As society evolves, social and ethical norms change, leading to debates about what is acceptable or not in the world of cinema. It is always a question of finding a balance between the creative freedom of the authors, and the moral responsibility to the public. In any case, it is not in the credits of this film that we can read “No animals were mistreated during filming”…

The Abyss in 4K has therefore been canceled in the UK.