“Brother” Censored for American Release

Ain’t It Cool News has confirmed that Sony Pictures Classics has heavily edited “Beat” Takeshi Kitano’s latest film, Brother, for its American theatrical limited release in order to receive an “R” rating from the MPAA. AICN has posted a (potential spoiler) partial list of edits to the American version of the film, virtually all of which censor or eliminate scenes of extreme bloodshed or other graphic violence. Known for his use of extreme violence for philosophical and cinematic reasons rather than for simple exploitation or shock value, the heavy editing of Takeshi Kitano’s first American theatrical release is a major blow to the artistic integrity of contemporary Japanese cinema in America.

Source: Anime News Service