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Originally Posted by Daemonia  Can someone then clarify exactly what version is being released and what's absent from this release? I'm not really a clued-up Devils fan and so with all the debate that's gone on in this thread I'm kind of lost as to what we'll actually be getting with this DVD release. |
These are the three official versions, in order of release:
1. The original 111-minute British cinema version, the longest one ever passed for a commercial release. Although it was cut at the behest of both the BBFC and Warner Bros, the cuts were made by Russell and editor Michael Bradsell themselves, who signed off on the end result.
2. The 108-minute US cinema version, censored by Warner Bros without Russell's consent. Three minutes were removed, and several of the shots that were left were toned down by replacing them with more innocuous material - from what I hear (I've never been tempted to watch this version), virtually all the frontal nudity has gone, as has much of the violence.
3. The 113-minute (estimated) "director's cut", which is 98% identical to version (1), but it reincorporates the "rape of Christ" and the charred thighbone scene, both of which had long been believed lost, but which were found in Warner Bros' vaults. This version was unveiled in 2004, and has had sporadic cinema screenings (albeit projected from Digibeta) in 2004 and 2011, but has never had an official commercial release. Note that despite being dubbed a "director's cut", it's not necessarily an ideal version, as other material that Russell had to cut is genuinely believed lost.
The BFI wanted to release (3), but had to make do with (1). But (1) is one hell of a lot better than (2), which is the version that's out on iTunes, YouTube and the Spanish DVD - though the latter has apparently been cut still further.
And the reason that the BFI release is good news is that (1) has never been given a video release in the correct aspect ratio before - the last time, it was out on a cropped VHS, and British TV screenings have also been of this bastardised 16:9 version.
Does that clear things up?