Elton John issues a defiant statement after 'Rocketman' is censored in Russia
The Russian release of Rocketman is missing a number of scenes, including those that depict drug use and gay relations between two men. Elton John, the subject of the critically hailed new biopic, is not pleased.
John issued a strongly worded statement via Twitter on Friday evening in response to reports from an early screening in Moscow. The statement specifically singles out the "local distributor" in Russia, calling the changes "a sad reflection of the divided world we still live in and how it can be so cruelly unaccepting of the love between two people."
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"We reject in the strongest possible terms the decision to censor Rocketman for the Russian market, a move we were unaware of until today. Paramount Pictures have been brave and bold partners in allowing us to create a film which is a true representation of Elton's extraordinary life, warts and all," the statement begins.
"That the local distributor has found it necessary to edit out certain scenes, denying the audience the opportunity to see the film as it was intended is a sad reflection of the divided world we still live in and how it can still be so cruelly unaccepting of the love between two people.
"We believe in building bridges and open dialogue, and will continue to push for the breaking down of barriers until all people are heard equally across the world."
According to reports from a number of critics who attended a screening in Moscow, the changes amount to about five minutes of missing footage. Critic Anton Dolin wrote on Facebook (via BBC) that "all scenes with kissing, sex, and oral sex between men have been cut out," as has a caption at the end of the movie that pays tribute to the legendary musician's husband.
The same BBC report also confirms, via journalist Misha Kozyrev, that scenes depicting drug use were removed as well. According to the film's local distributor, the changes were made in accordance with Russian law, which bans "pedophilia, ethnic and religious hatred, and pornography."
Russia takes a notoriously regressive stance toward same-sex relationships and LGBTQ culture, even though homosexuality has technically been legal there since 1993. Back in 2018, players and fans attending the World Cup were warned against outward displays of affection toward same-sex partners. Though that didn't stop one group of activists from deploying a stealth Pride flag, since it's illegal to fly the Pride flag in Russia.
A year earlier, in 2017, reports from out of Chechnya -- a Federal Subject of Russia -- brought stories of abduction, violence, and torture perpetrated against gay and bisexual men. The United Nations condemned those human rights abuses.
Topics LGBTQ
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
