Universal’s ”Bruno,” the widely anticipated Sacha Baron Cohen docu-comedy opening in July, has been slapped with an NC-17 rating on its first submission to the Motion Picture Association of America because of numerous sexual scenes that the ratings board considers over the line, according to the studio releasing the film.
Among the objectionable scenes is one in which Bruno — a gay Austrian fashionista played by Baron Cohen — appears to have anal sex with a man on camera. In another, the actor goes on a hunting trip and sneaks naked into the tent of one of the fellow hunters, an unsuspecting non-actor.
A Universal spokesman confirmed the rating on Sunday, saying: “On its first submission the film did not receive an R but it is far too early to say that there is any struggle to get there as the process is only at its inception.”
Baron Cohen is accustomed to pushing boundaries. In his last hit film, “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,” the writer and actor orchestrated outrageous real-life situations that challenged anti-Semitic and other stereotypes.
With “Bruno,” Baron Cohen apparently goes even further, drawing a cutting comic edge that challenges homophobia and racism by embracing both. His method is a kind of cinema verite, drawing unsuspecting bystanders into outrageous situations, or provoking them to say outrageous things, and orchestrating NC-17 rated situations.
Individuals close to the film say that Baron Cohen, Bruno’s writer and star, is “experimenting” and still “finding the film,” and tested two different versions with audiences in the past week. Both screenings, they said, were very successful.
But Cohen needs to deliver an R-rated film to Universal, which will not consider releasing an NC-17 “Bruno,” according to an executive there.
The difference between an R and an NC-17 in terms of financial reward is vast. “Borat,” which cost a piddling $18 million to make, took in $261 million in worldwide box office. Universal paid $42 million for the English-language rights to “Bruno,” but will spend far more than that in marketing the film. Major Hollywood studios almost never release films with NC-17 ratings.
Cohen is currently appealing the decision while simultaneously struggling with cutting the film to suit the ratings board. But the ratings board, a secret panel of parents appointed by the studio-owned movie association, is notoriously inexact about what it requires to move from an NC-17 to an R.
March 30th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
i wanna see it already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!etc.
March 31st, 2009 at 3:10 am
Please don’t cut out all the fun from the film…!
Or if you have to… Just release the uncut version on DVD!
Damn the MPAA -.-! Bunch of ignorant, homophobic rednecks…
March 31st, 2009 at 11:22 am
As a German I’m really looking forward to Bruno’s amazing knowledge of the German language!:D
March 31st, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Can’t wait for the release.
But even if they would have to cut it.
I hope we get to see that footage later.
March 31st, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Just leave it how it was don’t cut it up. Ive never seen an NC-17 movie at a theaters. if anything more people will go just because of the high rating
April 1st, 2009 at 5:49 am
MEEEEEEEEE TOOOOOOOOO RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHERE IS THE TRAILER
April 1st, 2009 at 12:23 pm
We demand this hellish gay movie now!
Don’t you dare to touch and cut it!
See, us Europeans already fear your thirst for uncut…uhm…things!
And if there are two versions of the flick,
just throw ‘em together:
Gays are known for loving a respectable overlength!
But since we all know that they come in all sizes and shapes,
just make sure that we all get served fast!
…and if hardgay isn’t on board, now is the time to shoot some 2 minutes of japanese weirdness and stuff it in.
Gosh,
now it’s up to the gods
April 5th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
I’m a married 25 year old female DYING to see the uncut version. If it takes an R for theaters to play the film cut it; but release an NC-17 uncut or an unrated version of the film on DVD. I’m ready to see every version available!
April 10th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Seriously I hate the rating process. Wath the movie “This Film has Not Been Rated” you can see what these people consider NC-17 vs R. It’s retarded, and so does the gu making the film. Unfortunatly gay sex is one of those things they freak out about. I don’t know what they’re freaking out about, the kids of these parents on the review board are all in college. But seriously I am excited about Bruno! I can’t believe Sacha was able to fool america AGAIN!
April 12th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
“The difference between an R and an NC-17 in terms of financial reward is vast” they are going to make a huge profit anyway… even released as a R… greedy fu**ers! what ever happened to making it for the artistic merit… Sasha is a comedic genius… PLEASE DONT CUT IT and be a pussy!
April 16th, 2009 at 1:34 am
Holy crap,
Why is the US still listening to those MPAA idiots? Seriously, this organization is the biggest joke ever.
I want to see the uncut version.
Greetings from Holland
April 17th, 2009 at 11:55 am
America is still run by scared old alcoholic white men with lots of money with a penchant for girls younger than their granddaughters. Is it any wonder that we still have the MPAA?
April 25th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
WHAT THE F***?! This means i can’t see the f’n movie cuz they won’t even let me in. Well, if it has to be NC-17 you should get all the rights to put the movie online and you have to pay like $17 to see the whole movie (online). If thats not possible, (which it prob. isn’t cuz big movie studios are bitches) you should just release the unrated version on dvd and blu-ray, I mean better late then never. FUCK THE MPAA!!!!!!!!!
April 29th, 2009 at 9:08 am
Stay cool.
Try to get it out on DVD as quick as possible even with NC-17.
I promise you, in germany everybody will want to see it uncuct.
May 5th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Seeing the un-cut, NC-17, version in a theatre packed with people would be a lot more fun. In a group that large, you’d experience everyone else’s reaction, which would add to what the film already offers.
I’m sure the R rated film would still be very good. Borat was.
Universal most be slightly retarded to think the rating affects things all that much. They most only assume that the more lenient rating will allow more people to see the film, and therefore more people will. They should try letting this one slide as an NC-17, and then determine whether or not less people go to the cinema to catch it…
May 14th, 2009 at 10:57 am
you guys are all retarded. Obviously it would be more enjoyable to see it NC-17 but there is almost a 100 year history of research that proves R rated movies bring in substantially higher revenue than an NC-17 equivalent.
May 17th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
They’ll release it first as an R movie, then the DVD as NC-17 and make big $ off of BOTH!
May 20th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
the whole R versus NC-17 thing is absurd. the whole ratings system is in need of a overhaul and modernization. whats considered R in todays world really should only be PG-13 or so. by the time the average american turns 13, they have already been exposed to situations and language shown in R rated films, so really whats the big deal already?
June 26th, 2009 at 1:49 am
I dont care if they release an R rated version of it i just wanna see this movie. i’ll watch the NC-17 version if they release it =) cant wait until it comes out here
June 29th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
I heard that the film shows an erect penis and also a man’s pee-hole opening up and “speaking” Bruno. How can they show an ERECT penis? I think that must be in the UNCUT NC-17 version; not the R-rated theatrical version. They can’t even show a vagina in an R-rated movie (they only can show a woman’s pubic hair)even though the MPAA allows penises to be shown frequently.
Now the MPAA even allows an erect penis to be shown??? That’s complete garbage! How come we can’t see a SPREAD VAGINA in an R-rated movie? A spread vagina is the female nudity equivelant of a man’s erect penis. A spread vagina would get an NC-17 rating; in fact, even just showing a vagina, not spread open, will get an NC-17 rating. So how can they allow an erect penis to be shown? Its a sexually discriminatory rating policy when it comes to nudity! We men need to unite and file a LAWSUIT against the MPAA. If the MPAA will allow penises to be shown then they must allow the vagina to be shown too. If they will allow an erect penis to be shown, then they must allow a spread vagina to be shown in an R-rated film also. Its time to take the MPAA to court and put an end to their sexually discriminatory policy of rating nudity. The vagina is NOT obscene….certainly no more obscene than a penis. Why can one be shown but not the other?
July 10th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
I saw an advanced screening of this movie the other evening. The version I saw was rated R. They did show the erect penis in the version I saw. I do not believe in censorship; however, I do understand why the movie studio wants to release this the movie with an R rating. If people are easily offended and are on their high moral ground, then they can choose not to see the movie. However, they should not deprive others from their choice to see this movie or any other movie. The MPAA is maybe changing their standards of what constitutes an R rating. I have noticed that a lot of PG-13 movies now would have had an R rating a few years ago. People should read the verbiage noted after the rating. It is always noted if there is extreme violance or sexaul content or pervasive language. I think this country has progressed and should keep on progressing. Provacative and controverial movies have been showing for years in France, Germany and other European countries. It’s about time we evolve! The movie was hilarious and I absolutely loved it and cannot wait for the NC-17 DVD to be released. We are fortunate to be able to express our freedom of speech and creativity, and these should never be censored!
July 10th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
I always thought about what KP said and I agree with him so much.
July 10th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
This is a really BAD movie! If you are gay; or looking to see white dicks or explicit homo behavior, this movie is for you. I HATED THIS MOVIE WITH A PASSION! I was looking for lots of laughs and was over taken by the overly vivid acts of gay behavior. I am ashamed at the movie industry for even putting out such a BAD film. I know I was going to see acts of homosexuality behavior, but this was over the top. I would not recommend this film to ANYONE!I would rate this film -0.
P.S My wife and I walked out!
July 12th, 2009 at 1:40 am
Well JS, I don’t believe in censorship either; but I do believe in FAIR RATINGS STANDARDS. If penises can be shown now in R-rated movies, then vaginas must be allowed to be shown too! And how the hell can the MPAA allow an ERECT PENIS to be shown and NOT give it an NC-17 rating, but then automatically give a woman’s vagina an NC-17 rating on the few occasions filmakers tried to show it???!! That is completely sexist, unfair, and illegal. Maybe its because a WOMAN is now head of the MPAA’s ratings dept?
If they will allow any kind of graphic male nudity to be shown, then they must also allow any kind of graphic female nudity to be shown. That means if a film decides to show a woman’s vagina, anus, or spread vagina (all of which are graphic nudity and no more explicit than showing an erect penis) then the MPAA MUST also rate that “R”. The only thing I can think of is that the MPAA has changed its standards on nudity and will, in the future, also allow any type of female nudity to be shown in an R-rated film. Otherwise, its time for a CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT and SUE the bastards in the MPAA for having a sexually discriminatory ratings policy! There is no justification to allow unlimited genital nudity of one gender to be shown with an R-rating, while giving the genital nudity of the other gender an NC-17 rating!
July 13th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
If you want to see pussy just watch porn.. there is enough of it out there!
They should just keep nudity out of movies altogether.
July 14th, 2009 at 10:58 am
KP, since you only “heard” about the movie and the scene with the erect penis, why don’t you actually view the movie first? It almost appeard to me to be digitally altered.
I agree with d0g, see porn if you want to see a woman’s vagina.
They have been showing female nudity in films for years. It’s about time they show male genitalia as well!
KP, I don’t agree with or understand your logic.
July 14th, 2009 at 11:19 am
I also want to point out that what I saw was an “advanced” screening. A very differnt version of this movie may be what is ultimately released in theaters.
Also, the Michael Jackson reference was deleted from the advanced screening version.
August 5th, 2009 at 8:13 am
I totally agree with KP. I regurarly go to movies with my girlfriend and even she said that there is also male nudity and I have NEVER seen a nude vagina on cinema screen yet. Now we have erect penises. Next there will be male penises ejaculating and never will there be vaginas. It is a disgrace.