Coming after last year’s “Bohemian
Rhapsody,” the Queen biopic that won lead star Rami Malek a Best Actor Oscar,
another film chronicling the life of a major recording artist is now making
waves on the big screen. This is Paramount Pictures’ “Rocketman,” starring Welsh
actor Taron Egerton as Elton John. While both Elton and Queen’s Freddie Mercury
are well-known for their homosexual relations, compared to the latter’s sanitized
treatment on “Bohemian Rhapsody” the former gets an on-screen gay male sex
scene in “Rocketman”, the first in a Hollywood production. The sequence was so shocking
for a mainstream movie that the Russian release heavily edited the movie, much
to the protest of the real Elton John.
Entertainment Tonight has it that music legend Elton John was very
critical of the extreme modifications done to “Rocketman” to allow for its
screening in the Russian Federation. According to the film’s distributor in the
country, Central Partnership, the excision of all sex scenes and portrayals of
drug use was in conformity with standing legislation in Russia. But Elton has
taken exception to the edits and released a statement with his official word on
the matter last Friday, May 31.
"We reject in the strongest
possible terms the decision to pander to local laws and censor Rocketman for
the Russian market, a move we were unaware of until today," read the
artist’ statement. "That the local distributor has edited 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." Elton also
praised Paramount Pictures for being “bold and brave” partner in realizing a
biographical picture that strives to truly depict his extraordinary life story,
“warts and all.”
“Rocketman” stars Taron Egerton
as now-Sir Elton John (CBE), from his early life as Reginald Dwight, to making
it big in the recording industry, to embracing the flamboyant stage persona
that came with his sexual orientation, only to be exploited through it by his
unscrupulous manager. The film also stars Jamie Bell as Elton’s lifelong
musical collaborator Bernie Taupin, and “Game of Thrones’” Richard Madden as his
manager John Reid.
The statement from Elton ends
with a promise that they will continue in the breaking down of barriers around
the world to eventually achieve equal treatment to all peoples, via open
dialogue and building bridges. The legendary musician is currently married to Canadian
filmmaker David Furnish. They have two children.
0 comments:
Post a Comment