Image courtesy of lightstorm entertainment
It was on the 4th of January 2024 I discovered via social media the 4 K worldwide release of ‘The Abyss’ in cinemas worldwide… in December 2023! Having read this one MONTH after the ‘one night only UK theatre release‘, I frantically researched online how to watch The Abyss 4K via streaming.
After ten minutes of research and no success locating the theatres who played it, I roped in help to search and download the 4k film via streaming.
Thirty minutes later we still have no luck; and we still do not know if any theatre in the UK released ‘The Abyss 4K’ movie. It is only when reading online forums discussing ‘ the scene with rats’ we learn the film had been censored by the BBFC and is unavailable to stream across the UK.*1 Surprised we continued our research.
Image courtesy of lightstorm entertainment
A critic’s synopsis on Rottentomatoes.com describes ’The Abyss is a 1989 sci-fi/adventure film about a nuclear submarine that sinks in the deep sea and a team of engineers who try to recover it’.*2
IMDB.com notes the film had 16 Academy Award nominations and 9 wins at the 1990 Oscars.*3
The more we read forums discussing The Abyss, we learn the censorship has only been issued in the UK. ‘Censorship fandom’ forum notes: ‘Every other country has [The Abyss 4k] completely uncensored. Because the [UK 1990’s] censorship still exists to this day, a planned 4K Ultra-HD release in the UK was cancelled as James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment refused to censor the rat scene again. Brits however may import the 4K Blu-ray from North America or any other European country once released.’*4
Online forums discuss the BBFC censorship decisions based on the film not meeting criteria with UK ‘animal cruelty’ censorship legislation. Legislation on the BBFC website notes:
‘ The BBFC may not pass any material likely to infringe the criminal law. The key legislation for the BBFC in this area is The Obscene Publications Act 1959 and 1964, The Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937, The Animal Welfare Act 2006 and The Protection of Children Act 1978.‘
There are several blogs online which discuss the actual ’science’ behind ’The Abyss’ censored scene. Duke University Center for Hyperbaric Medicine & Environmental Physiology website discusses how during the 1960s and 1970’s researchers at Duke University department explored liquid breathing, with Dr. Johannes Kylstra and Dr. Peter Bennet of Duke University pioneering [the liquid breathing technique].*5 Francis J. Falejczyk, [the first human being to breathe oxygenated fluid]*6 had made a presentation on his trials to an audience at Duke that happened to include James Cameron. Inspiring Cameron, the Doctors consulted with the director for The Abyss providing detailed instructions for oxygenated fluid and its use.*7
Censorship
Forums and websites such as theweek.com point out that there are all sorts of anomalies and exceptions you can point to over the years (Oldboy, Apocalypse Now) where animal cruelty has not been censored.*8 The Rat scene for ‘The Abyss’ can be viewed on YouTube and across the web.
The BFFC website notes its [Licensing legislation]:(https://www.bbfc.co.uk/education/university-students/legislation/film-licensing)Â that :Â
‘the Video Recordings Act (VRA) 1984 empowers us to apply the test of whether content is suitable for watching at home - taking into account the potential for under-age viewing.‘
Britain therefore comes to a point in time where we must consider relevant censorship in film and across media. Putting this into a TMT and home streaming context, the UK is subjugated to the multiverse, gaming, telecom apps. Here, children UNDER 15 are subscribed unwillingly to deep fakes, AI script, AI imagery, virtual nudity, AI generated images of children, violence (humans and animals) and AI linked text conversations which can contain abuse and derogatory content. The BBFC 2024 censorship prevented OVER 15’s from watching a multi oscar winning science fiction movie because it contains animal cruelty and ‘contains strong language’.*9
The BBFC censorship has also drawn attention to a subject of technology and nature explored in the film. Scenes in ‘The Abyss’ cinematically explore the science of breathable liquid and advancement in amphibious deep diving technology which, with global climate change reports would indicate is considered very relevant with our current raising water levels and rising climate temperatures.
Where do we go from here?
It would be a very good time to understand what we consider criminal legalities for BBFC censorship and whether censorship applies to all Technology, Media and Telecoms streaming content and media. What are the parameters regarding exploitation and cruelty? With media streaming continually using Artificial Intelligence in script and filming technique, do all UK censorship rules apply to Artificial Intelligence, science and technology alpha stage experiments, or worse, actors using ‘experimental AI’ in Television, Media and Telecoms (recorded or live)?
It is noted via the website the BBFC are in the alpha testing phase partnered with Amazon and have ’expertly-trained Compliance Officers as the drivers of these AI tools now and into the future’. *10
There currently is not enough public clarity or information determining UK censorship practice. Listed censorship boards responsible for all media and all clients in TMT should supply details of censorship laws passed and access for legal practice, public education and continuous professional development.
A look at the recent UK 2023 AI Summit organised by the UK Secretary of State for Science and Innovation, the Bletchley Declaration*11 signed by 23 countries did not note that AI censorship was considered international policy.
The Bletchley declaration did note:
‘ AI should be designed, developed, deployed, and used, in a manner that is safe, in such a way as to be human-centric, trustworthy and responsible.‘
It also states AI is:
‘…to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, and to foster public trust and confidence in AI systems to fully realise their potential.’
Our current censorship choices highlight how BBFC laws and standards have largely remained unchanged since the 1990’s for film, telecoms, media and technology. The censorship decision for The Abyss in 1993 affected 2023 UK box office sales and streaming sales across the UK during a key festive holiday period during a recession. Like many UK sci-fi movie fans, we shall wait till March 2024 to import a 4K DVD that we would have loved to experience in UK cinemas.
We must always consider what is abiding by UK censorship and international criminal law and safe for UK media and TMT content. And we must encourage the UK state to apply the Bletchley AI policy into relevant UK censorship in film, television, media and telecoms across the UK. It may even be useful if censorship boards view AI as a research tool for real public polls on whether films are considered animal cruelty or viewed as relevant cinematic story exploring aquatic technology and human nature. Maybe then UK censorship decisions will not be groaned at and all content created here and imported to the UK is considered legal and relevant.
Resources:
*1https://www.reddit.com/r/4kbluray/comments/18rxa5e/the_abyss_4k_uhd_disc_release_cancelled_for_the_uk/