Pearl Harbor

[Jonathan Crow]

I realize that this is a bit off the subject, but this is something I 
thought you might find interesting...

>From Daily Variety


Disney sends Japan re-cultured 'Pearl'
'Insensitive' words altered or cut, source sez
?
By CHARLES LYONS
  In the U.S., it will be "a few less dirty Japs."

In Tokyo, it will be "a few less Japs."

Disney said Tuesday that it has crafted toned-down versions of the film for
its release in Japan and Germany, an indicator of the international
marketing challenges Disney will face with its megabudget World War II epic
"Pearl Harbor," opening in the U.S. on Friday.

"There are a few, slight modifications in the German and Japanese versions
of the picture," a Disney insider confirmed. "Most of the changes have been
made with an eye for consideration for those countries." Another source
said, "Words that would be culturally insensitive to the country where the
film is playing have been altered or deleted."

While it's not unusual to make minor changes in films for foreign release
when scenes or idioms, for example, simply won't translate, tailoring a film
to a territory based on sensitivity issues is highly unusual.

Reached in Hawaii, where the film preemed Monday night, producer Jerry
Bruckheimer told Daily Variety that one change was simply that a shot of the
date -- December 7, 1941 -- had been replaced with December 8, 1941, since
when the attack occurred on Pearl Harbor it was already the next day in
Japan.

Bruckheimer acknowledged that Disney's overseas marketing campaign would
play up the love story and downplay the battle. The most used poster in the
international campaign will be one of Kate Beckinsale and Ben Affleck in an
embrace.

A British tabloid reported that a closing speech by Kate Beckinsale had been
cut for the Japanese version of the film. But a Disney rep said that the
speech had not been cut, it had only been altered -- for all international
versions of the film. Instead of closing the film with Beckinsale saying
something to the effect of "World War II changed the course of history for
us," the international version changes "us" to "Americans."