Good news . . . Kinsey to be shown uncensored in Japan . . .

with the Japanese premiere in late August of "Kinsey," local moviegoers will get their first unadulterated glimpse of both male and female reproductive organs. "We discussed it quite a bit internally before deciding the scene where the organs appear is really important for the overall movie and that we wanted it to be screened uncut and without a mosaic," a spokesman for Shochiku, the distributor of "Kinsey," tells Shukan Post. Eirin, which has a strict policy of prohibiting the display or genitalia or pubic hair, has bent when it comes to "Kinsey," a biopic of U.S. sex academic Alfred Kinsey. "It’s not on screen for long and, overall, we decided that the scene did not touch on Eirin’s regulations," a spokesman for the movie ethics committee tells Shukan Post. "Kinsey" tells the story of the academic’s study of the sexual practice of some 18,000 white Americans in the 1940s and ’50s. The academic later wrote up his findings in "The Kinsey Report," which made him famous throughout the world. The scene in "Kinsey" where the genitalia are displayed features Liam Neeson as the title character explaining the reproductive act to a group of university students. The scene is depicted as an earth-shattering moment in Kinsey’s life because it prompts him to realize that existing sex education is insufficient and he begins his study to find data to back up his demand for improvements. Japanese sex educationalists are hoping "Kinsey" will reveal more than mere members. "There’s nothing dirty about the scene where the genitalia are displayed. In fact, I thought it showed how serious an academic Kinsey was. This movie does not just show Kinsey’s life, it also has the added value of sparking discussion about modern sexuality. There aren’t too many academics like Kinsey nowadays. And, no matter how open we’ve become about sexuality, there are still many areas that remain taboo," Japan’s foremost sexologist Kim Myung Gan tells Shukan Post. "There’s a chance that showing this movie without a mosaic may deepen discussion about sex education. Hopefully, this movie could establish a precedent for how sexuality is depicted."

This is great news. The film will also be coming to Taiwan (yes! it really is finally coming, not sure of the dates but will post ’em when I get ’em) so hopefully the local GIO will follow Japan’s lead and not censor the piece.

I am looking forward to seeing this one in the theatre rather than merely on DVD. It is a film I’ve been following for some time and am eager to see how the presentation looks on the big screen.

Kinsey is rather important in terms of culture and how sexuality has become a topic not to be frightened of. We owe a lot to him, despite some of the problems with his initial study. His work was pioneering and worthy of respect. He’s the real deal.

See more on Kinsey . . . film webhome . . . Kinsey Institutue . . . and Kinsey Report.

Did I mention I’m looking forward to seeing the film in the theatre?