Compared are the censored UK Version (UK DVD by 20th Century Fox / BBFC 15) and the uncensored Original Version (US Blu-ray by 20th Century Fox / R)


- 3 alterations
- Length difference: 12.3 sec



In 2013, former spook Jason Matthews published a book in which he described very detailled the hard CIA training by telling the (fictional) story of some female Russian spy. The book was not even available yet when he sold the movie rights for an amount with 7 figures. As for the director, names like Darren Aronofsky or David Fincher were dropped. With Fincher, Rooney Mara would have gotten the lead - similar to Fincher's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. But things turned out differently: Jennifer Lawrence is Red Sparrow and the movie is directed by Francis Lawrence, director of several Hunger Gamesmovies. He also made it abundantly clear that similarities to Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, should not be reason to be scared off and that a "hard R" was the intended rating - and he actually did it, kind of: Rated R for "strong violence, torture, sexual content, language and some graphic nudity".

In UK theaters, Red Sparrow was censored in order to get the more lucrative BBFC 15 rating. To be more specific, the strangulation scene was a problem. This censored version has also been for home theaters but the uncensored version is available as well. Which is not always the case because Quantom of Solace for instance is only available as censored version. Ustinov's murder for instance is heavily censored in the UK and there is some alternate footage as well. The US Blu-ray on the other hand is completely uncensored.



Time index refers to
UK Version (UK DVD [BBFC 15] in PAL) / Original Version (US Blu-ray)

23:34-23:35 / 24:35

In the UK Version, the shot of Ustinov begins slightly earlier...

+ 0.4 sec

Alternate
23:37-23:40 / 24:37-24:53

...but it ends earlier as well: In the Original Version, Ustinov lets his hands hang and the snare bloodily cuts into the skin. Blood is dropping and Ustinov collapses.

The UK Version cuts to Dominika instead and she remains dry. Compared to the Original Version, Ustinov does not appear to be in such bad shape here. And even though the shot of Ustinov collapsing looks similar to the one in the Original Version, the UK Version contains an alternate shot of it.

Subsequently afterwards, the UK Version starts in the middle of the shot from a further distance - please see last screenshot from the Original Version, shortly afterwards.

Original Version 12.4 sec longer



Alternate
23:41-23:42 / 24:54-24:56

After Ustinov keeps going down identically equal (which is a few insignificant frames longer in the Original Version but Ustinov is not in there), the shot of Dominika differs again: Once with a lot of blood, once without any blood.

Please note: When Dominika gets to put her clothes back on shortly afterwards, the UK Version also contains the shot of her with blood on her chest.

Original Version 0.3 sec longer

UK Version	Original Version

In minute 52/54, the movie contains the scene with Dominika walking by the pool. In US TV spots, her top is buttoned up. Here a nice screenshot (source: IGN):

It goes without saying that the UK Version here contains the uncensored footage as well.