The Studio Cut was compared with the Director's Cut. Both are featured on the UK Blu-ray by Powerhouse Films.

Australian artist Bradley Morahan is in a creative crisis and has had enough of life in New York City. His friend and art dealer Godfrey advises him to take a break on a sparsely populated island in the Great Barrier Reef. On the island he meets pretty Cora, who lives with her alcoholic grandmother Ma and dreams of one day being able to move into town with money she has saved up. Bradley is supplied with food by Cora, but sees her as the ideal model for his pictures. He persuades her to pose for him for money, which Ma doesn't like at all, because she suspects that there is a love relationship between Bradley and Cora. She threatens to turn him in, but Bradley manages to reassure her with money. But when Cora discovers that Ma has stolen her saved money, the conflict comes to a tragic end.

Age of Consent is one of Michael Powell's last films. His reputation was severely damaged after the proto slasher Peeping Tom. The film, in which Karlheinz Böhm plays a serial killer who captures the moment of death of his victims on film, is considered a masterpiece today, but was a big scandal in 1960, as a result of which Powell was offered only a few films. Age of Consent is one of them and is based on the partially autobiographical novel of the same name by the Australian artist Norman Lindsay, whose revealing paintings of nudes also caused controversy.

The film is about the artist Bradley, played by James Mason, who is in a crisis of meaning. The youthful esprit and good looks of Cora, whom he meets during a break on an island, reawaken his creativity. Bradley, whose relationship with Cora is purely business, only realizes at the end of the film that the young woman feels more for him. The movie offers a grandiose scenery and has just the right mix between light and serious scenes. Cora, who is 17 years old in the movie, is played by Helen Mirren, who was 22 years old at the time and had her first leading role here. Her revealing appearance in this and other movies (think of Savage Messiah or Caligula) leads to Michael Parkinson awarding her the title "Sex Queen of the Royal Shakespeare Company" in 1975.

Although the film was released uncut in Australian cinemas and the BBFC did not demand cuts either, the distributor Columbia Pictures decided to make cuts. Right at the beginning, a longer scene is missing in an art gallery where works by Bradley are sold. When he sees how his art is being sold, he leaves the gallery somewhat disillusioned. A scene in which Nat gets off the tram and argues with a paperboy has been removed as well as some dialogue in the bed scene of Bradley and his ex-flame Meg. Apart from that, some shots were shortened a bit. The original soundtrack by Peter Sculthorpe was replaced by a new score by Stanley Myers.

Martin Scorsese, who was an admirer and friend of Michael Powell, had the film restored by The Film Foundation, which he founded. This version was first shown at the Sydney Film Festival in 2005. The Director's Cut was released in the UK by Sony Pictures on DVD and now by Powerhouse Films on Blu-ray. The Blu-ray contains both the restored version and the theatrical version. As usual, the bonus material is extensive and very interesting, so that anyone interested can buy it without hesitation.

Runtimes:
Studio cut: 99:27 min.
Director's Cut: 106:30 min.

[00:00:00][00:00:00]

The Studio Cut has different opening credits and starts with a still of the sea.

The DC starts with a panning shot over several paintings showing the actors while the credits are faded in.

Finally, the camera tracking shot over the sea follows.

SC: 1:01 min.
DC: 1:37 min.


[00:01:55][00:02:31]

The SC shows two other underwater shots compared to the DC.

SC:

DC:

SC: 9 sec.
DC: 9 sec.


[00:03:00][00:03:36]

In the DC you can see Bradley taking a taxi to his art exhibition. A man walks to one of his paintings and stops with relief. An older couple is looking for paintings that don't have a red sticker yet, i.e. that haven't been sold yet. They discover a tapestry that the woman likes very much. The man is less enthusiastic and is sent off to ask for the price. Godfrey comes to them and says that the work of art costs 5000 dollars and disappears immediately when he tells the couple to think about it. The couple looks at each other in astonishment and leaves.

Another man comes to Godfrey and says he's buying the tapestry. He asks that Godfrey surely wants to keep him there for the exhibition, but Godfrey immediately tears it off the wall and says that he already has a buyer for it. Another man comes to Godfrey and says he doesn't understand why it took so long to sell the carpet. Bradley walks away annoyed. Godfrey tries to run after him while the man asks if it was Bradley.

DC: 4:02 Min.


[00:04:39][00:09:17]

Nat's getting off a tram. A boy tries to sell him a newspaper, but Nat grumpyly refuses. The boy insults him and Nat snaps at him a bit.

After that, you see Bradley lying in bed earlier.

DC: 30 sec.


[00:06:56][00:12:04]

Meg tells Bradley that Nat Kelly's back in town. Then she tells him that the two were at dinner a week ago and haven't seen each other since. Bradley starts laughing and remembers Nat as a nice guy.

Then you see Nat and Bradley meeting at a snack bar at the horse race. Nat asks Bradley to lend him 50 dollars, but Bradley only offers 25 dollars. Nat introduces him to his girlfriend Susy and jokes that Bradley would paint her if she dropped her clothes.

Nat rushes to a counter to place a bet.

DC: 1:20 min.


[00:07:23][0013:51]

In the SC comes the scene where Bradley is asked by Nat for some money.

SC: 35 sec.


[00:12:28][00:18:21]

Bradley's is shown earlier as he walks to the cabin.

DC: 7 sec.


[00:51:13][00:57:13]

After the gin bottle has fallen over, you can see Ma Ryan picking up the bottle and filling a glass.

Then you can see the beach a little earlier.

DC: 10 sec.


[01:05:47][01:11:57]

On the way back, Nat passes Ma Ryan's house who just went outside. She insults him and tells him to leave. Nat yells back that Ma should practice civility.

DC: 27 sec.


[01:18:33][01:25:10]

After Bradley says that it's about time, you can see him going into the hut to get a canvas.

DC: 7 sec.


[01:19:32][01:26:16]

Ma Ryan takes the money out of the bag. She says that Cora is being paid by Bradley.

DC: 12 sec.


[01:38:31][01:45:27]

The SC has slightly different credits and also a different melody. In the DC you can hear the title song while the SC plays cheerful, carefree music.

SC:

DC:

SC: 56 sec.
DC: 1:03 Min.