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Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan agrees with calls for nation’s censor to review 1986 film: ‘Wasn’t about being woke’
The face of one of Australia’s most iconic films said he “totally” agreed with calls for the nation’s censor to review Crocodile Dundee, claiming it is not “about being woke”.
Paul Hogan, who took on the character of Mick “Crocodile” Dundee in his breakout role in the 1986 Aussie classic, walked the red carpet at the premiere of the “encore cut” 4K digital restoration of the film on Thursday evening.
The new “encore cut” was shown to audiences at the OpenAir Cinema at Mrs Macquaries Point in Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens, with Hogan revealing it was “amazing” to see the film in the spotlight once again.
He joked most of the people attending the premiere “weren’t born when (he) made this movie”.
“It’s good promotion for Australia, only people in other countries think we’re all like him,” Hogan told NewsWire.
When pressed on whether Australians are like Mick Dundee or not, Hogan laughed.
“No, we’re mostly not as nice as him,” he said.
The film’s director, Peter Faiman, told NewsWire it was “extraordinary” to be there nearly 40 years on from the film’s release.
“It’s a real bonus, a lot of fun,” Mr Faiman said.
“I’m glad I’m here, I hope everybody else that watches the film is glad.”
The film made headlines earlier this week when it was revealed it could be reclassified by the Australian Classification Board (ACB) if they’re granted the right to review content every 10 years independent of the federal government.
The ACB can currently only reclassify films, shows and books at the request of the federal communications minister.
However the national body has made the case to review content every 10 years, requesting new powers to proactively reclassify “archaic and out-of-step’’ material based on “ongoing complaints, requests or inquiries’’.
Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton, Crocodile Dundee and Mary Poppins were among the authors and films the board highlighted to make its case in a federal review.
It’s understood it’s standard practice for submissions to be made to public consultation processes for government consideration.
Despite furore from Labor minister Clare O’Neil earlier in the week over the calls, Hogan told NewsWire he “totally” agreed with changing the film.
“I heard about it years ago, it started, and it wasn’t about being woke,” Hogan said.
“They pointed out to me and said ‘This guy is a folk hero around the world, and he shouldn’t be groping people’.
“And I thought, ‘Yeah that’s right, he shouldn’t be’, so take it out.
“I mean, he did it in all innocence, in naivety, but it’s better without it.”
An edited version of the film was aired on UK television last year with many scenes cut out or edited, including one where a transgender character was groped in the groin.
“I know how it worked in the UK, when they took it out, because they then put it on as G rated and put it on children’s time — it went through the roof,” Hogan said.
It’s understood that same scene was kept out of the “encore cut” over in Australia, with director Peter Faiman telling NewsWire there were about “two and a half minutes being taken out because of certain sensitivities”.
“We’re not in the game of upsetting people or audiences, and it’s not unusual for films to be edited depending upon what country they might be in,” Mr Faiman said.
However when it came to calls for the ACB to review the film, Mr Faiman said he agreed with changes to “things that might be perceived as racism or something that might have an overly real impact on people”.
“But I don’t know how we (could) possibly know where we’ve come from, how well we’ve changed and how much we’ve changed, if we don’t see what was done in the past,” he said.
“I think that people are adult enough to work out — kids — savvy enough to understand that that’s how it was then, this is how it is now.
“I think that screwing around with history, in the arts particularly, is not a good idea.
“I don’t think it serves the community well, and I don’t think it serves our understanding of where we’ve come from well.”
Labor minister Clare O’Neil earlier slammed the idea of the ACB reviewing the film while speaking on Sunrise on Monday, calling Crocodile Dundee “one of the greatest movies ever made”.
“Absolutely not. You spoke about the children books, but when you mentioned Crocodile Dundee – are you kidding me?” Ms O’Neil said.
“One of the greatest movies ever made.
“To put this in context, the board’s public servants – not the government itself – have said they want additional powers over classifications.
“The communications minister will review that.
“I’m not in that camp of rewriting things that have been pivotal to my childhood and yours.
“I think they are fantastic works of art and I will continue reading these books to my kids.”
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