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The Pawnbroker

1965 · Film · 116 min

Directed by Sidney Lumet

Drama

A Jewish pawnbroker, a victim of Nazi persecution, loses all faith in his fellow man until he realizes too late the tragedy of his actions.

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1 comment on Hacker News

  1. NeutralzahlmanAug 24, 2025

    I assume you mean to contrast with the US. Things are not as you stereotype them. Re profanity, cases such as https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FCC_v._Fox_Television_Stations,_Inc._(2009) are instructive. Re nudity, via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_the_United_States (which also has more information on the aforementioned case):

    > In 1964, The Pawnbroker, directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Rod Steiger, was initially rejected because of two scenes in which the actresses Linda Geiser and Thelma Oliver fully expose their breasts; and a sex scene between Oliver and Jaime Sánchez, which it described as "unacceptably sex suggestive and lustful." ... On a 6–3 vote, the MPAA granted the film an "exception" conditional on "reduction in the length of the scenes which the Production Code Administration found unapprovable." The exception to the code was granted as a "special and unique case", and was described by The New York Times at the time as "an unprecedented move that will not, however, set a precedent."[63] The requested reductions of nudity were minimal, and the outcome was viewed in the media as a victory for the film's producers.[62] The Pawnbroker was the first film featuring bare breasts to receive Production Code approval. ...

    See also https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5ix309/eli5_what_are_the_rules_on_us_television_with/ .