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A Taste for Death - 1988 - Why is a key scene cut?


Movie girl: ATFD is one of the finest P.D. James series. I think all of the characters and the situations are very well-handled, though I do find that the church murders are extremely gruesome. If we do not view the series in this respect, we find ourselves impressed with the people and the murders and motivations all tying in together. Each character is intriguing and integral to the plot.

I found myself really liking Paul Berowne and his kindness to others. Though he was a cabinet minister, he still had time to befriend the nurse or companion to his mother, empathize with a drowning victim, hastily befriend a priest and join another church he had never belonged to and maybe assisted a lonely and misunderstood hobo.

Of course his faithless wife did not care. Money and position mattered to her and she could not see a frightening possibility which may have been a driving force in the murders. Both Paul and the hobo are gruesomely murdered in the church he recently attended, and Paul's mother, a crusty aristocratic type of woman really loved her son and turns to AD to solve the murders.

One thing that really disappointed me was the fact that a key scene was cut from the finished print! When I first viewed the series in the late 80's with my husband, an important scene with Father Barnes was there. Unfortunately, I was short of VHS tapes and used the tape for something else after viewing it!

So the scene was missing on a professional boxed set I bought on VHS later! Sadly, the DVD set has the same problem. Yes, it is still a very good and scary mini-series, but does not carry the same inherent impact it did when I first viewed it. Of course the storyline in the book contained the elements I am referring to.
No spoiler here, but the character of Father Barnes was very significant in the story. Yes, he is still to be seen in the series now, but a very important scene was actually cut pertaining to him! A reader of the book would notice at once (if watching the mini-series) which seen I am referring to. I will only say that it occurs in the last third of the book and also once occurred later in the series!

Does anyone know why these wonderful series are cut? The same thing happened in Shroud for a Nightingale, but was not quite so relevant to the story! I think the directors and screenwriters may feel that these mini-series are too lengthy, so they go on through cutting scenes they do not deem to be necessary! Wish I had been there to take a vote on it! P.D. James is my favorite author and I did enjoy both books and mini-series!

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Why aren't you telling us which scene that is then?

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Movie girl-

Don't what to spoil the picture for you and others, but here it is. When the killer Dominic Swain shot Father Barnes it is thought that he had died. Do you recall that scene toward the end of the 5th segment? (I haven't seen it for quite awhile.)

When Paul Berowne's mistress visits the church toward the end she discovers the bad news about Father Barnes. We are left to think that he died. Miss Withers, the nice older lady who fixed the flowers is there and talks to her and Dalgiesh.

At the very end we discover that he did not die and would be coming back in a few weeks. I thought that was a very key scene! Of course the killer wanted to kill the little boy who might identify him by the button on his jacket, but it turned out that he actually felt sorry for the boy, as he had fainted. He concludes that poor Darrin was a neglected child like he had been, but thinks Father Barnes might be able to figure out that he is the killer. (Swain had returned to the church too late to retrieve the button).

He went inside the church to shoot Father Barnes who keeps saying, "Don't Shoot!" Of course he shot him anyway. So that last scene is missing. I had it on my original recording, but taped over it as I needed another VHS (in '99). WHen I later bought it in a professional set, I was annoyed to see the scene was missing! (There may have been something else trimmed off that I did not notice). Even worse was the cut in Shroud for a Nightingale. If you want me to I will tell you where that was. My husband and I both noticed it was missing when we saw it again! This scene was even more important than the one here.
I see you are a Pride and
Prejudice fan too! Jane Bingley is one of my favorite characters. If I could pick a character to portray, I would like to be Elizabeth Bennett!

So, in a nutshell, that was a strange way to cut that. I was surprised because the editor and producers are so gifted and creative! I really like T.R. Bowen who does a lot of arrangements. I am a really big fan of the wonderful P.D. James we just lost recently. Sorry I did not reveal the incident, but did not want to create a
"spoiler" on a message board. Take care!

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The scene you refer to is in the UK DVD set. If you have a computer with DVD player or multi region DVD player you will be able to view it.

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Movie girl: I thought it was totally lost! The story is even better with
this scene. Will have to talk to computer whiz my hubby. Thanks!

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Movie girl: Thanks again! As you are also a P.D. James fan, I Just wanted to ask if you noticed a scene missing
in Shroud for a Nightingale. This was an even more important scene in my opinion. (I did mention this on the message board for SFAN).

Toward the last half hour of the series Dalgliesh had confronted Sister Rolfe in the summerhouse. Later that night he returns and is struck over the head with a golf club. Morag, the young girl who cleans up the place, arrives very early in the morning and finds him semi-conscious. I just remember her being very short and reaching up to help this man who is so much taller. She has her arm around him to help him to walk to the infirmary. Stephen Courtney Briggs assisted by Sister Mary Taylor bandage up the wounded Dalgliesh who persists in the investigation in spite of the deadly attack.

Sadly, we did not tape this episode at the time, as we watched in real time. I never saw it complete again. So this was another time the splicers got too busy. Morag's part in the investigation was more complete than what is shown there. Sometimes the cohesive nature of a story is reduced by even the slightest removal of a scene.

MY hubby is going to look at the computer and our DVD player. It is Region 2 and will see if we can view all of ATFD. Thanks again for your help!

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Movie girl: Ok, here is the scene. I did not want to create a Spoiler, but it won't. At the very end of the story Father Barnes had been shot by the madman Dominick Swain. Paul Berowne's old girlfriend visits the church and it is supposed that he died in hospital. The scene cuts off there.

In the original scene Dalgliesh (I think - it has been a long time since I have seen it in its entirety) says that Father Barnes will recover. So I did think that was strange. The killer thought Father Barnes had seen the clue, his button, that he had lost at the church. He does not realize that the young boy Darrin had been the one to see the clue.

So we find that Darrin will go to a foster family to take care of him and Father Barnes will return to the church.

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Movie girl: Ok, here is the scene. I did not want to create a Spoiler, but it won't. At the very end of the story Father Barnes had been shot by the madman Dominick Swain. Paul Berowne's old girlfriend visits the church and wants to see Father Barnes. it is supposed that he died in hospital. The scene cuts off there.

In the original scene Dalgliesh happens to be at the church and talks to Morag, Paul's former girlfriend. She has come to the church to visit Father Barnes. He tells her Father Barnes has been shot. (I think - it has been a long time since I have seen it in its entirety) says that Father Barnes will recover. So I did think that was strange. The killer had thought Father Barnes had seen the clue, his button, that he had lost at the church. He does not realize that the young boy Darrin had been the one to see the clue but had not realized its significance. He does not harm Darrin anyway, when he finds that he is ill. Father Barnes will be returning to the church soon.

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