WARNING: Original unit is MIA

Rating: Null/10 (16 July 2010)

I was delighted when this title was first released on DVD several years ago. With the original rating (R) and the original length (116 min.), the DVD was finally going to let me re-experience the version I saw when MASH was originally released to theaters (as opposed to the 1973 PG reissue, at 112 min.)
Imagine my disappointment after I bought the DVD and discovered that it was still altered from the original theatrical version. The giveaway was the "suicide scene" wherein Lieutenant Dish "resuscitates" Painless. On disk, instead of seeing Dish and Painless having sex in his coffin, we see a long shot of the outside of the tent, as they emit love-making noises on the soundtrack.
Fool me once, fool me twice. I found the Blu-ray disk on sale this week for $10, and even though I was aware that it would likely be no better regarding completeness than the DVD, I bet a sawbuck on it anyway. My premonition was correct, it's the same expurgated version on BD as on DVD.
Since I haven't seen the "director's cut" in four decades, and given the unavailability of a complete version, I've given MASH a low rating here. I'll give it a true rating if and when I obtain a true copy.