2. 1. Who are BBFC and what do they do?They are the British Board of Film Classification
and they put ratings and they regulate films.
2. What are the ratings used by the BBFC today?
U,PG,PG 13,12A,12.15,18
3. How do contemporary BBFC ratings compare to to historical BBFC ratings
There are more leniency now because there is a 12A rating now which is when you can go
see a 12 at whatever age but you just need an adult to guide you but before there was no 12A,
it was just you needed to be over than that specific rating.
Joe’s Questions:
4. When was the 12a rating introduced and what impact did it have on films released at
that time?
The 12a rating was introduced in 2002 following some research by the BBFC into whether the
public would prefer a 12 or a more flexible 12a rating for the upcoming releases. The vote fell in
favour of the 12a rating as it allowed more freedom for under 12’s and also a much broader
audience range for filmmakers. However, with the release of the 12a rating, there was also
much controversy when new films were added to that classification as it was suddenly the
parents’ decision to accompany a child to the cinema. Thus leaving it up to them to determine
whether the film is suitable prior to viewing it. There was also a positive to this rating being
introduced as it allowed filmmakers to be more bold and perhaps more mature whilst still
maintaining the vast audience that a low age rated film receives.
5. What issues are still raised regarding the 12a rating?
There are a few key issues with the 12a rating system that remain a problem for cinema
attendees, particularly in relation to censorship and the protection of younger audiences. Firstly,
there has been much controversy in the past years over certain censorship decisions and films
being placed in the 12a bracket. The problem that people have with this is that they doubt
whether a film that contains a certain number of profanities or sexual references belongs in a
margin where under 12’s can view it with only minor supervision. This opens people of a young
age up to various film features that they may/should not have access to when they are at such
an impressionable period in their life.
6. Why was ‘A Clockwork Orange’ (1971, d. Stanley Kubrick) withdrawn from UK general
release in 1973?
‘A Clockwork Orange’ was controversial in cinemas from its release, due to its extremely violent,
graphic and sensitive subject matter. This sparked an intense backlash from audiences who
thought that due to the speedy rise of crime in that period, the last thing that potential criminals
needed was more ideas, especially ones as sadistic as those seen in the film. Due to this,
Stanley Kubrick’s family were receiving threats from a number of disgruntled viewers who felt
that Kubrick’s mind was not suitable for making films
3. 7. What film had the longest running ban in cinema history? Why was it so controversial?
Love Camp 7 released in 1969. The BBFC said it was banned due to the eroticised depictions
of sexual violence and the repeated content of sex with restraint, pain and humiliation.
8. Using the BBFC student guide website find 3 contemporary examples and 3 historical
examples of difficult classification decisions made by the BBFC.
- As the growth of television ownership eroded the adult/family cinema audience, films like Rock
Around The Clock (1956) drew teenage audiences. Cut for U, this film caused rioting in cinemas
and fuelled increasing concern about teenage criminality, although there was in fact no
evidence of a teenage crime wave as suggested by the popular press. However, the decade
began with a challenge in the form of Michael Powell's Peeping Tom, which had been seen by
the BBFC at the script stage and provoked a remark from Trevelyan about its 'morbid
concentration on fear'. Various cuts had been suggested at script stage, and the film was rated
X in 1960 with cuts. Critics greeted the film with a torrent of abuse and it failed to please the
public, damaging Powell's reputation. The DVD remained at 18 until 2007 when it was re-rated
15
- A new ratings system in the United States included an uncensored X category, left to the sole
control of the criminal law. John Trevelyan, the BBFC Secretary at the time, was concerned by
this: 'We are afraid that this will have the effect of giving certain film-makers the opportunity of
going much further than they have done in scenes of sex and sexual perversion, since with the
protection of an X rating, they can shed personal responsibility'. The 1970s did indeed see the
release of a number of provocative films, in particular those that linked sex and violence, for
example Straw Dogs (1971), and A Clockwork Orange (1971), both of which contained
controversial rape scenes.
9. What are the key arguments against film classification and regulation? Who makes
them?
I can be argued that there is a need for and against stricter regulation in film and BBFC
organisation. It can be argued that vulnerable and more sensitive viewers need stricter
regulations. FIlms are rated in order to protect younger viewers from unsuitable and harmful
content and give consumers the information they need before deciding whether or not they
should watch the film. The BBFC judge issues such as discrimination, drugs, horror, dangerous
and easily imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, and violence when making decisions on
what a film should be rated. The theme of the work is also an important consideration. They also
consider context, the tone and likely impact of a work on the potential audience. A film that is
rated a 15 is rated this way to stop people under the age of 15 from watching the film. This is
because in 15 rated films you will see - strong violence, strong language, nudity, sexual
references, brief references to sexual violence and drug taking. A film that is rated an 18 is
rated this way because it will contain very strong violence, strong horror, strong blood and gore,
real sex, frequent and strong language and discriminatory language and behaviour.
4. 10. Based on your reading and research so far, do you think film classification works
and why/why not?
Film Classification is an effective way to protect moral values in society. However, there is the
view that media, including cinema, influence people and teach behaviour, like the hypodermic
needle injecting 'effects' into passive viewers. There is also the anti-censorship view, which
feels that we are able to understand texts as works of fiction or art; if an individual commits an
act of violence in response to a media experience, then the psychological condition of the
perpetrator is the problem, not the film. In between are those of us who think that classification
is needed and those who believe that some kinds of films might be 'harmful', but that others are
not. Moreover, ‘the effects debate’ concerns the link between viewing and behavior, in the
sense that films can influence, but that citizens should not be all treated as though they cannot
interpret filmic images safely.
