Film Censorship

Objective: to understand the purpose of film censorship and what it does to the audience

Film Censorship - Film censorship touches the lives of everybody who watches films. It is a part of modern life. Censorship is for protection, the question must be asked though, what is being protected? Is it the public, the state, some body represented in the film, or something else?

Film Certification

UC - Universal, Particularly Suitable For Children (Video Releases Only)

U - Universal

PG - Parental Guidance Recommended

12 - Suitable For Persons Over The Age Of 12

15 - Suitable For Persons Over The Age Of 15

18 - Suitable For Persons Over The Age Of 18

These divisions have emerged from nearly 85 years of censorship.

Fewer films have been banned, they get sent back to the film studios or productions to be edited or cut for the audience for example when they get released they have a double disc on DVD or they have the extended versions with the original takes.

BBFC – British Broad Film Classification

Universal – Suitable for all

It is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. But a ‘U’ film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. ‘U’ films should be set within a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.

If a work is particularly suitable for a pre-school child to view alone, this will be indicated in the Consumer Advice.

Discrimination

No discriminatory language or behaviour unless clearly disapproved of.

Drugs

No references to illegal drugs or drug misuse unless they are infrequent and innocuous, or there is a clear educational purpose or anti-drug message suitable for young children.

Horror

Scary sequences should be mild, brief and unlikely to cause undue anxiety to young children. The outcome should be reassuring.

Imitable behaviour

No potentially dangerous behaviour which young children are likely to copy. No emphasis on realistic or easily accessible weapons.

Language

Infrequent use only of very mild bad language.

Nudity

Occasional natural nudity, with no sexual context.

Sex

Mild sexual behaviour (for example, kissing) and references only (for example, to ‘making love’).

Theme

While problematic themes may be present, their treatment must be sensitive and appropriate for young children.

General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for some children

‘PG’ Parental Guidance

Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. A ‘PG’ film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. However, parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger or more sensitive children.

Theme

More serious issues may be featured, eg crime, domestic violence, racism (providing nothing in their treatment condones them).

Language

Mild bad language only.

Nudity

Natural nudity, with no sexual context.

Sex

Sexual activity may be implied, but should be discreet and infrequent. Mild sexual references and innuendo only.

Violence

Moderate violence, without detail, may be allowed - if justified by its setting (eg historic, comedy or fantasy).

Imitable techniques

No glamorisation of realistic, contemporary weapons. No detail of fighting or other dangerous techniques.

Horror

Frightening sequences should not be prolonged or intense. Fantasy settings may be a mitigating factor.

Drugs

No references to illegal drugs or drug use unless entirely innocuous

12A/12

Exactly the same criteria are used to classify works at ‘12A’ and ‘12’. These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12 or contain material which many parents will find unsuitable for them.

Theme

No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate to 15 year olds.

Language

There may be frequent use of strong language; the strongest terms (eg ‘cunt’) are only rarely acceptable. Continued aggressive use of strong language and sexual abuse is unacceptable.

Nudity

There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.

Sex

Sexual activity and nudity may be portrayed but without strong detail. The depiction of casual sex should be handled responsibly. There may be occasional strong verbal references to sexual behaviour.

Violence

Violence may be strong but may not dwell on the infliction of pain, and of injuries. Scenes of sexual violence must be discreet and brief.

Imitable techniques

Dangerous combat techniques such as ear claps, head-butts and blows to the neck are unlikely to be acceptable. There may be no emphasis on the use of easily accessible lethal weapons (in particular, knives).

Horror

Sustained or detailed infliction of pain or injury is unacceptable.

Drugs

Drug taking may be shown but clear instructive detail is unacceptable. The film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug use.

15

No-one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video.

Theme

No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate to 15 year olds.

Language

There may be frequent use of strong language; the strongest terms (eg ‘cunt’) are only rarely acceptable. Continued aggressive use of strong language and sexual abuse is unacceptable.

Nudity

There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.

Sex

Sexual activity and nudity may be portrayed but without strong detail. The depiction of casual sex should be handled responsibly. There may be occasional strong verbal references to sexual behaviour.

Violence

Violence may be strong but may not dwell on the infliction of pain, and of injuries. Scenes of sexual violence must be discreet and brief.

Imitable techniques

Dangerous combat techniques such as ear claps, head-butts and blows to the neck are unlikely to be acceptable. There may be no emphasis on the use of easily accessible lethal weapons (in particular, knives).

Horror

Sustained or detailed infliction of pain or injury is unacceptable.

Drugs

Drug taking may be shown but clear instructive detail is unacceptable. The film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug use.

18

No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video.

The BBFC respects the right of adults to choose their own entertainment, within the law. It will therefore expect to intervene only rarely in relation to ‘18’ rated cinema films. In the case of videos, which are more accessible to younger viewers, intervention may be more frequent.

There are no constraints at this level on theme, language, nudity or horror. The Board may, however, cut or reject the following content

•          Any detailed portrayal of violent or dangerous acts which is likely to promote the activity. This includes also instructive detail of illegal drug use

•          The more explicit images of sexual activity - unless they can be exceptionally justified by context

Sex Education at ‘18’

Where sex material genuinely seeks to inform and educate in matters such as human sexuality, safe sex and health, exceptions to the normal constraints on explicit images may be made in the public interest. Such explicit detail must be kept to the minimum necessary to illustrate the educational or instructional points being made.

Sex Works at ‘18’

Material which appears to be simulated is generally passed ‘18’, while images of real sex are confined to the ‘R18’ category.

We was also to consider our own Thriller film ratings as we would have consider our traget audience, also the content that goes into our film so we would be able to give it a age rating. I think that our film would get a 15 rating because the content we have is voilence but is mild because you do not see any killings. It does contain explict props such as a bloody nature, contains things of a sexual nature such as when she has been killed and raped. Although you do not see this, we used an editing technique called the Kuleshov effect where you do not see it but at the next thing the audience already knows what has happened so they do the thinking for themselves and suspect what has happening giving the film suspense and an emotional impact.

Another reason why I think should be a 15 is because the violence of the film and the sexual nature are disrect and brief which is why I think anyone who is under the age of 15 would not be able to undertsand the context of the film because they are still too young to understand what is going on, they will only understand the basic whereas someone at the age of 15 and over will undertstand the complexity of the film. Futhermore I have done some reasarch of Thriller movies which have the age rating of 12 and 15 and I from this research I am know able to tell what makes a 12 and what makes a 15.

A thriller movie which has 12 tends to have more suspense and more of an impact on the audience in the movie rather than violence  and things of a sexual nature, whereas a 15 will be inclined to have violence which add more of a scare to the viewers and sometimes thigns of mid sexual nature but only discreet. Also in a 12 thriller movie the prop you can only have is a knife and the violence can never been seen the audience just expect that to happen which always works. Whereas a 15 can have more than a knife it can have other dangerous weapons.

In our thriller film we intend to use a knife because it fits in with a choice of genre and also it does make the scene look more realistic. The scene shows the man gently / swiftly / slowly moving the knife down her leg this shows violence but it is discreet, so the auidence do not actually see the stabbing. Through the Kulshov effect they will know and expect that to happen.