The BBFC have had to really look into the potential to harm for a very large number of films since they became the body for film regulation in the UK. Recently, I looked at a number of different examples of controversial films, some of which seem quite minor and some of which seem to be quite extreme cases. Here is a brief overview of the films I looked at:
The Bunny Game (Unable to receive a suitable age-rating.)
– This is a horror film about a prostitute who catches a lift with a trucker who turns out to be a rather nasty (a slight understatement) psychopath. The BBFC applied the current Classification Guidelines (2009) in order to try and classify the film… However, there were serious concerns about the portrayal of the violence, and especially because often the violence is sexual or sexualised. Since the abuse of the kidnapped woman takes up the greater part of The Bunny Game, and there was emphasis on the womans nudity which potentially eroticises the film, the BBFC were unable to rate the film and it was therefore refused a certificate.
Antichrist
Antichrist is a film, which you may or may not have heard of by the notorious Lars Von Trier, who many say repeatedly challenges the conventions of the world of film. The film is about a couple who are grieving the loss of their child, who go to an isolated cabin in the middle of the woods in order to try and help repair their broken hearts. However, the plot is much more complex than just that, and there are rapid changes and significant turmoil as the death of their child creates psychological damage. There were several strong images which the BBFC were a bit unsure of, when looked at in 2009. There were strong images of real sex, and unsimulated penetration, combined with self-mutilation, bloody violence and strong gory images. However, it was eventually released 18 uncut, as the BBFC want to enable adults to have liberty on what they view. Warnings were released on BBFCInsight and made very clear, so that the potential to harm was reduced further.
Black Swan
Black Swan is a popular film, released in 2010 by a known director, generating a mass audience. There were however issues with self-inflicted pain and the length of a sex scene, even though it was quite implied. There were also issues with body image and the spiking of a drink. Because of the appeal to a young female audience, the film managed to get rated a 15 uncut.
Nymphomaniac
Another film by the notorious Lars Von Trier. The film contained more unsimulated sex with genetal penetration, strong gore and additionally there was a rather gory abortion. Once again however, there were no cuts and it was rated 18 for similar reasons to Antichrist.
Straw Dogs
An example of a much older film, released in 1973 as an 18. Straw Dogs is quite a famous example of a film which was regulated. There was a rather controversial rape scene, which appeared to start as rape but finish as being consensual. As a consequence, cuts were made to reduce the potential to harm, but the story did not quite work in the same way as before. Whilst Straw Dogs was released as 18 with cuts, later the cuts were dismissed.
The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games had quite a unique plot, in that it hadn’t really ever been attempted before. The idea that teenagers were being trained to kill other teenagers would be seen by many as being a bit risqué pre-The Hunger Games. However, the film eventually made it as a 12A. There were initially issues to violence and gore, and realistic scenes which appeared to glamorize violence. However, The Hunger Games, a bit like Black Swan was trying to attract a younger audience and so it was at first released in the cinema as a 15, but later on DVD a few minor cuts were made for a 12A.
The Woman In Black
A haunted house film, which was the first film Daniel Radcliffe showed up in after the Harry Potter series. Because of Daniel Radcliffe, the film will have attracted a mass audience of younger viewers. Issues which the BBFC picked out, were that children were killing themselves at the beginning, as well as children drinking bleach. However these were the only real issues. The BBFC recieved a massive 134 letters of complaint after releasing the film in cinemas as a 12A. However, this decision was realistically quite proportionate, since children killing themselves and drinking bleach was only a minor part of the film, and the letters of complaint mainly referred to the intensity of the horror. This is a good example however of a horror done well, and it is very jumpy. However, because it does not really show anything particularly damaging to viewers, it could not really be made more strict. The intensity however was reduced slightly by making cuts to the music and soundtrack.
Natural Born Killers
Natural Born Killers is one of the unfortunate films to get caught up in a number of violent films of its time. It showed people on a killing spree and was relatively violent. However, it was not particularly bad and was eventually released 18 uncut. However, at the time 4 minutes were cut from the film, and this was mainly thought to be from murders going on around the same time as the film being released. The potential harm to society was therefore thought to be greater, as society was a bit more sensitive to the concept of murder and killing sprees.
The Exorcist
The Exorcist challenged new conventions and there were anti-catholic issues, which made regulation more difficult. However, the BBFC focuses more on the potential to harm, than the potential to offend, and so whilst a film might not be enjoyed by a universal audience, it must be remembered that the harm to the audience is much more important than anything else. It was therefore rated 18 uncut, although there were some issues with sexual references of a 12 year old girl, which caused problems with the children protection act.
The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas
The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas was originally a book, and it was a successful book which was often read in class by schools in the UK. It’s was about a German who made friends with a jew between the fence at Auschwitz. Because of it being read in classes in the UK, the film makers wanted to try and achieve a PG certificate from the BBFC, in order to reach the largest audience possible. However, because of the prolonged distress of the missing child, it meant that it could not achieve a PG, and the intensity meant that it could only achieve a 12 certificate.
Reservoir Dogs
A well-known film by the highly famous director, Quentin Tarantino. The film is about a group of robbers who are stealing a diamond, but the robbers are ambushed and there is a shoot-out with the police. The robbers eventually make it back to their warehouse but there is a problem. The robbers suspect a snitch amongst them, and the rest of the film follows the robbers trying to figure out which one of them is the snitch. There was blood, swearing and sexual references which the BBFC did not mind so much. However, because most of the film is filmed in the same location – one of the characters spends most of the film bleeding to death in the background which was thought to be a bit much. Additionally, there was more controversy over a torture scene with a police officer, where the police officer has his ear chopped off. The character appears to take pleasure from the act, and so it made it quite risqué. However, it was eventually released 18 uncut regardless of all this content.
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