Have Hollywood attitudes towards content in 12A films
become more liberal or have audiences’
film desires changed?
Film
content in the 21st century has changed significantly compared to 30
years ago in order to cater to both audiences and changes in technology, as the
British Board of Certification believes that “Inevitably public
attitudes and values towards the censorship of British film has changed
considerably over time”.[1]
These
changes have caused the British Board of Film Certification to introduce the
12A rating in 2001. Looking at recent films from the 12A category it is clear
to see that 12A films are closer to 15 films rather than films from the
previous 12 rating. Therefore it shows that themes which would have been hugely
controversial in the 20th century have become more acceptable to
show in today’s society. The 20th century was a time where
explicitly sexual or violent scenes were completely unacceptable. In contrast,
today those themes are now more tolerable for audiences to view in film. So have
Hollywood attitudes towards film content become more liberal or have audience
film desires changed?
The British Board of Film Certification (BBFC) role in film
is to regulate and award age certifications to films in the UK. According to
their website their main mission is ‘the protection of children from harm.’[2] From this statement, it raises the issue as
to why the 12A certificate was introduced. The 12A was announced to allow any
audience member under the age of 12 to watch a film as long as they are
accompanied by an adult. This has caused controversy as the BBFC reveals
that, “12A are not recommended for a child under 12.”[3] They describe the 12A to contain: mature
themes, discrimination, soft drugs, commonly used milder swear words and
moderate violence/sex references.[4] These factors raise the issue as to who should
be held morally responsible for these being viewed. The filmmakers or audience
members who allow younger viewers to watch this content? Whilst arguing that
the film industry has a massive role in the content they produce, Jonathan
Seiden still believes, "any action against the entertainment
industry is just one piece of the puzzle ....'It all falls back on the judgment
of parents. We can't legislate the lack of parenting.'"[5]
By comparing a current 12A to a current 15
it shows that there is not much of a difference between the two ratings. Both
ratings are described as containing 'moderate violence/sex references.'[6] This is a major issue as it wouldn't be
morally right to allow a 6 year-old child to watch a film with this kind of
content. It is unusual to believe that if the BBFC’s role is to ‘protect’
children from content which may harm them,[7] that they would then allow such material to be
visible to them in certain films.
However, there response to such criticism is that they believe the
responsibility lies with the guardian of the child audience members in this age
certificate. On their website they were quoted as saying, “An adult may take a
young child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular
child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to
view lies with the accompanying adult.”[8] This response has caused controversy as the
number of complaints has drastically increased since the introduction of the
12A. A notable complaint about a 12A film was Labour MP, Keith Vaz who
said: “The BBFC should realise there are scenes of gratuitous violence in The
Dark Knight which I would certainly not take my 11-year-old daughter. It should
be a 15 classification”. [9]
Violence
in film has caused much debate about the effect it has on the viewer. From his
academic research, Stephen Hill states, “The audience response to a film is perhaps
the key issue in the debate for and against censorship.”[10] Events
which further ignited the effects theory debate are the violent actions which
have occurred in society. In recent year’s incidents such as the Colorado
shooting (2012), where a police officer said that the shooter was calling
himself, ‘The Joker’[11]
and the very recent Sandy Hook shooting
(2012)[12] where both the media and society claimed that
violence portrayed in the media may have helped induce a general mind-set
about violence in the world to the viewers of such content. These claims
supports Professor George Gerbner’s model of the Cultivation theory. Cultivation
theorists argue that television has long-term effects which are small, gradual,
indirect but cumulative and significant.[13] Similarly, other studies have resembled
Gerbner’s theory on the effects of violent film. The studies of Eron (1999)
have shown youth who view violence demonstrate increased aggression and were
more likely to be arrested and convicted of violent felonies.[14] Therefore,
by exposing audience members to such violent content at a very young age could
possibly have an impact on the viewer in the future.
It
has been argued that viewers who consume media with violence are more likely to
be influenced to become more violent. Someone who does agree with this
statement is Hollywood actor Jamie Foxx, who recently helped release the very
violent film Django Unchained. He said when asked about the influence: “We cannot turn our back and say that violence in films
or anything that we do doesn't have a sort of influence. It does."[15] These claims by people in the media industry
should be taken into consideration by the BBFC to reconsider their rating
system as it is evident that there is an influence.
One of the most controversial incidents in the BBFC’s
recent history was the certification of the Batman Dark Knight film. The Batman
films are considered one of the most successful franchises in Hollywood,
earning $2,669,234,002 since Tim Burton’s first 1989 film.[16] The Dark Knight was awarded a 12A and
immediately generated a huge amount of complaints from parents and various people
in society. The Batman sequel was the most complained about film in Britain,
with 364 complaints in 2008.[17] More
than 40 per cent of the letters and emails received by the British Board of
Film Classification were about the Christopher Nolan-directed film.[18] Factors which
caused these complaints were the unexpected violent themes in a film which
started off mainly targeting young children. One of the main culprits of these
complaints was the performance of the Joker. The whole persona of the Joker is one which is difficult to argue that
it is suitable for someone under the age of 12. The Dark Knight film
represents the Joker as a psychopathic killer who uses his knife to kill
people. The Joker’s make-up and costume is very satanic and disturbing to
look at. The red line across his mouth connotes blood and gore. Also his
scar across his cheek is very unpleasant for viewers to look at especially
younger children. Review website, commonsensemedia.org, also similarly described
the picture as a film with sections of “ultra-violent scenes of torture and death that are
too intense for younger kids, used to the nearly comic, stylized action
violence of other superhero films. A disturbingly high body count is achieved
via massive explosions, kidnappings, neck breakings, shootings, and
hand-to-hand combat." [19]
These
aspects have contributed to a fury of complaints by politicians and journalist
highlighting why this film isn’t appropriate for younger viewers. Conservative
politician Iain Duncan Smith was quoted saying he was ‘astonished’ that the
film allowed younger viewers to watch it. He also said, “Unlike past Batman films, where the villains were
somewhat surreal and comical figures, Heath Ledger's Joker is a brilliantly
acted but very credible psychopathic killer, who extols the use of knives to
kill and disfigure his victims during a reign of urban terrorism laced with
torture”. [20]
Whereas, Telegraph writer Jenny McCartney, described the film to have ‘powerful
adult themes’.[21]
All these complaints reiterate that it isn’t just a small minority who are
against the ratings made by the BBFC. However, American academic, Jonathan
Seiden believes that it is difficult to regulate the industry’s method of
entertaining. He says: ‘The First Amendment makes it difficult to draft a law
that would place meaningful restrictions on violent entertainment.’[22]
He argues that regulators are pressured
to meet the fine line between protecting the viewer and also giving the
producers a platform to express their creativity. He concludes by stating, ‘the
main objective of any regulation should be to protect an artist's freedom of
speech while at the same time monitoring to whom the speech is targeted.’[23]
Looking
at films before the 12A era, it is evident that film has changed drastically
over the years. Staying with the Batman sequels, Batman Returns (1992) was the
huge comic book film at the time. However, this film was only available for 15+
audience members to view. From the Batman Returns film it is obvious why it was
rated a 15. The film contained scenes which had The Catwoman in a tight leather
costume possibly used for the male audience’s pleasures. Also, there are scenes
of violence (i.e. female shot in the head with wound visible to the viewer)[24]
which would certainly be acceptable for
a 15 rated film. However, would this film be granted a 12A today? I believe so.
Comparing the 21st century Batman to the 20th there is
not a huge scale of difference between the violence and voyeuristic aspects of
the films. It could even be argued that the earlier Batman films are more
appropriate for a 12A rather than the post 2000’s films. Allyson Pearson from the Telegraph even
describes a particular scene from the Dark Knight Film containing a sequence
where, “a pencil being driven into someone’s eyeball by a
demonic Joker."[25] Acts like these surely wouldn’t be in
a 12 rated film 30 or 40 years ago. Subsequently, the industry’s main public
relations problem in the 1920’s and 1930’s was the widespread conviction that
children would be ‘coached’ in sophisticated, violent or antisocial behaviour
through their attendance at motion pictures.[26]
So why has
film content changed so drastically over the years? Observing from the
institutional point of view it is quite clear that they are benefiting greatly
from the introduction of the 12A. This is because the highest earning Box Office
films since the new certifications have been 12A films. These include, Dark
Knight/Dark Knight Rises, Casino Royale and The Hunger Games.[27]
These are films which have been turned
into franchises and have broken all Box Office records. The 12A allows the
institutions to include profitable and popular themes like violence and
voyeurism which are both very attractive to younger and older audiences. This
is why the demand for this particular rating has increased over the past
decade, as big blockbuster films usually appear to be a 12A.
Journalist
Simon Dillon argues that the main offender isn’t the BBFC but rather the
institutions. In his article Censorship or Greed he says: “in spite of the flaws of
the 12A certificate, the main problem isn’t with the BBFC but with the studios, who are allowing
this watering down to cash in on the teen market." [28] He claims, “whilst Hollywood continues to greedily try and maximise profits in this
way, stories aimed at grown-ups will continue to suffer."[29] An example of this is the production of the
Hunger Games film. The book tells a story consisting of extreme gore and blood
throughout which was a huge part of the narrative. Nevertheless, in order for
the film to be a 12A to gain the benefits mentioned above, the institution
decided to make it a less gory and violent film. Although whilst it may appear
that the BBFC’s censorship is working, industries are now obsessed with the
commercial success of their film and forgetting about the artistic integrity of
their products. This is the major
concern Simon Dillon has with this rating as he believes, “to censor it demonstrates a remarkable lack of artistic
integrity”.[30] Author, Jeremy F. Lane argues
that artists are now infatuated by commercially succeeding, which would
eventually affect their artistic integrity. He wrote: “any writer or artist who
experienced immediate commercial success would be subject to suspicion, accused
of having compromised their artistic integrity to the unsophisticated demands
of the mass-market.”[31]
Technological developments have also led to a change in the culture of
film audiences, making them more liberal when it comes to more controversial
themes. Film critic, Pauline Kael states, “The history of American cinema could
be summed up in two words: ‘kiss’ and ‘kill’.”[32] Those two words are the two pleasures of
audiences which have evolved considerably over the years. As technology has
improved, so has the action and overall quality of film thus increasing the
expectations of film audiences. Audience members now expect more realistic
violence and gruesome scenes as they know technology makes this possible. This
expectation has possibly had an impact on film institutions and organisations
such as the BBFC because they know if they don’t supply the demands of the
audience it will result in lower ratings and ultimately fewer finances. Consequently, the BBFC may feel forced to
become more lenient with certificating films because of the pressure being
mounted on them by film studios. So should the BBFC be the main culprits when
it comes to certificating films considering how audience members’ desires have
changed considerably in the last 30 years.
A film audience pleasure which has also become more acceptable in today’s
media is the sexual content included in films. It is now acceptable in society
to view more explicit content as opposed to 30 years ago. This has resulted in
the certificates to allow more of this content. For instance, a 12A accepts
moderate sex references. This is a complete transformation when comparing it to
the 20th century. Author, Aubrey Malone claims the 20th century was a time, “when sex and violence were
taboo on screen, and those who engaged in anything to do with either suffered
dearly". [33] This completely contrasts the way those aspect
are portrayed today. This demonstrates the scale in which how audience
pleasures have transformed over time. British journalist,
William Boddy agrees with this change as he claims, “contemporary observers and
historians of both the motion-pictures industry and the network television
portray the decade of the 1950s as a period of traumatic change.”[34]
So who does the moral responsibility lie with when it comes to exposing
such films to younger viewers- The audience or the institutions? The 12A has
started a debate regarding who should be held morally accountable for exposing
such material to younger viewers. Steve Campsall mentions in his academic
research that,
“Many
people today believe that the screening of certain extreme violence can work to
‘normalise’ these things in some viewers’ minds, perhaps especially younger
viewers who do not have sufficient experience to reject what they see or to see
it as pure fantasy with no place in reality.”[35]
Campsall illustrates that perhaps the
guardians of the younger viewers should be held more morally responsible by
allowing such young members to view this kind of content. Parenting has often
become a talking point in the media. This was a major discussion when the 2011
London Riots occurred. Many parts of the media blamed parents for their lack of
discipline of the youth. For instance, Head teachers’ leader, Brian Lightman
claimed, “Parents are not willing to say ‘no’. That short, simple word is an
important part of any child’s upbringing.”[36]
Quotes like this could be associated with the permitting of younger audiences
viewing films which aren’t appropriate for them due the lack of disciplined
parenting. Parents should be held accountable for this matter happening. Thus,
film institutions shouldn’t be held fully responsible.
On the
other hand, blogger, Andrew Moore argues, “I don't think film makers have a moral obligation to the
audience.”[37] This is a reasonable conclusion as film makers
are obligated to entertain and educate viewers in whatever way they feel and would
do so at all costs. This is because their main goal is to financially benefit
and therefore they have no moral conscious of the audience. An example of these
beliefs was demonstrated in a recent Channel 4 News interview with Quentin
Tarantino on his film Django Unchained. When Tarantino was questioned on why he
makes so many violent films he said, “I think it is good cinema”[38] and believed that the reason people watched
violent films was because he believed that ‘it’s a fantasy’ and that it isn’t
‘real life’. Quentin Tarantino later refused to answer questions from the
interviewee when asked about the link between film and real violence. He
believed that there weren’t a real link. As a result, he remarked, “I’m
shutting your butt down!”[39] The questions regarding violence angered him
as he wanted to be asked uncontroversial questions to help him promote his film
positively to gain commercial success. This interview reiterates that the
filmmaker’s sole goal is to entertain viewers in whichever way they feel they
could succeed both artistically and financially.
Although it is quite apparent that Hollywood attitudes towards content
in 12A films have become more liberal,
I believe film audience pleasures have also changed. The Hollywood attitude
today is that they are always open to new policies and willing to discard the
traditional as long as they make a profit. Their main goal is always to attract
greater audiences, so their attitude towards the content in 12A films is
indifferent. They are uninterested in moral factors such as content to children,
as their sole focus is to benefit financially. On the other hand, from the
perspective of society there should be a concern to the content provided in 12A
films. It is quite unquestionable that content in 12A films are certainly not
appropriate for young viewers. Especially the very young ones at the ages of
5-6 who are accompanied by irresponsible adults. A blog which discusses the validation of the
12A argues that, “the 12A rating has
become a contradiction of requirements and increasingly insensitive to the
material it inflicts on such a broad audience.”[40] This
is the view I have on the rating as I believe that to go back to the original
12 would make it both more clearer for guardians taking children to the cinema
and also fulfils the BBFC’s goal of protecting viewers from perceived harmful
effects from what we see. Even though I
do accept that audience desires have
changed, I consider the most appropriate thing is to take younger viewers into
consideration to prevent any detrimental implications in the future by
reassessing the criteria of the 12A rating to make it both enjoyable and
morally suitable for the intended target audience.
Word
Count: 3,317
Works Cited
Books/Journals:
·
Jonathan
Seiden. Scream-ing for a Solution: Regulating Hollywood
Violence; An Analysis of Legal and
Legislative Remedies. 2001.
·
Warren, Nicholas. Teen film censorship
considerations and a diatribe against violence. 2011
·
Bernstein, Matthew. Controlling Hollywood: Censorship and Regulation in
the Studio Era. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1999.
·
Lane, Jeremy F. Bourdieu's Politics:
Problems and Possibilities. London: Routledge, 2006.
·
Malone,
Aubrey. Censoring Hollywood: Sex and violence in film and on the cutting room
floor. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland. 2011.
·
Boddy, Williams. The
Studios Move in Prime Time: Hollywood and the Television Industry in the 1950s.
Urbana: University of Illinois Press. 1990.
Internet:
·
Steve
Campsall- (http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/introducing-media-audiences/)
·
Stephen Hill,
(http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/mmagpast/MM24_shock_cinema.html)
·
BBFC (British
Board of Certification)
·
BBFC - (http://www.bbfc.co.uk/case-studies/bbfc-and-university-westminster-celebrate-100-years-cinematic-history)
·
BBFC-The
Guideline.p.5 (pdf)
·
BBFC- The
Guidelines.p.25 (pdf)
·
Den of the Geek- (http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/batman/13531/the-dark-knight-is-a-12a-bbfc-stands-by-its-decision)
·
Fox News- (http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/07/20/nyc-police-commissioner-said-alleged-shooter-called-himself-joker-could-have/)
·
The Guardian- (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2012/dec/16/sandy-hook-shooting-victims-pictures)
·
Daniel Chandler:
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/short/cultiv.html
·
CBS News
(http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-207_162-57559564/jamie-foxx-quentin-tarantino-speak-about-movie-violence-in-wake-of-newtown-conn-shootings/)
·
Investopedia- (http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0710/top-10-successful-movie-franchises.aspx#axzz2JSQvLRDi)
·
Yahoo Movies- (http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/the-most-controversial-12a-films.html)
·
Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/5617855/Dark-Knight-sparks-more-complaints-than-any-other-film.html)
·
Review Website- (http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/the-dark-knight-rises)
·
Jenny McCartney,
Telegraph- (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/2461820/Our-attitude-to-violence-is-beyond-a-joke-as-new-Batman-film-The-Dark-Knight-shows.html)
·
Allyson Pearson,
Telegraph- (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9426408/Why-was-a-child-watching-such-a-violent-movie.html)
·
Boxoffice.com
·
Simon Dillon,
Censorship or Greed
(http://thegreatesttrick.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/censorship-or-greed-the-12apg-13-debate/)
·
BBC
News- (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14462102)
·
Andrew Moore- (http://the-book-thief.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/morality-bites-do-directors-have-moral.html)
·
Is the 12A Valid? (http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/is-the-12a-certificate-still-valid/)
Moving Image
·
Batman Returns (1992)
Work Consulted
Books:
|
|
·
Barber,
Sian. Censoring the 1970s: The BBFC and the Decade That Taste Forgot. Newcastle
upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars P. 2011.
·
Film
and Video Censorship in Modern Britain- Petley, J, (2011)
·
The
Film Cultures Reader- Turner, G, (2002)
Film Theory Goes To the Movies-
Collins, J, (1997)
·
Film Theory and Contemporary Hollywood Movies, Buckland, W, (2009)
Internet:
·
BBFC.com
·
Effects exposure to violence can have on
children: (http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2003/03/media-violence.aspx)
·
Hunger Games Article- (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2121303/The-Hunger-Games-rating-Shocked-youngsers-walking-movie.html)
Moving Image Texts:
·
Batman
Returns Trailer- ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKiG_9C5T8E&safe=active)
·
Batman
Dark Knight Rises Scene- http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png
·
BBC
FOUR: Dear Censor- BBFC Documentary
·
Batman
Dark Knight & Dark Knight Rises
[1]
BBFC (http://www.bbfc.co.uk/case-studies/bbfc-and-university-westminster-celebrate-100-years-cinematic-history)
[2]
BBFC-The Guideline.p.5
[3]
BBFC- The Guidelines.p.25
[4] ibid
[5]
Scream-ing for a Solution: Regulating Hollywood
Violence; An Analysis of Legal and
Legislative Remedies.
Seiden, J (2001) .p.1037
[6]
BBFC- The Guidelines.p.25
[7]
BBFC- The Guidlineas.p.5
[8]
BBFC (British Board of Certification)
[9]
Den of the Geek
(http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/batman/13531/the-dark-knight-is-a-12a-bbfc-stands-by-its-decision)
[10]
Stephen Hill,
(http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/mmagpast/MM24_shock_cinema.html)
[11]
Fox News
(http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/07/20/nyc-police-commissioner-said-alleged-shooter-called-himself-joker-could-have/)
[12]
The Guardian-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2012/dec/16/sandy-hook-shooting-victims-pictures
[13]
Daniel Chandler: http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/short/cultiv.html
[14]
Teen film censorship considerations and a diatribe against violence. N. Warren,
p.45
[15]
CBS News
(http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-207_162-57559564/jamie-foxx-quentin-tarantino-speak-about-movie-violence-in-wake-of-newtown-conn-shootings/)
[16]
Investopedia
(http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0710/top-10-successful-movie-franchises.aspx#axzz2JSQvLRDi)
[18]
Telegraph
(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/5617855/Dark-Knight-sparks-more-complaints-than-any-other-film.html)
[19]
Review Website (http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/the-dark-knight-rises)
[20]
Den of the Geek
(http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/batman/13531/the-dark-knight-is-a-12a-bbfc-stands-by-its-decision)
[21] Jenny McCartney, Telegraph
(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/2461820/Our-attitude-to-violence-is-beyond-a-joke-as-new-Batman-film-The-Dark-Knight-shows.html)
[22]
Scream-ing for a Solution: Regulating Hollywood
Violence; An Analysis of Legal and
Legislative Remedies.
Seiden, J
(2001) .p.1037
[23] ibid
[24]
Batman Returns (1992)
[25]
Allyson Pearson, Telegraph
(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9426408/Why-was-a-child-watching-such-a-violent-movie.html)
[26]
Controlling Hollywood: Censorship and Regulation in the Studio Era. M.
Bernstein, p. 111
[27]
Boxoffice.com
[28]
Simon Dillon, Censorship or Greed
(http://thegreatesttrick.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/censorship-or-greed-the-12apg-13-debate/)
[29]
Simon Dillon, Censorship or Greed
(http://thegreatesttrick.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/censorship-or-greed-the-12apg-13-debate/)
[30] Ibid
[31]
Bourdieu's Politics: Problems and Possibilities. J.F.Lane, p.126
[32] Censoring
Hollywood: Sex and Violence in Film and on the Cutting Room Floor- Malone, A
(2011).p.3
[33] Censoring
Hollywood: Sex and Violence in Film and on the Cutting Room Floor- Malone, A
(2011).p.3
[34] The Studios Move in Prime Time: Hollywood and the
Television Industry in the 1950s- Boddy, W
[36] BBC News-
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14462102)
[37]
Andrew Moore- (http://the-book-thief.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/morality-bites-do-directors-have-moral.html)
[38]
Channel 4 News, Quentin
Tarantino Interview- (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrsJDy8VjZk)
[39] ibid
[40]
Is the 12A Valid? (http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/is-the-12a-certificate-still-valid/)
