Critical Investigation Research (15,000+)
Possible Titles:
Have Hollywood attitudes towards violent content in 12A films become more liberal or have audie
nces’ film desires changed?
nces’ film desires changed?
Have recent Hollywood attitudes towards violence
changed audience expectations and pleasures?
Quotes:
"Dority (1989) defines censorship as a mind set that aims at protecting us from the perceived
harmful effects of what we read, see, and hear."
"Dority (1989) defines censorship as a mind set that aims at protecting us from the perceived
harmful effects of what we read, see, and hear."
"This kind of content used to be
rated X or NC-17. The motion picture industry keeps changing its standards. No
wonder the MPAA's rating system confuses parents." - Dr Ted Baehr
He added: "Even so, the movie
industry needs to clean up its act and stop inserting graphic violence, sex,
nudity, and drug use into its movies. After all, would Casablanca become an
even better work of art if the script contained a bunch of f-words, or if
Ingrid Bergman appeared completely nude? Definitely not!" - Dr Ted Baehr
“It will be inevitable that public attitudes and values will change over
time.”- BBFC website
BBFC Ratings
Books:
- The Film Cultures Reader
- Censoring the 1970s: The BBFC and the Decade That Taste Forgot
- Film and Video Censorship in Modern Britain
- Censoring Hollywood: Sex and Violence in Film and on the Cutting Room Floor
Articles:
- Censorship or Greed (http://thegreatesttrick.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/censorship-or-greed-the-12apg-13-debate/)
- 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)
Documentaries:
- BBC FOUR: Dear Censor- BBFC Documentary
The Film
Cultures Reader
The New Hollywood: Thomas Schatz:
“And with the 1966 breakdown of Hollywood’s Production Code and the
emergence in 1968 of the new ratings system- itself a further indication of the
segmented movie audiences- film-makers were experimenting with more politically
subversive, sexually explicit and/or graphically violent material.
Postmodernism and the end of Hong Kong cinema:
“For Hong Kong cinema, the late 1980s was also a period of social change
signalled by more liberal attitudes towards film censorships and the
decriminalization of homosexuality, confirmed in 1990 through a majority vote
in the legislative council. The new censorship ordinance was passed in 1988 and
introduced, for the first time in the territory, a ratings system.
Debate over link to Shooting in Colorado
http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/the-most-controversial-12a-films.html
The question is though, with scenes of kids (some as young as 10) slaughtering each other with spears, throwing knives and - at one point - killer bees, should youngsters even be allowed to watch it?
‘The Hunger Games’ is rated 12A by the British Board of Film Classification, and the success of the film has once again ignited the debate over this most controversial of movie certificates.
it was really stretching the 12 rating” with one child becoming “so distressed” that they had to leave the cinema.
12A (or lower) became the certificate every blockbuster needed to be successful
but after looking through the BBFC’s archives, the vast majority are reserved for 12A films that were felt to be grown-up for the age bracket.
Exhibit A was ‘The Bourne Identity’ - the first flick to get a 12A on its theatrical release. It featured a scene where Matt Damon’s forgetful CIA killer stabs an assassin with a biro before breaking his arms and legs... and neck.
One of the most high profile examples that followed was Bond flick ‘Casino Royale’, with the BBFC receiving 82 complaints over the violence and a few sexually suggestive scenes
other 12A movie that sailed close to the shores of a 15 was ‘Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines’ - which got the most complaints in 2003 (54).
The debate over the 12A rating was undeniably fiercest however in 2007 after the release of ‘The Dark Knight’. As we’ve already reported, the Batman sequel is the most complained about movie of the last decade in Britain, with 364 complaints
But many would still question if very young kids should be allowed to watch the film, even if they had mum and dad with them.
Institution Pressure or BBFC's Fault
Article: Censorship or Greed- Simon Dillon
If 12 were a mandatory rating like 15 or 18, then there would be less of an issue
Anyone who has read the Hunger Games trilogy (which incidentally is something I would highly recommend doing) will tell you that the blood and gore is absolutely integral to the entire point of the story. To censor it demonstrates a remarkable lack of artistic integrity
"But 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 tween market."
"irresponsible parents can (and do) bring screaming three year olds into films entirely inappropriate for them"
"One thing is certain: whilst Hollywood continues to greedily try and maximise profits in this way, stories aimed at grown-ups will continue to suffer."
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/the-dark-knight-rises
"Like its predecessors, The Dark Knight Rises features 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."
Censoring Hollywood: Sex and Violence in Film and on the Cutting Room Floor
By Aubrey Malone
"20th century, at a time when sex and violence were taboo on screen, and those who engaged in anything to do with either suffered dearly" (P1)
"Censorship wasnt a major issue in the days of silent films" (13)
"The history of the American cinema could be summed up in two words: 'kiss' and 'kill'." (P3)
Pauline Kael: Film Critic
BATMAN Ratings and Content Criticism
Batman Dark Knight & Dark Knight Rises Rated 12A
Telegraph Article:
"The most recent Batman film, The Dark Knight, was the subject of much dispute in the UK in 2008 after being handed a 12A certificate despite its powerful adult themes."- Jenny McCartney
A plainly terrorised child is threatened at gunpoint by a man with a melted face. It is all intensely realistic. Oh but don't worry, folks: there isn't any nudity.
The Dark Knight, however, has been rated 12A by the British Board of Film Classification, which means that although the BBFC believes it is best suited to children aged 12 and over, any under-12 can see it provided he or she is accompanied by an adult.
Casino Royale (2006), the most recent James Bond film, was also given a 12A certificate: young boys in particular are attracted to Bond just as strongly as adults are.
Parents and their open-mouthed children found themselves watching a scene in which a bloodied Bond, stripped naked and tied to a chair, is tortured by having his genitals beaten with a length of rope.
in the 2005 film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the intensity of the scenes involving the evil Lord Voldemort and his servants the Death Eaters caused the BBFC to upgrade its rating from a PG to a 12A.
"That a degree of violence is an unavoidable force in cinema, as it is in life"
Is there a link between screen violence and actual violence? Fans of violent films will tell you – frequently in the most aggressive terms – that there is not
And we know that entertainment aimed at young people is becoming markedly more violent.
Quentin Tarantino was the edgy enfant terrible of Hollywood. Now he is a member of its establishment, encouraging younger, mainstream "torture porn" directors such as Eli Roth to push the boundaries of explicit, ingenious cruelty ever further.
Increasingly, extreme screen violence is used not as a necessary adjunct to a greater point, but as the pleasurable point in itself.
The more violent the source of entertainment,
"Censorship wasnt a major issue in the days of silent films" (13)
"The history of the American cinema could be summed up in two words: 'kiss' and 'kill'." (P3)
Pauline Kael: Film Critic
BATMAN Ratings and Content Criticism
Batman Dark Knight & Dark Knight Rises Rated 12A
Telegraph Article:
"The most recent Batman film, The Dark Knight, was the subject of much dispute in the UK in 2008 after being handed a 12A certificate despite its powerful adult themes."- Jenny McCartney
Someone younger than 12 could watch a 12A film if
"An adult may take a younger 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."- BBFC
"Throughout time, parents have worried about the stories their children might be exposed to, fearing that some of these stories might have a negative influence on them."
A plainly terrorised child is threatened at gunpoint by a man with a melted face. It is all intensely realistic. Oh but don't worry, folks: there isn't any nudity.
The Dark Knight, however, has been rated 12A by the British Board of Film Classification, which means that although the BBFC believes it is best suited to children aged 12 and over, any under-12 can see it provided he or she is accompanied by an adult.
Casino Royale (2006), the most recent James Bond film, was also given a 12A certificate: young boys in particular are attracted to Bond just as strongly as adults are.
Parents and their open-mouthed children found themselves watching a scene in which a bloodied Bond, stripped naked and tied to a chair, is tortured by having his genitals beaten with a length of rope.
in the 2005 film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the intensity of the scenes involving the evil Lord Voldemort and his servants the Death Eaters caused the BBFC to upgrade its rating from a PG to a 12A.
"That a degree of violence is an unavoidable force in cinema, as it is in life"
Is there a link between screen violence and actual violence? Fans of violent films will tell you – frequently in the most aggressive terms – that there is not
And we know that entertainment aimed at young people is becoming markedly more violent.
Quentin Tarantino was the edgy enfant terrible of Hollywood. Now he is a member of its establishment, encouraging younger, mainstream "torture porn" directors such as Eli Roth to push the boundaries of explicit, ingenious cruelty ever further.
Increasingly, extreme screen violence is used not as a necessary adjunct to a greater point, but as the pleasurable point in itself.
The more violent the source of entertainment,
So anyone under the age of 12 could watch the film if accompanied by someone older than 18.
http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/the-most-controversial-12a-films.html
The question is though, with scenes of kids (some as young as 10) slaughtering each other with spears, throwing knives and - at one point - killer bees, should youngsters even be allowed to watch it?
‘The Hunger Games’ is rated 12A by the British Board of Film Classification, and the success of the film has once again ignited the debate over this most controversial of movie certificates.
it was really stretching the 12 rating” with one child becoming “so distressed” that they had to leave the cinema.
12A (or lower) became the certificate every blockbuster needed to be successful
but after looking through the BBFC’s archives, the vast majority are reserved for 12A films that were felt to be grown-up for the age bracket.
Exhibit A was ‘The Bourne Identity’ - the first flick to get a 12A on its theatrical release. It featured a scene where Matt Damon’s forgetful CIA killer stabs an assassin with a biro before breaking his arms and legs... and neck.
One of the most high profile examples that followed was Bond flick ‘Casino Royale’, with the BBFC receiving 82 complaints over the violence and a few sexually suggestive scenes
other 12A movie that sailed close to the shores of a 15 was ‘Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines’ - which got the most complaints in 2003 (54).
The debate over the 12A rating was undeniably fiercest however in 2007 after the release of ‘The Dark Knight’. As we’ve already reported, the Batman sequel is the most complained about movie of the last decade in Britain, with 364 complaints
But many would still question if very young kids should be allowed to watch the film, even if they had mum and dad with them.
Institution Pressure or BBFC's Fault
Article: Censorship or Greed- Simon Dillon
If 12 were a mandatory rating like 15 or 18, then there would be less of an issue
Anyone who has read the Hunger Games trilogy (which incidentally is something I would highly recommend doing) will tell you that the blood and gore is absolutely integral to the entire point of the story. To censor it demonstrates a remarkable lack of artistic integrity
"But 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 tween market."
"irresponsible parents can (and do) bring screaming three year olds into films entirely inappropriate for them"
"One thing is certain: whilst Hollywood continues to greedily try and maximise profits in this way, stories aimed at grown-ups will continue to suffer."
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/the-dark-knight-rises
"Like its predecessors, The Dark Knight Rises features 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."
Hunger Games- (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2121303/The-Hunger-Games-rating-Shocked-youngsers-walking-movie.html)
- Psychologists, child health professionals and parents yesterday joined calls for The Hunger Games to have its rating raised to a 15 because of its violent content
- The movie – about teenagers in a totalitarian future being forced to kill each other in gladiatorial combat – was initially given a 15 certificate by the British Board of Film Classification but this was lowered to a 12A after producers agreed to make several cuts.
- An especially brutal part of the 142-minute film depicts a bloodbath in which many of the young contestants die at the start of the games.
Iain Duncan Smith
“I was astonished that the board could have seen fit to allow anyone under the age of 15 to watch the film. 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”
Is the 12A still valid?- http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/is-the-12a-certificate-still-valid/
- What is important to note is that potentially anyone of any age can watch a 12A movie, providing that they are accompanied by an adult.
- the 12A rating has become a contradiction of requirements and increasingly insensitive to the material it inflicts on such a broad audience.
- As an arguably arbitrary extension of the PG rating, and boasting at least one example of double standards, perhaps we should return to simpler times and bring the 12 rating back to cinemas before the line is blurred further and the harder ratings get any ideas of their own.
Extreme cases where violence in film has been linked to violent crimes
- The motives of a 24-year-old suspect in a Colorado shooting that left 12 dead remain unknown.
- Some observers are wondering about the film's content and whether it played a role in the suspect's motives.
- One expert says that some people may think it could be okay to kill given the level of violent images that saturate our society.
Fight Scene in Batman Dark Knight Rises ( From 1.32mins)
This scene may not be suitable for anyone under 12 because its an ongoing fight scene which caries on for a couple of minutes. It focuses highly on how much each character is being harmed and leads to one of them about to die.
Under the 12A rating a 6 year old would be allowed to watch this if he is accompanied with someone 18+. This is certainly not suitable for anyone at that age.
Theories
Media Effects Theory- exposure to violence can make people become violent
Moral Panics
A quote from Telegraph, Allyson Pears
"At least, unlike the previous Dark Knight film, this one didn’t have a pencil being driven into someone’s eyeball by a demonic Joker."
Effects exposure to violence can have on children
Childhood Exposure to Media Violence Predicts Young Adult Aggressive Behavior, According to a New 15-Year Study
Link: http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2003/03/media-violence.aspx
