Essay Plan

Title:  Have Hollywood attitudes towards content in 12A films become more liberal or have audiences’ film desires changed?

Introduction: 

This essay will be discussing whether Hollywood has become more liberal towards the content shown in  12A films or if its the audiences which has changed. 

• When the 12A was introduced: 2002
• The first film to get the 12A certificate was Bourne Identity 

P1: 12A in more detail and other certificates

The institution which manages the certificates and censorship of films is the British Board of film Certification

• According to the BBFC, "films under this certificate are considered to be unsuitable for very young people". 
• The 12A contains: mature themes, discrimination, soft drugs, commonly used milder swear words and moderate violence/sex references. 
• The 12A certificate allows any person to watch a film as long as they are accompanied by someone 18 or older, thus allowing a child who could be 5/6 years old to watch a film in this category. 
• The BBFC says, "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

The 12 rating is only for VHS, DVD or Blu-ray  

The difference between the 12A and 15:

• The 15 contains adult themes whereas the 12A has mature themes
• Hard drugs rather than soft drugs
• However, both the 12A and 15 has moderate violence/sex references.

P2: Films from 12A (content which wouldn't be suitable for audiences under 12)

Batman Trilogy 

• Both the Batman Dark Knight and Dark Knight Rises were both given a 12A
• Jenny McCartney from the Telegraph described the Dark Knight as containing 'powerful adult themes'

The Dark Knight film represents the Joker as a psychopathic killer who uses his knife to kill people. The Jokers make-up and costume is very satanic and disturbing to look at. The red line across his mouth is connoting blood and horror. Also his scar across his cheek is very unpleasant for viewers to look at. 

The whole persona of the Joker is one which is difficult to argue that it is suitable for someone under the age of 12. 

DESCRIPTION OF SOME SCENES

P3: Complaints Made Against The Dark Knight Films 

Ian Duncan Smith (British Conservative politician) was against the rating given to the Batman film saying,

“I was astonished that the board could have seen fit to allow anyone under the age of 15 to watch the film."

While Keith Vaz (Labour MP) 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."

The Batman sequel is the most complained about movie of the last decade in Britain, with 364 complaints made to BBFC

• The changes made by the BBFC is creating a moral panic by audiences as they believe these changes have been made to make films more profitable for film institutions as it gives them a wider target audience for their films.

P4: Benefit for institutions with the introduction of the 12A

• Wider audience for institutions= PROFIT
• Less stricter rules against violence has allowed institutions to add more violence into films aimed at younger audiences. 
• Telegraph reviewer claimed that, "That a degree of violence is an unavoidable force in cinema, as it is in life"

P5: So How Has Audience Culture Towards Film Censorship Changed?

Author Aubrey Malone discusses how censorship in Hollywood has changed over the years. She says in her book Censoring Hollywood: Sex and Violence in Film and on the Cutting Room Floor,

"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"

This is a huge difference to how film is today in the 21st century. 

P6: Comparison between a 12A film and a 12 rated pre 2000's

Batman Dark Knight/Dark Knight Rises vs Batman Returns (1992) vs Jaws: The Revenge (1987)