BBFC - British Board Film Classification

The British Board of Film Classification is an independant, non-govermental body which has bclassified cinema films since it was set up in 1912 and videos/DVDs since the Video Recording Act was passed in 1984.

In class we watched a vudei ib BBFC (www.bbfc.co.uk) and we learnt that every film that is shown has to be classified with a certificate. We learnt what they look at and why.

We learnt that films are rated on::

• Violence and bad language
• Sex and nudity
• Taste and decency

The board says that it often reflects its rating on what the public say.

Example of violence - 'Casino Royale' is a James Bond film directed by Martin Campbell which is rated a 12a. However, this is because in the torture scene, we never see the actual whipping (we just see Le Chiffre swinging the rope and James Bonds reactions, we dont actually see it touch him).

Example of bad language - 'Four Wedding and  a Funeral' is a British romantic comedy directed by Mike Newell. Its rated at 15 because it contains bad language, and although their is no nudity, a bride and a groom have sex whilst fully dressed in their wedding clothes, the actions and noises of passion are very graphic. There is also a lot of smoking and  alcohol consumption during the weddings, with minor characters acting slightly drunk.

Example of taste and decency - 'Borat' is a mockumentary comedy film directed by Larry Charles starring Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat was rated at a 18 in cinemas but a 15 on DVD. This is because of the irony of the film and ocntect which could be taken as racism but is so extreme to create comedy value.