RESEARCH: FILM CENSORSHIP- MISS BEGUM

Who are the BBFC and what is their role?

British Board of Film Classification are the regulators of the age certificates for film materials as well as take charge of censoring films before they get published. The examiners look at the movie and decide the rating, however if the product is too controversial the BBFC will ask the director to re-edit, cut or completely ban the film from viewing. The team takes a role of protecting the vulnerable viewers from being disposed to inappropriate imagery and harmful context that could psychologically and physiologically effect the spectator.

What is Censorship? Why is it so important in the film industry?

Censorship means to examine a product and deciding whether it’s appropriate for public disposal. It is the prevention of exposing unsuitable materials that could be found upsetting or too explicit for others. Often the regulators ask the film makers to re-edit the controversial sequences. However in extreme cases the film will be completely banned. Censorship is important in the film industry because not only it helps to protect the public but also tries to prevent copycat behaviour which could be provoked by seeing unsuitable material. Also if there was no censorship the industry would be allowed to display anything which could be very upsetting for different viewers.

What gets censored? Why?

·         True Events- for example the 9/11 can be shown and the idea can be explored as long as the ideas and themes are not too controversial and made to confuse the audiences’ belief or implying different conspiracies. - an example of a film would be Shindler's List which showed the harsh reality after the World War 2. 

·         Violence- graphic violence without context is not permitted. Moreover human and animal torture/ cruelty for own pleasure will not be tolerated.- an example of a thriller would be Texas Chainsaw Massacre because of its graphic violence and human torture.

·         Graphic Representation and Realism- anything that portrays harsh and controversial reality will not be displayed to public in order to avoid upsetting or worrying the viewer- an example would be the mystery thriller the Shock Corridor which was banned due to the displayed of electric- shock therapy and bad representation of mental asylums which was in fact the harsh reality.

·         Corrupting the young- any ideas, actions or themes that are upsetting and can be hard to handle for younger audience will not be permitted. This is because their vulnerable minds will get easily effected by the inappropriate context.- an example of a film would be Mickey which displayed a young kid who kills adults. This is banned for the belief that the young audience could copy this behaviour and gain bad morals from it.

·         Controversy and the Press- any particular event that has caused a wave of controversy will not be passed for disposal. For example a film about recent political/world arguments will not be published.- an example of a film would be Battleship Potemkin which cause controversy about historical events and was only released after the death of Joseph Stalin.

·         Sex and Nudity- sexual activity can be only displayed if it has a relevant context and fits with the narrative. Similarly with nudity. However it will not be tolerated if shown for no particular reason.- and example would be Grotesque which was banned due to its nudity and sex without context.

·         Sexual Violence- extreme graphic rape will not be passed through especially if accompanied with gore and blood.- An example of a thriller would the The Serbian Film which was banned due to extremely high sexual violence including rape and paedophilia.

·         Religion- offence towards different religions will not be tolerated. Moreover extreme racism will also be censored in order to prevent upsetting the public.- an example of a thriller would be the Exorcist which has offended the Christian religion by some controversial acts.

·         Politics- any material that creates an overly negative image of the law and politics will not be tolerated. Offensive behaviour towards law will also be banned.- For example the film Departed was banned in China for suggesting that the government intends to use nuclear weapons on Taiwan which was and still is a sensitive political issue.

·         Class- controversial representation of social classes will not be permitted. Also trying to put down lower classes to glamorize upper ones will also be censored. Often thrillers do not get banned for just bad explosion of social classes but will if accompanied by other controversial materials.

·         Language- moderate and frequent use of bad language with no context/purpose will be censored. This is because younger viewers will think it’s tolerable and acceptable.- often language itself will not be banned however if accompanied by other controversial materials it will be. An example of a thriller would be I Spit on Your Grave where moderate language is accompanied by sexual violence. the British suspense film called Victim was banned for language, which referred to homosexuality, in 1961.

·         Shock- sudden actions that cause strong emotions will not be displayed. For example an instant unexpected turn of action such as killing will have a massive impact on the viewer leaving them in shock after the viewing which could affect their health. - an example of a thriller would be A Clockwork Orange which was banned in Ireland for its extreme depictions of violence are rape which would shock the audience.

·         Drug Abuse- under no circumstances should the material glamorize drugs. This especially applies to Class A substances such as Heroin. Any drug intake should not be exposed in a positive manner, in order to stop the audience think that it is acceptable and healthy.

·         Culture- different cultures should not be used as a centre of jokes as well as represented in a bad manner; trying to discourage others towards this particular culture.- a thriller example would be Hate Crime which was banned due to the terrorisation and brutality toward a Jewish family.

·         Race- any offence towards different ethnicity will not be tolerated. Racism and/or bad representation of different races for own pleasure/ignorance will be banned.- an example of a film would be District 9 which was banned in Nigeria for showing racism towards Nigerians.

The difference between a Banned and a Cutted film.

BAN:

By definition, ban, means to legally prohibit something from someone else, which is what a banned film essentially means. A film ban refers to forbidding the material for public disposal and anyone who decides to disobey that will go against the law and will have to face the consequences. These are some of the films that were banned by the BBFC:

·         The Trip (1968) - Roger Corman’s film was banned due to its glorification of LSD. The film was rejected by the BBFC four times between 1968 and 1988 only to be released in Britain in 2002.

·         Hate Crime (2015) – Banned for its terrorization, physical and sexual abuse and murder of the members of a Jewish family. It is still banned.

CUT:

The process of cutting a film refers to editing it to a point where the controversial parts are being hidden well enough to be displayed. In addition it can also mean to completely remove the sequence from the movie in order to fit the appropriate criteria. When the BBFC asks the director to cut the film they check the context again until they are satisfied. These are some of the films that were requested to be cut in order to get published:

·         Bloody Mama (1971) - initially banned but passed for general cinema release in 1971 and allowed uncut in 2009.

·         Cannibal Holocaust (1984) - the director Ruggero Deodato was arrested for obscenity charges and was forced to prove that nobody had died during production. In 2001 the film received 5 minutes and 44 seconds worth of cuts. In 2011, the film was re-released and all but 15 seconds of cuts have been restored.

Mark Kermode and Aminatta Forna Debate.

Mark Kermode is a well-known film critic who states that censorship shouldn’t exist as it takes away the society a freedom of choice. On the other side, Aminatta Forna, a well-known author and writer, has put a case for censorship arguing that it is in favour for the public.

Aminatta has started with a statement of how the strong is the power of words and images and how it easily affects the public. In addition the freedom of self-expression that the public receives allows the public to provoke racial hatred towards one another. Forna has given the example of the film Romper Stomper which follows a story of a gang who promotes racism. This argument leads on to how the TV creates an impact on the public who desperately try to associate themselves with the displayed characters and how often these behaviours are imitated in order to feel fulfilled in life. This is because as a society we long for the idyllic life which doesn’t exist but because we are exposed to it in the moving image we believe that it is reachable and start to behave in similar manner not recognizing whether it is right or wrong as we are blinded by the fake outcome/ realism displayed on screen. Further on Forna stated that too many illegal acts such as rape or crime are glamorized or let off in films; claiming that it encourages the audience to carry these acts themselves, believing that it is acceptable and exciting rather than damaging. Lastly, Aminatta has expressed how as a society we have become inert and less effected by the acts that should feel disturbing. Therefore she suggests that if there was no censorship at all everyone would become unsympathetic and will not feel anything at all.

In contrast, Mark has emerged the subject with the statement that the public is free to their own choice and being told what they can or cannot watch will be depriving them of this right. He also added how the society should not feel pressured or in fear of expressing themselves because we have the freedom of speech. Furthermore, Kermode has touched upon the subject by saying how the sexual activities displayed on the screen do not truly occur during the filming sessions and how it is faked, therefore he doesn’t understand why there is a need of censoring something that did not take place in real life. Mark then stated how the society should be able to distinguish fiction from non-fiction, implying that viewers are mature enough to know the difference between reality and fantasy. Moreover, Kermode says that the society is very diverse and therefore there is no way that anyone can infer what things will have an impact on what person; implying that everyone has a personal response to what they are exposed to. This suggests that we shouldn’t predict that certain materials can be upsetting as we do not know everyone’s tastes. Lastly Mark questioned if the films encourage the people and provoke copycat behaviour or is it just displaying the reality and society in which we live in, but we decide to stay oblivious to the harsh truth and blame the film industry for human actions which everyone has control over for themselves.

Overall, after looking at the statements for and against censorship I have come to the conclusion that censorship is essential in the film industry, therefore supporting Aminatta Forna and her statements. This is because I believe that as much as we are entitled to make our choices there are limits and sometimes others should help to guide us in choice making especially when it comes to the vulnerable viewers. Moreover I also believe that the film industry is one of the most influential sources that impact how the society functions. Therefore it is important that there are good meanings and morals passed across in order to improve how the public functions. However going back to Kermode, I think the statement that Mark has made about the film industry is interesting. He explains that rather than encouraging the public, the industry shows the reality, but if it is truly the reality why glamorize it and reinforce these ideas on screen rather than leave the authorities to deal with it?

Conclusion.

To conclude, I think that this research about censorship was highly beneficial. This is because not only I have learned what censorship is and what gets banned but also realized that this is a controversial and very arguable topic. After looking at the intense debate I realized that censorship is essential but still can be questioned because of the different aspects that has to be taken into consideration.

In addition, from looking at the different materials that get censored I now have an accurate idea of what not to include in my thriller so it will be published. When filming I will have to make sure that all my materials are suitable and if I decide to explore something controversial I now know that it will have to fit the narrative and have the right context and purpose in order to avoid upsetting my viewers. Considering that I intend to make a 15+ thriller I need to make sure that amongst many restrictions I do not show glorification of drugs and extremely graphic violence. Also I mustn't show any material that could corrupt the young. This is significant because making a 15+ rated opening I have to bare in mind that fifteen year olds are still young and can get effected by the propaganda displayed on the big screen. Taking into the account all the materials that get banned I also have to take on board the rules that apply for age certificates in order to make an appropriate film that will suit my viewers.