This content originally appeared on Envato Tuts+ Tutorials and was authored by Marie Gardiner
Film ratings, or film classifications, are a guide for the audience, to help decide what’s suitable to watch, particularly for different age groups. Film ratings haven’t stayed the same though, they’ve changed over time depending on things like societal values and industry needs. Here, we’ll take a look at the history of film ratings including the systems in the US and UK.
What is a Film Rating?
Films are classified (or rated) based on their content and what might be suitable for particular audiences. This might include covering issues like sex, drugs, violence, and swearing. In a lot of countries, there’s an official government body who rates the films, in other places it’s done by an industry committee.
The Evolution of Film Classifications
Film Ratings & The UK
It was Great Britain that started to classify films in 1912 via the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) which was a not-for-profit organisation. Prior to that, there were no agreed standards, but because film reels were so highly flammable, local authorities were in control of which cinemas could show films, based on safety concerns which sat under the “Cinematograph Act”. However, this power started to be abused by the authorities withholding licenses if they didn’t approve of a film. Something a little more fair and consistent was required, and that’s why the BBFC was set up.
‘The classification process is still voluntary, and the BBFC’s age certificates (12A, 18 etc.) have limited legal significance. Their power derives from the fact the cinema's licences generally requite them to restrict admission in line with the BBFC's classifications. So if they let a younger person in to watch an 18 rated film, for instance, they could lose their licence.’ - Martin Stanley for Regulation.org
Initially, in the UK there were only two ratings:
- U – Universal (suitable for all)
- A – for adults
Later, they’d add H for ‘horrific’ which was specifically to warn of horror related content.
From 1950 to 1970, following a review it was proposed that the categories change to four:
- X – adults only
- C – for children
- U – universal (suitable for all)
- A – suitable for all but dealing with some adult subjects
But only one of these was actually taken on and so X (over 16s only) was added, and replaced the H certificate.
The ratings continued to evolve through the years, slowly adding specific age ratings to the classifications. When videos became available, there were different symbols for film and for video, though they followed the same guidance. In 2002 the symbols became universal for both film and video classifications. The most recent major change was in 2002 when 12A was added (in addition to 12) to say that under 12s may see the film if accompanied by an adult.
The BBFC classifications now (and since 2019) are:
- U – Universal, suitable for all
- PG – Parental Guidance, general viewing but some unsuitable scenes for young children
- 12 – for persons over 12
- 12A – under 12s must be accompanied by an adult
- 15 – for persons over 15
- 18 – for persons over 18
- R18 – for over 18s and only for supply in sex shops
As well as a suitability classification, the BBFC also give content advice more specific to the film that the rating is on, so you can get an idea if there’s a lot of violence, or whatever it may be.
American Film Ratings
The USA was having a similar issue with films being inconsistently judged in an inconsistent way with local and state governments often conflicting. In 1930 the Motion Picture Association brought in the Production Code (or the Hays Code, named after the president of Motion Picture Producers) that set out some strict guidelines of what could be shown on screen. This prevented the showing of explicit sexual content, too much violence, and anything considered ‘corruptive’.
By the 1960s, the Hays Code was getting outdated, so the Motion Picture Association of America (as they were at the time) brought in a new ratings system in 1968 that categorised films based on their content, with a general guide on the suitability of films for certain age groups. The original ratings were:
- G – General Audiences
- M – Mature Audiences
- R – Restricted
- X – Adults only
M would later become PG, or Parental Guidance.
The current Motion Picture Association (as it’s called now) ratings are:
- G – General audiences (all ages)
- PG – Parental Guidance – might contain some scenes not suitable for young children
- PG-13 – Some material might be unsuitable for pre-teens
- R – Restricted, contains some adult material and under 17s will need an adult with them
- NC-17 – Adults only, nobody 17 or under admitted
During this time, other countries were adopting their own version of film classification too, and around the world they vary quite significantly depending on the cultural, social, and political landscape of the place. It would take forever to list each country’s particular rating system and how it developed so we’ve stuck to the US and UK to give you an idea.
Impact of Film Ratings on the Industry
Production and Marketing
Filmmakers need to think about the potential rating of their films during the production process and if they’re aiming for a particular one, then that will influence creative choices like how much violence, bad language, or sexual content is used. If an American filmmaker was aiming for PG-13 for example, this could make it accessible to teenagers and families, broadening its audience and potentially making more money at the box office.
There’s also the potential of partnerships and that has a bearing on the rating (or vice versa). A family-friendly film could, as an example, have a toy giveaway partnership with McDonalds. A film rated for adults would be something very different!
Economic Implications
The rating of a film can affect its revenue potential. We just touched on box office profits and that (partly) comes from how wide distribution is. Certain ratings struggle to get a wide distribution, and then there are advertising restrictions on top of that. In the past, the (US) NC-17 rating was called the kiss of death and is, even now, a rating that filmmakers will try to avoid, even going so far as to re-edit the film to receive a different classification. Certain cinema chains in the US also don’t show NC-17 rated films which means further reducing the potential audience, and so, revenue.
Are Film Ratings Good or Bad?
There are a lot of arguments both for and against film classifications. Those who argue in favour say they’re essential guidance for viewing and help to protect children from being exposed to inappropriate content. Another argument for ratings is that they give filmmakers a framework which helps with understanding audience expectations.
Arguments against mostly centre around artistic expression. They say that the criteria used to determine ratings can be inconsistent and don't change quickly enough to keep up with our shifting values. Some people also have the view that certain content should have more nuanced considerations depending on the context, so gratuitous violence would be treated differently to violence that makes a wider moral point integral to the plot.
Have Films Ever Had Issues When it Comes to Film Classifications?
Oh yes. There are many examples but probably the most ‘famous’ is The Exorcist.
The Exorcist (1973) had very graphic content which caused some controversy and gave it issues with film ratings. It got an R in the US at first but there was a lot of debate about whether even that wasn’t a strong enough rating after supposedly had people fainting and vomiting in cinemas!
In the UK, the BBFC’s Stephen Murphy said:
“It is a powerful horror movie. Some people may dislike it, but that is not a sufficient reason for refusing certification”
Some local authorities though did ban the film but this only caused people to talk about it and make it more commercially successful! When it was released on video there was no requirement at that time for video classification, so there was endless debate about the possibility of it being seen by people who were too young.
When the Video Recordings Act came in in 1984, it was required to have a classification but even an 18 (the strongest rating) was considered inappropriate. They pulled it off shelves and The Exorcist was unavailable for 11 years, showing only occasionally in cinemas until it finally was resubmitted for video and DVD classification in 1998 and the uncut version was finally given an 18 rating with the warning, “contains very strong language, strong threat and supernatural horror”.
What is the Future for Film Ratings?
Film classifications have already evolved quite a lot in around a century so chances are they will again in future. This could be influenced by the changing norms of society (as before) but could also come about because of technological advancements. AI tools one day may be able to analyse the content of a film in real time and provide dynamic ratings that take into account context, frequency, and intensity of the various elements being considered.
Streaming and digital media generally could also have an impact. Now that we’re seeing a very quick and immediate consumption of programmes and films through streaming, there’s an opportunity to look at data of audience reactions and feedback to various content types and that could potentially be used to adjust rating guides over time.
If we ever make a strong move to VR or AR films, will that change things? If we’re immersed in something rather than more passively watching it, will we need new criteria to measure our experiences by? It’s a definite possibility.
If some of these things came to pass it would mean filmmakers needed tro think about how their content would be analysed and that in turn might lead to changes in how they’re produced and edited. This comes back to the point a little earlier about constraining the creativity of filmmakers in order to stick to a particular framework. If that frame is dynamic and the goal posts can change very quickly, this makes it difficult to work freely because what you make one year might be in a whole new classification bracket when it’s ready to release the following year.
Changes might not be as simple as a letter or number rating. We may get to the stage where more detailed content descriptions coupled with age-appropriate recommendations are the norm. Standards might even become more harmonised, with more countries moving towards the same classifications although these would still require a balance where local cultural conflicts might occur.
Conclusion
Film ratings have come a long way since early 20th century censorship and, er, flammability. As society has changed, film classifications have evolved, and now they provide a fairly steady framework for filmmakers to work within, and for audiences to measure their expectations.
Film ratings will always need to be reviewed to address challenges and there’ll always be debate around the rights and wrongs of this. In the future, it’s likely that AI tools will have an impact on film ratings, as might the global nature of how we consume films and other media now. Whatever the changes, and whatever form they end up in, film classifications are likely to remain an essential part of the film release process.
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About This Page
This page was written by Marie Gardiner. Marie is a writer, author, and photographer. It was edited by Andrew Blackman. Andrew is a freelance writer and editor, and is a copy editor for Envato Tuts+.
This content originally appeared on Envato Tuts+ Tutorials and was authored by Marie Gardiner
Marie Gardiner | Sciencx (2024-05-26T16:40:44+00:00) What Are Film Ratings? Film Classifications Explained!. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2024/05/26/what-are-film-ratings-film-classifications-explained/
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