Is Film Censorship Necessary?

 

When classifying a film many aspects have to be put into consideration, the use of violence, sex and bad language can change the certification dramatically. British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is a private body, which has considerable power over the showing of films. The BBFC has developed a system of certification for films that provides guidance on the public acceptability of the film. Distributors pay a certification fee, and the Director of Public Prosecutions will not prosecute films that have been granted certificates. The Video Recordings Act 1984 gives the BBFC statutory recognition as the regulator of licensing of videos charged with monitoring material that is “suitable for home viewing”.

Censorship bodies have written the rules about what is prohibited in films, and these have been subject to change over time, depending partly on the expressed concern of the public, but mainly on what the government and the main church of the country wants. In more recent times, such censorship bodies have surrendered to their power, particularly in the US, where censorship has returned to the local level, and the central body only classifies films with respect to their content as suitable for various age groups.

Although letting the public watch such films as Child’s Play, the Exorcist and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre it has been proven that these types of films provoke violence. There has been a large amount of research trying to identify the effects of the media on the public, especially in relation to violence. In practice, broadcasters were able to circumvent the ban by dubbing the voices of actors over the voices of the banned speakers. British films are now classified “U” when considered suitable for the whole population. “PG” (Parental Guidance) when they contain scenes that may be unsuitable for young children, “12” as suitable for children over the age of 12, “15” when suitable for people over 15 years, and “18” when suitable for people over 18 years.

However, the age guidance should not tell you if you are or are not allowed to watch the film, it should be your choice, and if you are considering an “18 film”, at that age you should be old enough to make the decision yourself. I feel the age boundaries should not stop the public from watching the film; it should just be a warning to the viewer that they are about to watch a film, which more than likely will contain scenes of violence and/or bad language, it is then up to them if they want to view such material.

Magazine for a Change, 2001

 

 

Language focus

1. Provide your explanation to the following words and expressions, use them in context:

– certification;

– to prosecute films;

– licensing;

– acceptability;

– to circumvent the ban;

– dubbing.

 

Insert particles or prepositions where necessary. Translate the sentences into Russian/Belarusian.

1. BBFC is a private body, which has considerable power … the showing of films.

2. These statements have been subject … change over time.

3. Finally the besieged city decided to surrender … its enemies.

4. A research is underway to identify the effects of the media … the public, especially … relation … violence.

5. This TV channel lingers … the bloody consequences of the terrorist attack.

6. She lingered … coffee.

7. Program-makers should cut … … explicit scenes of sex and violence.

 

Speech activities

Answer the questions.

1. How can the ‘public acceptability’ of a film be estimated? Is it really possible?

2. Should the recognized Church and the government of a country possess the right to issue the rules about what to prohibit in films?

3. Can watching fictional violence provoke violence in real life?

4. Do you agree that such restriction markers as “PG” or “18” are in fact “attraction markers” for kids?

 

2. Exchange your views on the following:

1. Our TV guides and on-air trailers are neither concise nor informative, very often they are tricky.

2. The overwhelming majority of parents should be themselves guided in their viewing habits.

3. The issue of selective viewing is/is not relevant to this country.

 

 

READING FOUR

 

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