2. An introduction
• The 12A rating is a rating introduced in 2002 for
cinema releases only.
• The BBFC states that ‘No one younger than 12 may see
a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an
adult, and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended
for a child below 12. An adult may take a younger child
if, in their judgment, 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.’
• For home releases, it is substituted for a 12 rating.
3. Is It Necessary?
• The 12A rating was effectively put in place so that
films which were not suitable for a PG rating
could still be viewed by under 12s at the
discretion of parents or guardians.
• Though this means parents can make a judgment
over whether a film is suitable for their child, this
is difficult for parents to do for several reasons –
one being that it is difficult draw the line at what
is ‘harmful’ for their children to witness.
4. Example – Spider Man
• Spider Man was released in 2002 and was one of
the first films to receive the 12 rating. Given that
it was appealing to a fairly young audiences, the
filmmakers wanted to make sure that it would be
shown to a fairly large audience including
younger audiences. However, it was deemed
unsuitable for the PG rating due to some
moderately violent content.
• This meant that it was rated ‘12A’, which allowed
children to see the film at the will of their
parents.
5. Example – The Dark Knight
• The Dark Knight, released in 2008, is perhaps the most controversial
12A film so far.
• Given that Batman appeals to many people from a young age, it
was requested that it had a 12A rating. However, the film is
surprisingly brutal and at times sadistic, given that most of the
violence (and it is fairly sinister violence) is committed by the
sadistic character of the Joker who seems to, if anything, enjoy
committing acts of violence. Knives are frequently present in the
film and there is a constant threat as well as a fairly dark tone.
• However, the film was given a 12A rating due to the fact that most
of the violence is shown off-screen.
• Nonetheless, there was a strong focus on the fact that it was very
violent and dark for a 12A – however, direct complaints to the BBFC
were minimal in number.
6. Example – The Da Vinci Code
• The Da Vinci Code received a 12A rating from the
BBFC.
• However, this is a particularly curious case as the
original cut of the film had to be edited to lower
the rating from a 15 – not because of the violence
present on screen, but because of the sound.
Some brutal killings occur in the film, though
these are off screen. However, bone-crunching
sound effects for a neck breaking scene made the
film more brutal, meaning the sounds had to be
removed or toned down.
