The Dark Knight received a 12A rating from the BBFC in 2008, allowing children under 12 to see the film if accompanied by an adult. However, the BBFC received 364 complaints, representing 42% of all complaints that year, claiming the film was too dark and violent for children. In response, the BBFC conducted a survey which found that while 69% agreed with the 12A rating, 31% felt it was too lenient. The high level of public concern prompted the BBFC to re-examine their rating.

1. How The BBFC Has Affected ‘The
Dark Knight’

2. The Dark Knight
• The Dark Knight was released in 2008 and was
directed by Christopher Nolan.
• The genre of the film is fantasy, thriller.
• It’s rated as 12A uncut.

3. What Happened?
• The Dark Knight went to the BBFC for classification
in 2008, with a request for a 12A rating. However in
the USA the MPAA had already rated the film PG-13
for ‘intense sequences of violence and some
menace’.
• The BBFC at the time stated that for a film to be
rated 12A ‘violence must not dwell on detail. There
should be no emphasis on injuries and blood’. And
‘sustained moderate threat and menace are
permitted. Occasional gory moments only’.
• However, there was numbers of complaints about
the 12A rating from the public concerning the film.

4. What Happened?
• The BBFC had received 364 complaints from the
public in 2008 about the film, they were claiming
that is was too dark and too violent for children.
• The whole tone of the film has an ‘adult’ nature on
some of its themes and the ‘unhappy’ ending was
said that it was not suitable for a film rated 12A ,
which means that under-12 year olds could be taken
to see the film if accompanied by an adult.
• In a normal year the BBFC receives around 450
complaint, which meant that 42% of the complaints
in 2008 were about ‘The Dark Knight’.

5. What the BBFC did
• The BBFC did respond to the high level of concern
from the public, they invited groups to watch the
film and comment on the rating of the film.
• 69% of the respondents that saw the film agreed
with the rating of the film. The other 31% didn’t
agree with the 12A rating (30% said the rating was
too high and the other 1% said the rating was too
low).
• The survey also revealed that 74% of the
respondents understood that the 12A didn’t
necessarily indicate that the film would be suitable
for under-12s.