BBFC

1. The BBFC are the British Board of Film Classification. They are an independent, non-
governmental body, set up by the film industry in 1912, which classifies film, videos, DVDs,
and some digital works (for example; computer games). All cinema trailers adverts on both
film and video are also classified by the Board.
The main two things that the BBFC keeps in mind are the context of the film, also the tone
and impact of the film. They also take into consideration discrimination, whether this is
racist, sexist, xenophobic, or any other types of this. Drugs are not to be promoted in ANY
film, and scenes in films that show the misuse of drugs may be cut altogether. However, if a
film shows misuse of drugs and then shows and emphasises the dangers, the age restriction
would be lower because it’s emphasising the dangers and downsides to it. Another factor
that the classification takes into account is horror. They analyse the frequency, length and
detail of scenes which are portrayed as ‘scary’, also, the ‘horror effects’ which include music
and sound. Additionally, they also analyse the outcome, whether it is reassuring or whether it
isn’t. Another element that helps to decide which age limit to give the film, is imitable
behaviour. They take into account any detailed portrayals of criminal and violent ways and
the glamorisation of weapons that are easily accessible, for example, knives. Also, the
behaviour of anti-social behaviour, for example bullying, in a ‘good’ manner, or in a way, like
the drugs part, where it is promoted, it will either receive a more restrictive classification.
Again, in this ‘category’, any type of media form, which promotes illegal behaviour or suicide
or self-harm will be either cut, or rejected. Language is another factor that is taken into
consideration and classified by the board. Within language, gestures are included. The sort
of language that will make the classification more restrictive is offensive language with
sexual, religious, and racial connotations as well as offensive language about minority
groups. Another element that the BBFC keeps in mind is nudity, natural nudity with NO
sexual connotations is acceptable at any age classification but in U and PG classifications, it
will only appear occasionally. Nudity with sexual context/connotations will receivea more
restrictive classification, however, nudity with strong detail will only be shown in adult
categories and therefore will be cut or rejected from films with lower classifications of that.
The board also analyses sex, this can range from kissing and verbal references to detail of
‘real’ sex. As the ‘sex’ progresses, the classifications get more restrictive. Another element
that the board considers is the theme of a film. It depends on the treatment of the theme
and also its sensitivity towards the subject of the film (or any other media forms). The most
problematic themes are unlikely to be appropriateat the most junior levels of classification,
U, PG, 12A, 12. Here are some examples of problematic themes; drug abuse, sexual violence,
paedophilia, and incitement to racial hatred or violence. The final sub-main factor is
violence, the board takes into account the degree and nature of it in work. The higher
classification are for the portrayal of violence as a normal solution to various problems, for
films and other media sources which have a hero who inflicts pain and injury onto others, the
coarseness of the villain towards the victims and the encouragement of aggressive attitude
within the film, additionally, the character/s within the film cannot take pleasure in pain and
humiliation in lower age classifications. Films/works with glamorised sexualisedviolence in it,

2. will only really be for ‘adult’ ratings 18, R18, but maybe 15. They could even be cut altogether
from the film/work.
There are some films that, because of the BBFC have been banned. A relatively well-known
one that has been banned is ‘A Clockwork Orange’. When the BBFC was first shown the
screenplay on Anthony Burgess’s novel in 1967, they advised the distributors that a film
showing vicious violence and hooliganism was likely to be deemed unacceptable. When the
film had been finished and submitted to the BBFC in 1971 (by 1971, the age bar for seeing
and X film had been raised from 16 to 18) and the film was passed at X with no cuts. Stephen
Murphy, who at the time was the BBFC’s Secretary, defended the film by stating that;
“Disturbed though we were by the first half of the film, which is basically a statement of
some of the problems of violence, we were, nonetheless, satisfied by the end of the film that
it could not be accused of exploitation: quite the contrary, it is a valuable contribution to the
whole debate about violence”. When the film was then released, there was near chaos
caused by the press and the public, thinking that the criminal and anti-social actions of the
film’s main character would be copied by young people. After the director, Kubrick’s death,
his family agreed to permit the release of the film again. It was submitted to the BBFC in
1999 for a modern classification, it received an 18 (without cuts) and remains an 18 to this
day.
Our film would probably receive a 15, the main factors why the film would be not for
everyone to see is because of the horror, the imitable behaviour and the violence, and
obviously the whole tone and impact. However, it wouldn’t be an 18 or something high
because the ending is good, and the story solves itself. But the zombie genre that our film is,
is a sub-genre of the actual horror genre. There is lots of violence and imitablebehaviour,
vandalism, breaking things, cannibalism. Therefore I think that these are the main factors that
we need to take into account.
‘World War Z’ is a 15. The BBFC have classified it as containing “sustained threat, strong
violence and bloody injury detail”, also all known versions of this work passed uncut. ‘Shaun
of the Dead’ is also a 15. They have classified it as containing “very strong language and
strong bloody horror” and again, all versions of this work passed uncut. ‘Warm Bodies’ has
been classified as a 12, they have said that it contains “moderate violence and horror and
one use of strong language”. I think the difference between ‘Shaun of the Dead’ and ‘World
War Z’, and ‘Warm Bodies’ is that ‘Warm Bodies’ isn’t as graphic and bloody as the other two
films, which is why it’s got a lower age rating.