The BBFC deals with 4 main issues when classifying films - violence, drugs, language, and sex references. Violence is often the primary factor in determining a rating, with implied violence earning a lower rating than graphic depictions. Drugs are also a major concern, with any depiction automatically raising the rating to 15 or 18 depending on context. Strong language before age 12 or frequent strong language after raises the rating, even if used only once. Sex is permitted if justified by the plot, with more permitted in higher ratings. The public provides input that guides the BBFC's classifications.

1. Explain how the BBFC deals with 4 issues which are of concern to the general public.
There are many different issues the BBFC must deal with when classifying films. These include
violence, drugs, language and sex references. These different issues are evaluated by the BBFC and it
determines whether the film will be classified at a U, PG, 12, 15 or an 18 rating.
Violence is an issue that most often defines the category for a film. The BBFC must remember that
when evaluating the violent content of a film aimed at a younger audience, that violence is a part of
children’s culture with TV programmes such as ‘Tom and Jerry’. Impressionistic violence in a film
means a lot of it is just implied. An example of this would be the torture scene in ‘Casino Royale’ as
the contact isn’t actually seen therefore this film can be put at a 12. But once violent contact can be
seen the rating moves up to a 15 and this is apparent in the film ‘Die Hard’ in which a male and
female character fight quite viciously in a scene. Violence in this film is one of the main reasons why
its rating is a 15. Also, blood is generally a good indicator for a high level of violence and emphasis on
this can take a film up to a 15 rating. ‘The Last King of Scotland’ rating of 15 caused controversy
because of its lengthy and brutal torture scene that includes hooks being put into a man’s chest. The
reason the BBFC decided to put this film at a 15 is because of the context the torture is in. The plot
of the film is a true story and so based on true events. It dramatises real life. This is a lot different to
the context of torture for an 18. Films that contain violence worthy of an 18 rating is usually because
of the build up to someone being injured, the dwelling on infliction of pain and how the violence can
move away from the plot of the film. A key example of this would be the ‘Saw’ films where the
violence is gratuitous.
Another issue the BBFC deal with when classifying films is drugs. As the BBFC guidelines are greatly
influenced by the public and what they believe is acceptable, drugs are a key area in which parents
in particular want the BBFC to be careful with. As soon as people can be seen taking drugs the rating
for the film automatically goes to either a 15 or an 18 depending on other elements of the film. Films
cannot glamorise drugs. For example, films are able to show drugs being taken at a party in a ‘fun’
atmosphere so to speak. But it must be balanced out with a negative at some point, i.e. someone’s
downfall as a drug addict. For instance, the film ‘Trainspotting’ has a plot solely based around the
lives of drug addicts. This film is an 18 because there are several detailed scenes of heroin abuse
throughout the work. There are close-ups of heroin being heated on a spoon and sucked into a
syringe, detail of the tying of tourniquets around arms in order to raise veins for easier injection and,
in the strongest scene, an extreme close-up of a needle puncturing the lead character’s skin. The
strong drug content however was allowed by the BBFC as it shows the downside to drugs and didn’t
glamorise the addiction.
Parallel to drug use, language is an issue which the BBFC say the public feel strongly about. A rating
below a 12 must not contain any use of strong language. ‘Billy Elliot’ is an example which some
might say its 15 rating is a bit too high considering the plot of the film. However, there are frequent
uses of strong language in this film and the BBFC had no choice but to put its rating to a 15. The ‘f-
word’ and ‘c-word’ in particular are examples of language that will automatically put a film up to a
15 or 18 rating – even if it is only said once. Determining whether the language is worthy of a 15 or
an 18 rating does depend a lot on the context in which it is said. For example, ‘Four Weddings and A
Funeral’ has a 15 rating because in the first scene the dialect is largely dominated by bad language. It

2. is however said in a comical way and isn’t intimidating or aggressively directed at a character and
this then makes it acceptable for a 15 classification.
Finally, sex references are another issue the BBFC must deal with when classifying films. Nowadays,
guidelines are a lot more liberal when it comes to sex in films – especially in higher categories. 12A
sex references shouldn’t go beyond what children would know and sexual innuendos are acceptable
as parents may understand but children won’t. The allowance of nudity changes throughout
different cultures but nudity is acceptable for U and PG rated films as long as it is natural and not
sexualised. Sex in films has to be contextually justified. An example of this is ‘Monster’s Ball’ which is
rated a 15. Despite the sex scene in this being fairly lengthy, the scene is in context and is important
to the plot so is therefore acceptable. The film ‘9 Songs’ which was released in 2004 was classified as
an 18 by the BBFC. Despite guidelines saying films must not be pornographic, this film did contain
several minutes of real sex. After much debate it was decided that the sex within the film was
contextually justified which allowed the film to enter circulation at an 18. Many complaints were
however made about this decision by the BBFC.
To conclude, the BBFC have to deal with many different issues when classifying a film. It is essential
that films that enter circulation are appropriately rated because younger viewers mustn’t see
anything imitable and that could be classed as harmful. In particular drug use and acts of violence
are the driving point of determining a film’s classification as is requested by the public who heavily
influence the BBFC’s guidelines.