Contemporary film examples that have caused a controversy in classification from the BBFC

1. Last House on the Left (2009)
• Gratuitous use of sexual violence, seen by some examiners as
verging on 'torture porn'.
• Use of strong bloody violence, sending the film from a 15 to an 18 -
spends extended periods of time focused on the infliction of injury
and ECUs of bloody wounds.
• Sexualised portrayal of rape, but focus on the girl's anguish and
demonisation of rapists meant the scene didn't 'eroticise or endorse
sexual assault' -needed no cuts.
• The film ended classification as an 18, with no cuts made.
• Controversy came in the difference in classification from the original
film (Wes Craven’s ‘The Last House on the Left’, 1974, rated 18 with
cuts) – this may have been since the scenes of rape were made
much tamer in anticipation of the controversy raised in the heavy-
handed portrayal of the original –cut the scenes by editors before
seeking classification rather than by the BBFC during classification.

2. Let Me In (2010)
• Rated 15 with no cuts.
• Strong use of blood and gore, strong bloody violence w/
emphasis on bloody detail, but passed as a 15 since it
doesn't 'dwell on the infliction on of pain or injury.‘, and
‘is not inflicted to gratify sexual or sadistic urges or to
provide such gratification to the viewer.’
• Frequent use of strong language, 11 uses of 'fuck' meant
it had to be a at least a 15.
• Controversial in its adaptation of a previous film (the
Swedish ‘Let the Right One In’, 2008, rated 15 uncut),
since the makers of the English adaptation chose to
preclude scenes of paedophilia and genital mutilation in
the 2008 version.

3. Precious (2009)
• Rated R in USA, but a 15 uncut in UK.
• This difference was due to views on the depiction of rape and
sexual assault, even child sexual assault since the victim is 15
and a minor - however, the scene is brief and discreet, with no
nudity or eroticisation/endorsement of rape. The BBFC’s
verdict was that the scene had ‘a strong contextual
justification‘ and so was not distressing enough to push the
film to an 18 rating.
• Immediate 15 due to use of strong language and reference to
hard drug use - 'crack' and 'crackheads'.
• Violence and domestic abuse are prominent themes in the
film, with CSA from her mother and father - handled with 'tact
and restraint, showing the horror of her experiences as well
as how she deals with her personal trauma.'