Research into Age Censorship and the BBFC - Miss Georgiou

The British Board of Film Classification is a non-governmental organisation, funded by the film industry and in charge of the classification and censorship of films in the United Kingdom. Certification and censorship has evolved from the early 1900's.

Founded in 1912 there were only 2 age certificates, U for Universal, meaning it was suitable for children and A for Adult, meaning that children had to be accompanied by an adult, this lasted until 1932.




In 1932 a H certificate was added, which stood for Horror and meant that only those aged 16 and over could be admitted into these movies.


In 1951 the H certificate was changed to a X certificate which enforced that only those aged 16 and older could watch these movies.


In 1970 the A certificate split into 2: the A and the AA. The A certificate now allowed those aged five and older to be watch these moves, but warned parents that they may not want their children under 14 to watch the film, while the new AA allowed only those aged 14 or over to be admitted. The X certificate also changed from allowing those aged 16 and above being admitted to those aged 18 and above.




In 1982 the rating system changed completely, only the U certificate remained, PG which stood for Parental Guidance meant that children could watch these films however parents should be warned about certain scenes that may be upsetting, 15+ and 18+ were introduced respectively and R18 that stood for Restricted 18 was only intended for licensed cinemas.











In 1985 the only changes made was that the R18 rating meant that could now sell in licensed sex shops and the Uc rating was established which was the same as the U rating however it was even more suitable for children and they could watch these films on their own.



In 1989 the 12 certificate was introduced due to the pressure from industry and the large gap in content between PG and 15 rated films. This rating meant that those aged 12 and older were permitted to watch these films. The first 12 rated film created was Batman.



In 2002 the 12A certificate was established, this stood for 12 advisory/accompanied and was suitable for those older than 12 however under 12's could be admitted if accompanied with an adult, the first film to receive this was Spiderman, as it is a superhero movie the makers believed it should be intended for children however some scenes may have been upsetting to them.



There are 6 censorship ratings in the United Kingdom since 2009 are: U, PG, 12, 12A, 15, and 18.

U- Standing for Universal is for all ages, there is no content within the film that is unsuitable for any audiences, and this age certificate is very common of children's movies. In terms of language only allow very mild bad language  ‘damn’ and ‘hell' Bad language such as ‘bloody’ or ‘bugger’ may be included, if justified by context. A U film may include brief fight scenes or moments where characters are placed in danger. However, moments of emotional stress or threat will be quickly resolved and the outcome will be reassuring. There will be no use of drug taking within a U rated film. Films that are U rated such as Despicable me feature some violence however overall it is merely intended for the family and thus the film would not want to promote violence.    

PG- standing for Parental Guidance means all ages admitted, but certain scenes may be unsuitable for young children, parents must decide whether the content would upset the younger or more sensitive children. In terms of language there may be mild bad language such as ‘shit’ or ‘bitch’ in a PG film, but the context and delivery are always important. There might be slight usage references to illegal drugs however there must be a clear anti-drug message within the film. An example of a PG film would be the Incredibles, this film features violence however there is no gore and the parent can make the choice whether the film is suitable enough for their audience. The viewer may also be stressed as there may be scenes in which the protagonist is in danger however the hero never faces any real danger.     

12- means that people under 12 years old are not permitted to buy or watch these films alone, however children younger than 12 may see the film if they are accompanied by an adult. There may be strong language such as "fuck" in a 12 but it must be infrequent, the context is important, there may be use of moderate language such as "shit" within 12 films. Sex may be briefly and discreetly portrayed at 12, verbal sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. A 12 rated film example would be the Dark Knight Rises, this film features strong violence that the BBFC believes the viewers are mature enough for particular scenes such as the sex scene however that features no nudity.               

12A- standing for 12Adult means that those aged under 12 years are only admitted if accompanied by an adult. The same language rules apply for 12A and 12 films; however no discriminatory language may be used. The same sexual content rules apply also for 12 films; sexual violence may be implied or briefly indicated, however must be sensitive. 12A films are generally very similar to 12 rated films and an example of one could be Hunger Games, this film features frequent violence that parents may deem unsuitable for their children.    

15- Means that those aged under 15 are not permitted to watch these films or buy or rent 15 DVD’s. There is no limit to strong language; sexual activity can be portrayed, as long as there is no strong or graphic detail, there may be racist, homophobic or other discriminatory language. In terms of violence it may be strong in 15’s, however easily accessible weapons must not be glamorized. A film such as Paranormal Activity features violence and has stressful scenes that could scare the audience, the BBFC believe that the audience are mature      

18- Means that people aged under 18 are not permitted to watch these films or buy or rent these movies. There is no limit to strong language or even very strong language. In 18 movies violence can be strong and be portrayed with strong detail. There may even be dwelling on the infliction of pain or injury, or scenes of strong sadistic or sexual violence, the strongest gory images are permitted at this category. Saw would be an example of an 18 movie, extremely gory and very psychologically disturbing, this film is intended for adults only.

My thriller movie will be 15 for many reasons, firstly this means that there will be a larger audience, as teenagers aged 15-18 are avid fans of the thriller and horror genre, this will be a good way to generate more box office and could result in my movie becoming a blockbuster as it does not narrow the target audience to only 18 and above. Another reason is that the film will not be gory, but depend on editing and the strong use of Mise-en-scene to create tension and suspense, for example instead of using violence within a particular scene instead I will use an intended meaning or the Kolshov effect to create tension.