BBFC TIMELINE 1960’s-1980’s

Who are the BBFC? The British Board of Film Classification, previously the British Board of Film Censors, is a non-governmental organization, founded by the film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national classification and censorship of films exhibited at cinemas and video works released on physical media within the United Kingdom.

1960’s Films Title Director Year Controversial Matter? / Rating Peeping Tom Michael Powell 1960 Concentration on fear / X rating Saturday Night And Sunday Morning Karel Reisz Language, violence and the theme of abortion / X rating The Silence Ingmar Bergman 1964 Sexual Matters / rated X with 35 seconds of cuts to sex scenes. Lady In A Cage Walter Grauman Contained too much violence / Rated X Alfie Lewis Gilbert 1966 Contained a 'basically moral theme’ / Passed Uncut Poor Cow Ken Loach's 1967 Sexual References / Rated X The Trip Roger Corman Concerns over drugs / Rejected in 1967 If…. Lindsay Anderson 1968 One Cut to male nudity / Passed The Wild Bunch Sam Peckinpah 1969 Levels of Violence / 10 Second Cut Rated X

1960’s Case studies Michael Powell - Peeping Tom: which had been seen by the BBFC at the script stage and provoked a remark about its 'morbid concentration on fear'. Various cuts had been suggested at script stage, the film was rated X in 1960 with cuts. The film failed to please the public, damaging Powell's reputation. The DVD remained at 18 until 2007 when it was re-rated 15. Walter Grauman - Lady In A Cage: The film contained too much violence and the film was rejected on the grounds that it could 'invite and stimulate juvenile violence and anti-social behaviour by young people'. The Greater London Council granted a cut version of the film an X certificate. After being rated 18 uncut on video in 2000, the work was re-rated 15 on DVD in 2005. Terence Young's - Dr No: The first of the long running James Bond movies. Rated A with cuts, this set a pattern for what followed, with From Russia With Love rated A with cuts to sexual innuendo in 1963, Goldfinger rated A with cuts to nudity and violence in 1964, and Thunderball rated A with a cut to a sexy massage scene in 1965.

1970’s Films Films Year Problems with the film Trash 1970 BBFC rated only after several cuts Straw Dogs 1971 Contained a rape scene A Clockwork Orange The Devils Accused of blasphemy Last Tango in Paris 1972 Accused of being obscene The Exorcist 1973 Accused of having psychologically damaging effects on young people The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 1974 The violence and terrorism was unacceptable Emmanuelle Additional cut requested to remove rape scene Salo 1976 Indecent

1970's CASE STUDIES  Changes in the Age Ratings System – in the 1970s the introduction of the AA rating approved by local authorities and the industry. The minimum age that someone could watch X certificated films was changed from 16 to 18   The old A category was split to create a new advisory A which allowed children of five years or older to watch the films whether they were accompanied or not, however it warned the parents that the film would contain material which parents might not want their children under the age of 14 to see, without being accompanied by an adult. If the film was suitable for children of all ages, the film would be rated U.

1970s CASE STUDIES A Clockwork Orange - The film was passed at X with no cuts, The BBFC’s secretary, Stephen Murphy stated 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” There was a strong body of press and public opinion that the criminal and anti-social actions of the films main character, would be copied by younger people.

1980’s FILMS Title Director Year Controversial Matter? / Rating McVicar Tom Clegg 1981 Gangland Characters, criminal biopic / Rated X The Long Good Friday John Mackenzie Gangland Characters / Rated X First Blood (Rambo Series) Ted Kotcheff 1982 Uncut Rated 15 * Mona Lisa Neil Jordan 1986 Relates to Prostitution / Rated 18 The Krays Peter Medak 1988 Cuts to mutilation scene / Rated 18

1980’s Case studies Rambo Series: First Blood (Ted Kotcheff), was rated 15 uncut in 1982, and the second, George Pan Cosmatos' Rambo - First Blood Part II was rated 15 uncut in 1985.  However, Rambo III was cut in 1988 to obtain an 18 rating.