The BBFC and Film Certificates

 
The BBFC stands for British Board of Film Classification, This is a board of regulations (laws) that films have to follow in the UK, They are able to control particular type of products in the industry. 

To go into more detail about the BBFC they are the ones who decide what can and can't be shown in films from what the deem appropriate. They are also the one who will assign an age certificate to a films in the UK. Audiences can also complain to BBFc if they feel they may have got something wrong with content within a film. A Film in the UK is not allowed to be released in the cinema or digitally unless it has received an age classification from the BBFC itself.

When it comes to deciding what the BBFC have to rate the film they have to take things into consideration for example:

. Scenes including Violence of all kinds. 

. Scenes including sex & nudity. Nudity with no sexual context is in principle acceptable at all classification levels, but will not generally occur more than occasionally at U. on the other hand Nudity with sexual context will receive a higher classification like 18 or R18.

. Scenes including obscene language. Language which people may find offensive includes the use of expletives with a sexual. religious or racial association, derogatory language and rude gestures.

. Scenes with discriminatory language. Potentially offensive content relating to matters such as race, gender, religion, disability or sexuallt may arise a wide range of works.

. Scenes of self harm. 

. Scenes of criminal activity.

. Scenes with dangerous behaviour eg Jumping of a cliff. 

. Scenes of drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. No work taken as a whole may promote the misuse of alcohol and drugs, any detailed portrayal of drug use or alcohol misuse is likely to promote the activity may be cut.

. Scenes involving child actors/ Characters.

. Strobe lighting. 

They also consider the context which the film is in, Such as if the films are realistic or fantasy based, like animated films. Animated and fantasy films have more lenient with the BBFC with including violence and are able to receive a lower age certificate as the BBFC believe that the audiences will be able to tell this is all fake, and so the violence in these films never result in serious injury.

If a films portrays drug use but has showed it in a sensitive way to the audience, and obviously identifies the problems/ side effects as being bad, then the film may be given a lower film certificate. A film that shows drug use being used for enjoyment and earn consequences will earn a higher film certificate.

Another good example other than drugs would be violence within films:

. Is the violence made to seem 'normal'?

. Why are they being violent? is it self defence?

. What injuries or harm are caused?

. Who is it that is violent eg the hero or villain?

. How does the perpetrator treat the victim?

. Is the violence enjoyed?

. Is the violence made to seem exciting or glamorous? 

. How much violence is there?

. How realistic is the violence?

. Does the violence get punished?

The process which the production company has to go through to get their rating for the film is they have to send a copy of the film to the BBFC for them to watch and breakdown to come to an agreement on what the certificate will be. Then they have the rights to release the film at the cinema or a digital release. If the BBFC assign a certificate that the production company isn't happy with, they have the option to re-edit the film and send it it back to the BBFC to review it to see how much it has changed and whether its deemed worthy to change. 

Sometimes the audience can go to the BBFC and complain about a certain rating of a film which has happened in the past with films like:

2019 - Joker - Audiences complained it should have had an 18 certificate for it due to the amount of harsh brutality violence in the film.

2018 - Peter Rabbit - Audiences complained that young children might copy the scenes of the rabbits throwing fruit at people. 

2017 - Logan - Audiences complained the violence was too strong and bloody for a 15 certificate.

I think the film certificate that our film would be given it it were to have a proper release would be a 15, as there is some violence that drives the scene with a few disturbing images that include the victim being tied up in barbed wire. The BBFC also might be concerned with all the weapons in the scene which have blood on them and the characters themselves who have blood on them, and the Victim whilst tied up is being hit with a wooden mallet of so it seems. If the BBFC could see our whole film I think they would agree all the way through there is a good amount of violence on show.