What does the BBFC stand for?
The BBFC stands for the British board of film classification.
When was it first established?
It was first established as the British board of film censors in 1912
What does it do?
The role of the BBFC is to establish which certificate should be applied to each indivivual film before being released.
What issues are the BBFC concerned with?
One of the issues the BBFC are concerned with includes violence especially things such as • What is the overall attitude of the film towards violence?
• What is the dramatic context of the violence?
• Is the violence perpetrated by the hero or villain?
• Are there consequences or rewards for the violence?
• How is the violence treated?
• Is there undue emphasis on weapons?
• Is it prolonged?
• Are there lots of close-ups?
• Is it stylised eg slow motion, soundtrack, editing, and do these techniques accentuate the images or restrain their impact?
• How much do we see of:
Process, e.g. blows, bullet impacts, blood spurts, etc?
Effects, e.g. injuries, bodies, forensic detail etc?
• What is the viewer’s relationship to what is shown?
• Do we identify with victim or aggressor?
• Are we repelled or excited by the violence?
• What is the power relationship between victim and aggressor?
• Is there an element of torture/sadism?
As well as issues such as language, sex and sexual violence, dugs, horror, imitable behavior and discrimination
What other classifications categories have been used by the BBFC apart from the U, PG, 12, 15 and 18 that we are familiar with today?
The H certificate - introduced 1932 to show horror and unsuitable for children
The X certificate - introduced 1952 no children under the age of 16 can watch
The advisory U and A certificates introduced in 1970 while the X certificate is raised to 18
In 1982 certificates PG, 15 and 18 are introduced
In 1989 the 12 ceritificate is introduced
