Hi pinkhippo
Nice to see you around again.
After reading through quite a bit of material on the BBFC website, I
can say there is no sign of a recent policy change.
It may be that the versions you saw are not known to the BBFC (see
below). They have classified film and video versions of "Dog Days" and
"The Idiots" at 18 (not porn-only R18). However, the video versions
are shorter and probably do not include the most explicit scenes.
The BBFC's policy is discouraging about giving the kind of material
you describe anything except for the R18 classification, but they do
sometimes make exceptions because of context.
In their policy guidelines on 18 films, they say they may cut "the
more explicit images of sexual activity - unless they can be
exceptionally justified by context".
Presumably they felt the context *did* justify some explicit scenes in
the cinema version of "The Idiots". There's quite a bit of discussion
of this on the net:
http://www.melonfarmers.co.uk/bpart.htm
://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=bbfc+policy+%22dog+days%22+OR+%22the+idiots%22&btnG=Google+Search&meta=
But I didn't find any similar discussion of "Dog Days".
It's also possible that the Board is more lenient when sex scenes have
no connection at all with violence.
Reading different pages on the BBFC site - news, policy, annual report
etc. - will show you how much greater their concern is with sexual
violence than with scenes which are just much franker than the British
public is used to.
You will also find explanations (some in the news section) of the
BBFC's decisions on certain films which give you more of a sense of
where they draw the line.
Before I quote what they say about the two films you're asking about,
I need to point out that the video versions are shorter, even though
the Board did *not* ask for any cuts. In their FAQ they explain that
video distributors sometimes make cuts before submitting a film for
classification.
They say:
"The BBFC respects the right of adults to chose their own
entertainment, within the law. It will therefore expect to intervene
only rarely in relation to ‘18’ rated cinema films. In the case of
videos, which are more accessible to younger viewers, intervention may
be more frequent."
They also say:
"Why are there different standards for film and video?
It is more likely that a cinema audience has made a specific
commitment to see a particular film and knows what to expect. In
addition, admission is regulated by age at the cinema entrance. The
Video Recordings Act, by contrast, specifically requires the Board to
take into account the likelihood that the video may be seen "in the
home". The possibility that some viewers may be below the age for
which the work was classified is clearly greater. In addition, video
offers the possibility of freeze-frame, rewind, and frame-by-frame
advance, thus allowing viewers to watch scenes out of context, while a
cinema film can only be watched in the way originally intended. For
these reasons videos may be cut or classified more strictly than the
same work for the cinema."
DOG DAYS
Cinema version:
127 minutes
"Contains one scene of explicit sexual activity and strong language."
Video version:
121 minutes
"Language Some, strong
Sex/Nudity Some moderate, some explicit
Violence Some, moderate"
THE IDIOTS
Cinema version:
114 minutes
"Passed '18' for coarse language and strong sexual detail"
Video version:
109 minutes
"Language Occasional, strong
Sex/Nudity Occasional, strong
Violence Infrequent, moderate"
So - had the DVDs you saw actually been rated by the BBFC?
Among guidelines on their site:
"A foreign DVD offered for sale in the UK is likely to be illegal
under the Video Recordings Act (VRA) 1984 unless its content
(including any additional material) has been classified by the BBFC.
The DVD must also be labelled in accordance with Video Recordings
(Labelling) Regulations 1985 &1998 (including the unique registration
number). You would also be advised to contact FACT to ensure that
there are no copyright issues."
"I want to import foreign DVDs for my own personal use...
It is legal to import foreign DVDs for the sole use of the importer.
However, consumers should be aware that if an unclassified video or
DVD is purchased within the UK via a non-UK website, the arrival of
that video or DVD in the UK constitutes part of a 'supply' within the
meaning of the VRA. Although you will not be liable to prosecution
(provided that the work is not obscene or otherwise illegal), Customs
and Excise are entitled to seize any unclassified videos and DVDs
ordered from abroad because the 'supply' of unclassified works to
consumers within the UK is illegal under the VRA."
I hope this gives you some idea what the BBFC is up to! And maybe a
look at the DVDs will establish whether they are the same as the
cinema or video versions listed by the Board, or possibly imports
which have escaped classification.
My complaint about the BBFC is that they have a website where it's
impossible to link you directly to the relevant sections I've quoted.
You'll have to go to:
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/
and navigate round.
Or if you have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can access their guidelines
here:
http://www.bbfc.org.uk/website/Downloads.nsf/51b2a045e53ac0e080256a1100492b44/$FILE/BBFCGuidelines2002.pdf
Directions to parts of the site I used:
BBFC - FAQ
BBFC - Downloads
Policy - Guidelines - click on "18", "R18"
For Customers - News
And, of course:
Search Titles
Please don't hesitate to ask for clarification if you have a query
about all this, and I'll do my best to help.
Best Wishes - Leli
Search Strategy: exploring the BBFC site
and google searches for:
bbfc policy "dog days"
bbfc policy "the idiots" |
