This blog comes off the back of the announcement that the BBFC has refused to give a rating to 'the human centipede second cycle', I know this was announced a couple of months ago but as this is a new I was not able to publish this any earlier.
I would like to start by saying that I am not against the rating system, there needs to be an easy way for people to tell who a film is suitable for and, other than reading through the plot on the back of the box or on line a rating system is a good workable system. What I do find my self wondering is if there is any advantage in the refusal of a rating and there for the banning of the release of any one film (in the UK).
In the past the BBFC has refused to rate films that they feel are in bad taste or that may offend or result in any other form of distress the viewer even going as far as publishing a 'video nasteys' list, that is a list of the the worst films that had been made. This seems to suggest that the BBFC don't think that the viewer is unable to make up there own mind about what they think is suitable or even turn off the film if they find the material disturbing in any way, after all the BBFC have provided the rating system to help us decide what we want watch.
Over time almost all of these films have been been released with minimal or no cuts and these films are now easily available to ever one making the banning almost irrelevant, as the films were only kept from the audience they would offend for a few years. The banning of the film's has, if anything helped the promotion of them when they have finally been released as the BBFC and the press had both announced that the film was first banned and why it was banned and then there was publicity when the films were finally released which then would have made some people curios as to what the film was like and if it did deserve to be banned.
In the current era of Internet shopping and streaming/downloading the banning of a film is even less relevant. if the BBFC refuse to certify a film that ruling is only valid in the UK, the film can still be sold in other countries and can, there for still be obtained by people in the UK although, I should probably point out it is illegal to buy a film for viewing in the UK that has not been passed by the BBFC. There is also the fact that, even if the film is not on sale anywhere it still exists and can easily find itself on line where there is less regulation, if some buys a film that is 18 rated then they can monitor who watches it & if some one under 18 tries to buy an 18 rated film then a shop can not sell it to that person but if that person goes on line and finds the banned film there may be not way of stopping them from viewing it and, lets face it if some one wants to see a film they will find a way of seeing it so surely it is better that the person sees a rated film that may have been very slightly cut than a film on line that has had no vetting. There is also the problem that the file you download may not be the film you think it is, some one may have renamed a file or it may be a virus. I would also like to point out that, as long as it is the owner of the copyright who puts the film on line it is legal to show it although it may be subject to other laws such as the obscene publication act.
I think that in this day and age the out right banning of a film would be pointless and could cause more problems. A better solution may be to create a new rating for the banned film and let the public decide for them selves after all I'm sure there are plenty of people who find porn offencive and they a don't go out buy it.
As a foot note, it has been announced this week that a remake of 'The Evil Dead' is under way, this was one of the films that was on the 'Video nasteys' list, I wonder if they will include the 'tree scene', the very scene that got the film banned in the first place & if they do how will the BBFC react to it
Rhinhart out.
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