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- British Censors have criticised some of Hollywood's largest
film distributors, including one owned by Walt Disney, for failing to warn
parents of the sexual and violent content of films approved for children.
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- Under a change to the classification system introduced
last year, films given the new 12A rating can be viewed by children only
if they are accompanied by an adult. A clearly visible warning of the content
of the film should be carried on material advertising the films, however.
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- The British Board of Film Classification has uncovered
many cases in which the warnings have been non-existent or so small that
they are hardly visible.
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- The board has also received complaints from parents who
feel that they have been misled into taking their children to see films
that they then found unsuitable.
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- The companies involved include Buena Vista, owned by
Walt Disney, and Metro Goldwyn Mayer. The board has now contacted several
of the offending companies, including Buena Vista, warning them that they
must comply with the rules in future.
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- Sue Clark, a spokesman for the British Board of Film
Classification, said that the board was in talks with some distributors
about their failure to provide proper warnings.
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- "The 12A certificate is dependent on companies providing
proper warnings about the film. The majority of distributors take their
responsibilities very seriously, but we do have concerns about the way
some companies are promoting 12A films," she said.
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- "We are talking to parts of the industry to ensure
that companies do provide guidance which is visible and easy to read. When
it comes to our attention that publicity is not on the material, or is
too small to read, we raise it with the company and require them to amend
it."
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- The 12A rating, which was introduced in August, is highly
prized by the film industry because it means that children accompanied
by an adult can go to see films previously regarded as unsuitable for them.
It has been granted to more than a 100 films already, generating millions
of pounds in extra box office revenue.
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- It is a condition of the certificate, however, that all
advertising material for the film should carry highly visible warnings
about bad language and sex and violence.
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- An examination of publicity campaigns for recent 12A
releases substantiates fears that some sections of the industry are not
giving proper prominence to these warnings.
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- One example is a two-page advertisement in Empire film
magazine for Die Another Day, the most recent James Bond film, distributed
by Metro Goldwyn Mayer. It includes the film's 12A certificate, but no
warnings on content.
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- In April and June this year Buena Vista failed to include
warnings in advertisements, also published in Empire, for two of its 12A
releases, The Recruit, which starred Al Pacino and Colin Farrell, and Bringing
Down The House, which starred Steve Martin.
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- Even in cases where advertisements for films have carried
the required warnings about content, some have been so small they are almost
undetectable.
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- The 12A certificate and warning on an advert for the
Oscar-nominated Far From Heaven was one such example, although the film,
which was distributed by Focus Films, dealt with issues of racial prejudice
and homosexuality in 1950s America.
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- The warnings on more recent releases including Down With
Love, which stars Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor, Matchstick Men, which
was directed by Sir Ridley Scott, and the Buena Vista blockbuster Pirates
of the Caribbean also carry tiny warnings.
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- These are often in the smallest lettering on posters
and adverts - less prominent than the references to the film's internet
sites.
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- Although the board has no plans to scrap the 12A certification,
it is warning film companies that their breaches are undermining public
confidence in the system and that "nothing is set in stone".
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- David Turtle, of Mediawatch-UK, a viewers' campaign group,
said: "I think some of the distributors are acting in a very irresponsible
manner. People can only make a proper choice if they are given adequate
information. Far too often parents have to rely on what they read in a
particular film review and that is an unacceptable situation."
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- The Telegraph contacted all the film distribution companies
involved, including Buena Vista, but received no response.
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- © Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2003.
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- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/10/19/nfilm19
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