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INSTANT EXPERT
THE MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION
The rating game…
CENSORSHIP Sponsored by the studios themselves, the Motion Picture Association (MPA) is effectively the US movie industry’s moral guardian. Originally known as the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA), it was founded in 1922, under the leadership of former postmaster general William H. Hays, in response to a series of bad-forbusiness Tinseltown scandals.
Hays produced a series of rules, known colloquially as the Hays Code, severely restricting what could be shown on screen.
CERTIFICATION
By the mid-1960s, the Hays Code was hopelessly out of date. To replace it, former political advisor Jack Valenti, who became MPA president in 1966, brought in a voluntary age-rating system that remains more or less intact in the 21st century. Established in 1968, the ratings (determined by an independent group of parents) run from G (suitable for general audiences, such as the Toy Storys) to NC-17 (no one under 17 admitted, e.g. Blonde). Today, the MPA rates around 600 films a year.
INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM 1984 ★★★★★
Its torn-out hearts and child peril were deemed so violent, Spielberg’s prequel helped usher in the PG-13 rating.
SEX Featuring Robert De Niro in his first lead, Brian De Palma’s Greetings (1968) was the first US film to receive an X, a rating intended for films that were non-pornographic but clearly unsuitable for children. It was co-opted by the porn industry as a badge of notoriety, and replaced in 1990 by the NC-17; Henry &June was the first film to receive the new certificate. Critics of the MPA say it is more hung up on sexual content – particularly of the non-hetero variety –than it is violence.
KEY MOVIES SHOWGIRLS 1995 ★★★★★
Paul Verhoeven’s glossy grot-fest became the most widely distributed NC-17 film ever, shown in nearly 1,400 cinemas.
EYES WIDE SHUT 1999 ★★★★★
In order to receive an R rating, Stanley Kubrick’s erotic drama had several sex scenes digitally altered after his death.
VIOLENCE
Distributors are keen to avoid the NC-17 (frequently dubbed ‘the kiss of death’) as it restricts where movies can be shown and therefore their profits. But a few prestige studio pictures have been shown leniency, which some consider a double standard. Mel Gibson’s 2004 bloodbath The Passion of the Christ, which critic Roger Ebert described as ‘the most violent movie I have seen’, was given an Rrating, which meant children (accompanied by an adult) could see it. It made $612m worldwide.
CONTROVERSY
Battling the MPA has become a point of principle for smaller films such as 1986’s Henry: Portrait of aSerial Killer, denied an Rrating and finally released, unrated, in 1990. The association’s apparent dislike of swearing led to family favourite Billy Elliot being awarded an R (the same as Pulp Fiction!). Still, appeals can be used to overturn harsh decisions, such as when 2010’s Blue Valentine was downgraded from NC-17 to R. MATT GLASBY
THE KING’S SPEECH 2010 ★★★★★
Tom Hooper’s Oscar-winning historical drama was given an R for a single sweary scene. The MPA rejected the appeal.