Certificate Research

After looking into what makes a film a certain certificate, on the BBFC website, I decided to research a couple of films so I could recognize why they are the certificate they are and how violent or horrific a film has to be to take it from a 12 to a 15 or from a 15 to an 18.

The first film I looked into was LA Confidential; certificate 18. According to BBFC, a film has to be an 18 if:

' Material or treatment appears to the BBFC to risk harm to individuals or, through their behavior, to society – for example, any detailed portrayal of violent or dangerous acts, or of illegal drug use, which may cause harm to public health or morals. This may include portrayals of sexual or sexualised violence which might, for example, eroticise or endorse sexual assault'

Another reason I decided to look into LA Confidential was because of the film poster. It shows a femme fatale in a white dress, showing attention has been paid to costume and colour, as she is also wearing red lipstick which can signify power and seduction. There is also a glimpse of Hollywood in the background of the film cover, which from my research on Film Noir, I know is part of their usual settings, in addition to lounges and nightclubs. In other versions of the film poster, the woman is seen smoking a cigarette, which  is a commonly used piece of iconography. It is elements like these that we have taken on board and creatively mixed into our thriller opening, but in our own way. Before studying media, I was not aware of the genre 'Film Noir' and had absolutely no idea what a 'Femme Fatale' was, but this is something I have really enjoyed learning about and researching into, because I've always been one to support the idea that women should have as much right to leading roles as men should, and not always as the victim.

Another film I looked into was Terminator 2 Judgement Day, certificate 15. It was given this certificate due to it's use of strong language, bloody violence and horror. Enemy of State, similarly was given certificate 15 due to its use of strong language.