Taking up his duties as President of the BBFC from 1st January 1998, Andreas Whittam Smith sets out his three principal objectives: (1) to promote consistency in the classification process, (2) to encourage the Board to be as open as possible, and (3) to make sure that the Board is well informed about the public’s attitude to its work.
Public accountability was top of the agenda for the Board in1997-1998, and with a view to meeting the President’s objectives, a nation-wide public consultation process was undertaken between April and June 1998. In all, 742 members of the public, including local authority councillors, teachers, psychologists, representatives from pressure groups, church groups, and the film and video industries, attended the first nine public meetings across the country, where they were able to watch a presentation on the Board’s classification principles and guidelines and were invited to give their views in the lively discussions which followed each meeting. This was the first series of many 'roadshows' to be conducted on an annual basis. Written feedback and submissions are being collated and will be considered. (President’s Introduction)
For the first time in the Board’s history it has published Draft Guidelines for Classifying Films and Videos setting out the fundamental principles upon which its deliberations rest, and detailing the criteria used to arrive at the decisions it makes on behalf of the public. They are published with this report. (Appendix I)
The Director, James Ferman, evaluates the long-term trends which assume significance as he looks back over the 23 years of his directorship. Most notable of these is the dramatic decline in the number of films cut for cinema release, from 40% of the total in 1974 to just under 4% in 1997, demonstrating a remarkable shift from being a Board of ‘censorship’ to one of ‘classification’.
The issue of pornography and the rights of adults to view legal non-violent depictions of sex was the subject of much public debate in 1997. In response to a steady increase in the public’s tolerance of screen sex, confirmed by a wide range of research, the Board relaxed its stringent standards to allow marginally more explicitness in sex videos sold through licensed sex shops. This move was promptly curtailed when it became apparent that these standards were out of line with those of enforcement agencies such as Customs and Excise and the police and Magistrates' Courts. In October 1998, the Board reverted to its previous standards, but it is concerned that the failure to distinguish between harmful forms of pornography and those which are merely offensive will fuel the already flourishing black market which mixes pornography with obscenity. Mr Ferman says that this is one of the biggest problems he leaves for his successors and calls for a solution to be found.
Mr. Ferman, who announced his retirement in March 1998, pays tribute to the exemplary contribution to the Board’s work made by his deputies and staff over 23 years and is proud to leave behind “a centre of excellence”. Despite the many problems he has dealt with, he carries with him the memory of many wonderful films, “ films which have enriched my life”. (Director’s Report)
A series of high profile films sparked off heated debate in the media during 1997, among them Lolita, Crash, Gummo and Kissed. Despite public concern about their potential to corrupt viewers, all were classified ‘18’, suitable for adult viewing, and public complaint evaporated once they had been released. Lolita, particularly, gave rise to dogged media focus on the issue of child sexual abuse, echoing an understandable public concern in this area.
Following extensive test screenings to 478 children aged from 6 to 11, and consultation with their teachers, the Board classified The Lost World -Jurassic Park in the Parental Guidance category. It was the first film to carry cinema consumer advice - ’PG’ for scary scenes of violence that may be unsuitable for sensitive children or those under 8”. Given the film’s spectacular success, and contrary to concerns expressed before its release, it was satisfying to find the public endorsing the Board’s decision. It was even more gratifying that there was not one complaint of a pre-teen child being disturbed or troubled by the film. (Review of The Year)
In last year's Annual Report, the Board reported on its refusal to award a certificate to the video game Carmaggeddon a ‘hit-and-run’ car racing game which awarded the players points for ‘killing’ innocent pedestrians - the more creatively the better. An appeal to the Video Appeals Committee against the Board's rejection of the game was successful and resulted in the work being classified ‘18’ on condition that the game be issued with a ‘parental lock’. (Digital Media)
The results of research by Professor Kevin Browne of Birmingham University demonstrated that children from a violent family background were more likely to seek out violent video entertainment which treated violence as admirable and thus tended to validate such behaviour in real life. Violent videos could therefore contribute to the cycle of violent tastes and violent behaviour.
In 1997 the Board classified 382 films for the cinema, of which just under 4% were cut. On video, a total of 3192 features were classified, of which 7% were cut, reflecting the stricter standards required for viewing in the home.
In a further move to meet its aim of public accountability, the Board continued to pursue its campaign to provide consumers with advice on contents. Already widely published on video packaging and appreciated by the general public, the consumer advice scheme has now been extended to cinema films, where a brief explanation of the reasons for the category decision is now routinely provided by the Board upon classification. The Board is encouraging the industry to have this information published alongside reviews and publicity for the benefit of cinema-goers, particularly parents.
In a hopeful note for the future, the Board welcomed the decline in violence in Hollywood action adventures in 1997-98, the first reversal of this trend in more than a decade.