LINCOLN

LINCOLN is a drama set in 1865 during the final months of the American Civil War, about Abraham Lincoln's struggle to end slavery in the face of intense political opposition. It is rated 12A for infrequent moderate war violence, gore and strong language.

The film contains images of violence in the context of battle, including a stabbing to the chest, repeated blows to a soldier with the butt of a rifle, bayoneting of soldiers, and a brief scene of a soldier's face being pushed into muddy water by another soldier's foot, in an attempt to drown him. The shot ends before the soldier is seen to die. These images are brief and the battle scene itself is not prolonged. In another scene the President rides through a battlefield and witnesses the results of the violence, with several dead soldiers seen. One of the bodies has a stomach wound, but there is otherwise little focus on injury. During a visit to an army hospital there are shots of the bandaged stumps of wounded soldiers as they sit in their beds. Blood is seen on cobblestones outside the hospital, followed by the sight of amputated limbs being tipped from a wheelbarrow into a hole in the ground. It is a brief startling image illustrating the horror of warfare. Towards the end of the film, Lincoln is seen, dead, in his bead with his pillow soaked in blood. It is a brief moment and not particularly focused upon.

There are two uses of strong language. In a brief confrontation between two men, one says 'f**k you, you son of a bitch' before running off. The second use occurs as a reaction to the President's unexpected visit, when a man says, 'well, I'll be f***ed'.

The film also contains racist language and references. These include use of 'nigger' and 'coon', and references such as '...hates niggers, hates God for making niggers' and 'voted yes for nigger freedom'. The language and references occur in a historical context, during an intense debate within American politics, and they illustrate the strength of feelings. However, the focus of the film is on the fight for equality and on those who fought to abolish slavery,

LINCOLN also contains a use of 'bitch' and other milder terms, including uses of 'shit', 'crap' and 'son of a bitch', 'goddamn', 'damn', 'hell' and a use of 'Jesus'.

No-one younger than 12 may see a 12A film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult. No-one younger than 12 may rent or buy a 12 rated video or DVD.