The Shop Around the Corner is a romantic drama in which a man and woman unknowingly exchange letters with each other whilst working in the same shop. The film is directed by Ernst Lubitsch, who was very well known for directing Hollywood comedies in the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s.
Classification Issues
- Suicide and self-harm
- There is an implied suicide attempt by a store owner after learning of his wife's apparent infidelity. A young man finds him, and there is the sound of a struggle and a gunshot off-screen. However, the character returns to health and is unharmed.
- Additional issues
- There are occasional very mild sex references and innuendo, such as the implication a man's wife is having an affair, and a man suggesting he got very little sleep the night before as he was on a date. There are scenes in which characters smoke cigarettes or cigars, reflecting the period in which the film was made and set. There is infrequent very mild violence, such as a man pushing another man against a shelving unit.
Initial cinema and video classification
The film was first seen by the BBFC for cinema release in the UK in 1940, and passed U, meaning suitable for all. The rating was upheld when the film was classified on video in 1999, and again for cinema re-release in 2010.
At the time, it was noted that the film contained no material likely to offend or harm, although the BBFC produced the following content advice for viewers: “There is an implied attempted suicide by a store owner after learning of his wife's apparent infidelity, with the sound of a gunshot off screen. However, the character returns to health and is unharmed. Although neither glamorised nor promoted, there are frequent scenes in which characters smoke cigarettes or cigars. In another scene, a man pushes his co-worker against a shelving unit in frustration.”
Reclassification at PG
The film was re-submitted to the BBFC for a new home entertainment rating in 2021.
The BBFC updates its Classification Guidelines every four to five years based on extensive public consultation, to ensure that its standards continue to reflect the views of UK audiences. When previously classified films are resubmitted, they are reclassified according to the current Guidelines, meaning that they may require a higher or lower age rating than they received in the past.
Under the Guidelines in effect in 2021, it was determined that the implied suicide attempt was no longer defensibile at U, where modern audiences tend not to expect such direct references to suicide. The film was therefore reclassified at PG for infrequent suicide references.
This decision was reflected when the film was submitted again shortly afterwards for a new cinema classification.
