THE
PURPOSE OF THE RATING
SYSTEM
The basic mission of the
rating system is a
simple one: to offer to
parents some advance
information about movies
so that parents can
decide what movies they
want their children to
see or not to see. The
entire rostrum of the
rating program rests on
the assumption of
responsibility by
parents. If parents
don't care, or if they
are languid in guiding
their children's
moviegoing, the rating
system becomes useless.
Indeed, if you are 18 or
over, or if you have no
children, the rating
system has no meaning
for you. Ratings are
meant for parents, no
one else.
The Rating Board does
not rate movies on their
quality or lack of
quality. That is a role
left to film critics and
audiences. Had we
attempted to insert
ourselves into judging
whether a film is "good"
or "bad" or
"indifferent" we would
have collapsed the
system before it began.
The criteria that go
into the mix which
becomes a Rating Board
judgment are theme,
violence, language,
nudity, sensuality, drug
abuse, and other
elements. Part of the
rating flows from how
each of these elements
is treated on-screen by
the filmmaker. In making
their evaluation, the
members of the Ratings
Board do not look at
snippets of film in
isolation but consider
the film in its
entirety. The Rating
Board can make its
decisions only by what
is seen on the screen,
not by what is imagined
or thought.
There is no special
emphasis on any one of
these elements. All are
considered. All are
examined before a rating
is applied. Contrary to
popular notion, violence
is not treated more
leniently than any of
the other material.
Indeed many films rated
X in the past and NC-17
now, have at least
tentatively been given
the "adults only" rating
because of depictions of
violence. However, most
of the
directors/producers/distributors
involved have chosen, by
their decision, to edit
intense violent scenes
in order to receive an R
rating.
|
