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IT IS AS much a part of the cinema experience as popcorn, trailers and the sticky floor, but how much thought do any of us give to the classification card?
It’s been the bane of all 11-, 14- and 17-year-olds, but beyond that, many of us don’t give the screen a second thought.
But a group of six people can give it nothing but thought.
The classifiers at the Irish Film Classification Office (IFCO) work year-round to classify every film that is screened in cinemas or released on DVD.
But what are they looking for?
David Power has been an Assistant Classifier at IFCO since 2012 and says that films are looked at under four categories, but context is important.
“There are four main issues that we are looking for – sex, violence, drug use and language.
“But our job is to understand the medium of cinema, so context is important.
For example, 12 Years A Slave got a 15A, but it is quite a violent film. But the violence was used in an historical context. If it was done in any other context, it may have gotten a higher rating.
According to IFCO’s guidelines:
“We try to retain a flexibility of approach and look at the context and impact of the film as a whole, rather than rating it only on the basis of one short image or scene.”
Cinema releases are then rated G, PG, 12A, 15A, 16 or 18.
IFCO’s staff are appointed by the Minister for Justice and come from an array of backgrounds and, despite what you might think, their job doesn’t just involve watching films.
“There is a lot of administration and education along with the classification,” says David.
“We go to schools and talk about the work we do.”
Strong language is one thing that can move a classification up the scale, but David says studios tend to know their audiences.
“Film makers make their films with an audience in mind, so generally we don’t butt heads on the classifications.
“If they’re in doubt, they can ask us to look at early cuts or specific scenes, so there’s very infrequently disagreement.
“Overall, our job is to apply the guidelines in a consistent manner so that parents can know what to expect.”
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Boobs:15
Bush: 18
Seriously when is the last time you saw a bush ?
Hygiene is flavour these days!
Bush is back . Vogue , Sundy Times Style ( london) and Cosmo ( Italy) have done articles in the last six months on the topic. Remember it usually takes Ireland about 12 – 18 months to catch up .. Although before the internet it used to take 5 – 6 years. Anyway bush is back.
Slightly off topic but US cable tv suitability doesn’t make much sense. You can watch a man kick a zombies head into the back of his skull on the walking dead. But god forbid somebody says “f*ck” or shows a nipple.
Walking dead is on AMC which is a subscription cable channel? They can show pretty much what they like.. Same with HBO, Starz etc…
It is the free to view US channels that are very restricted.
There you have it then….
Wait until zombies start getting rights and the advocacy groups pop up. Won’t be so easy to kill zombies on tv then.
They rarely swear in AMCs the Walking Dead, sometimes to the detriment of the show – the last scene from the last season episode being one example. The scene mirrored the comic but lost all its force by wimping out on the swear word dialogue.
Bad word = 18
Sexual inuendo =PG
In your endo
Appointed by a Minister sounds like a job for the boys. This should be open to all people not what the Minister selects.
I have to agree, looks like a nothing job, just an easy way to pay someone big bucks for doing f all..
If Sharon Stones in it then its definitely 18
The woman shows her stuff 20 years ago and you’re still on about it!!!!
Must of been the first and last one you ever seen.
My comment wasnt supposed to be taken so seriously mate, calm yourself.
In general they look at the UK rating and go up one.. so a PG13 becomes a 15 and a 15 and 18 etc.. Apparently the viewers in Ireland are more delicate that anywhere else in the world.
That isn’t true.
My class visited IFCO a few years back and there is no indication that they are simply following the BBFC but “going one up”.
Their record speak for itself:
http://www.ifco.ie/website/ifco/ifcoweb.nsf/web/currentfilms?opendocument¤t=yes&type=graphic
Currently the only film on release here rated 18 is the Raid 2, which certainly deserves it. On the other hand, something like 12 Years a Slave is rated 15A here, a lower rating than the 15 rating the film got in the UK since here it “can also be seen by younger children – provided they are accompanied by an adult who has deemed the film appropriate viewing for that child”.
Please stop spoofing Jay…you will be in the better for it
PG-13 is an American rating, that generally gets a 12A here. Main problem in the states is that it jumps from that to R, which is 17′s, thats a massive jump. A soft R rating tends to get a 15A or 16 here, with a hard R getting 18.
The also have a MA rating, but a lit of theatres refuse to screen them, fir fear of protest and boycott from the easily offended busybodies who protest more often than I eat lunch.
Classification is an irrelevance in this day and age. Parents have to take responsibility to control what their kids access, the nanny state can’t control this aspect of life, thankfully.
I would be a little concerned about 5 year olds queuing up to see the Texas Chain saw massacre directors cut at the local cinemax ;-)
If your talking about the remakes they should be banned as they make baby Jesus cry for being so bad. To quote Dogma , ‘ someone sold their souls to satan to get the grosses up on that piece of shit’.
Bring back Mary whitehouse…;-)…
With sex and violence there should be age restrictions. Nudity (non sexual) and “bad” language should be a bit more relaxed.
If I were to call you a @#(/faced, $*%§ suckin piece of 1′?€ that once +%*£ed a ¥€%*, you wouldnt be offended no?
I wouldn’t be offended if I saw you calling somebody else that.
Films don’t go put of their way to verbally abuse their audience, even in movies with such coarse language. So to be offended by words not directed at you with no judgemental application to you or anyone you know, especially when said in a fictional portrayal, is childish at best.
The censorship of language should be relaxed. Besides, we all hear it on the playground long before we get into a 12s movie anyway.
Dan, why should I be offended its true.
Sounds like a great job.
They draw a grid on the ground and put the certificates in them . Then they cut the head off a chicken and…… Well you know the rest . Its a bit like the Laws of Rugby . Nobody , not even the censors themselves could explain how they come up with them.
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