The
Hunger Games is a 2012 US Sci-Fi action film by Gary Ross. With Jennifer
Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth. See
IMDb
A pre-cut version was further cut by 7s by the BBFC for a 12A rating for
intense threat, moderate violence and occasional gory moments for:
The BBFC commented:
- The company chose to make cuts in order to
achieve a 12A classification. A number of cuts were made in one
scene to reduce an emphasis on blood and injury. These cuts, which were
implemented by digitally removing sight of blood splashes and sight of
blood on wounds and weapons, were made in accordance with BBFC
Guidelines and policy.
An uncut 15 classification was available.
These cuts were made in addition to reductions already made following an
earlier advice viewing of an incomplete version
The US release is PG-13 rated
Update: Pre-cuts Outlined
14th March 2012. See
article from
bbfc.co.uk
The BBFC have updated their page describing cuts to The Hunger Games.
They have now outlined the pre-cuts.
The BBFC comments now more fully explain the cuts:
- This work was originally seen for advice in an
unfinished form. The company was advised that the film was likely to
receive a 15 certied 12A
classification could be achieved by making a number of cuts and visual
reductionont>
When the finished version of the film was
submitted for formal classification, cuts had been made in four scenes
of violence and in one scene showing details of injuries. These
reductions were implemented by a mixture of visual cuts, visual
darkenings and the digital removal of sight of blood.
In addition to the reductions already made
during the advice process, the Board required further reductions
in one scene following formal submission of the finished feature. A
number of cuts were made in one scene to reduce an emphasis on blood and
injury. These cuts, which were implemented by digitally removing sight
of blood splashes and sight of blood on wounds and weapons, were made in
accordance with BBFC Guidelines and policy.
An uncut 15 classification was available.
Offsite Comment: 13-year-olds should be
allowed to see splashes of blood
14th March 2012. See article
from blogs.telegraph.co.uk
by Brendan O'Neill
And
secondly, the whole point of The Hunger Games is that it is bloody and
gory and gross and mental. As anyone who has spoken to a teenage fan
will know, the thing that adolescents love about this trilogy of books,
written by Suzanne Collins, is their violence (and also their strongly
anti-state undertone).
The reason teens love these books is because, unlike
Twilight (which actually has lots of blood but absolutely no personality),
they are quite violent and disturbing. The trilogy's army of young fans will
be able to handle seven seconds of red stuff.
...Read the full article
Offsite: Daily Mail have been trawling Twitter
and Mumsnet for comments from 'concerned parents'
27th March 2012. See article
from dailymail.co.uk
Some
parents have complained the film scenes of murder and bloodshed were too
graphic to be appropriate for children and suggested it should be rated
15.
Scenes that have upset some parents include one where a girl screams for
her life as she stung to death by killer wasps, another when a young child
is skewered with a spear, another battered with a brick and scenes were
piles of bodies lay fallen after bloody battles between the combatants. The
film's star, Jennifer Lawrence has defended the film's content
Some took to social networking sites such as Mumsnet and Twitter to voice
their concern.
One mother said: It is really good, but I thought it was really
stretching the 12 rating. [My 12-year-old] was so distressed at one
particular part, not long before the end that we had to leave the cinema.
Another added: You don't see much gore but it's implied and some death
scenes are quite shocking. You see a lot of dead faces and it's very
realistic. There's one bit where the whole cinema rocked back in its seats
and went "aaargh" together.
Others suggested it should have been rated 15 to avoid the risk of
younger children being brought to see it by parents unfamiliar with the
content.
...Read the full article
Offsite: Daily Mail find a couple of
experts to whinge at The Hunger Games
28th March 2012. See article
from dailymail.co.uk
Geoffrey
Beattie, professor of psychology at Manchester University, says watching
teens killing each other will have a stronger effect on young people
than adult battle scenes. He said:
If you identify with the characters then it is going
to seem more familiar and ... the things that happen will feel more
visceral and have a stronger emotional impact on you.
There is a danger that there is so much death or violence that teens
become desensitised.
Writing about the film on her website, best-selling author and
paediatrician Dr Meg Meeker said:
Kids process images they construct in their minds
from written words differently than they process large, hyper-real
images on a screen. Starlets: The film which stars Jennifer Lawrence and
Liam Hemsworth grossed ?5million in the UK in its opening weekend
During the preteen and teen years, children's minds
are mentally pliable. They are being hard-wired... So, when an image
comes into a teen's brain it melds into that wiring and sticks.
Offsite: But Support from the Telegraph
30th March 2012. See
article from
telegraph.co.uk by Robbie Collin
The
BBFC have got the 12A rating spot on. There's nothing in The Hunger
Games that a 12-year-old shouldn't see, but more importantly, there's a
lot that they should.
...Read the full
article
ATVOD
have announced a determination that all internet hardcore must be locked
behind paywalls, that in practice can only be unlocked by credit cards, even
debit cards won't do. I wonder percentage of customers are banned from
watching porn because they haven't got a credit card or else would rather
not use it).
