British Board of Film Censors
The British Board of Film Censors (BBFC), established in 1912, is a self-regulatory body responsible for classifying films in the UK. Originally formed to preempt national control of film content, the BBFC's task was to grant licensing certificates to films submitted by production companies, categorizing them into ratings such as U (universal) and A (adult). Over time, the BBFC expanded its role to include pre-production script examinations, allowing it to influence film content more proactively. Throughout its history, the BBFC has navigated the balance between public safety and artistic expression, often reflecting conservative ideals while occasionally liberalizing its stance during significant cultural moments, such as World War II. Controversies have arisen around specific films that challenged the status quo, leading to debates about censorship and the portrayal of political themes. By the mid-20th century, the BBFC's guidelines evolved, accommodating an increased tolerance for sexual and political content, particularly during the cultural shifts of the 1950s and 1960s. Today, the BBFC continues to play a crucial role in shaping film exhibition in the UK, balancing diverse perspectives on morality and freedom of expression.
British Board of Film Censors
Founded: 1912
Type of organization: Film censorship body
Significance: The board deeply influenced British filmmakers
That cinematographic exhibition could pose a threat to public safety and morality was a concern from the earliest days of film production in Great Britain. The Cinematograph Act of 1909 granted local authorities the right to control film exhibition, which was recognized by most cinematographic companies as a form of censorship. In order to forestall the possibility of national control of film exhibition and content, the film industry agreed, in consultation with Reginald McKenna, the home secretary, to develop a self-regulating board to monitor the content of films. The British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) was thus constituted in 1912. Each cinematographic company submitted their finished films to the board, which was responsible for granting a licensing certificate. The U certificate meant the film was appropriate for universal exhibition, while an A certificate meant a film was suitable only for adult audiences. Imported films would also have to pass through the BBFC film censors before being issued a certificate. By the 1930’s the BBFC also was examining film scripts prior to production, which they used as a means of controlling film content. Thus the British film industry developed a system of self-regulation more than twenty years before the creation of the Hays office in Hollywood.
In theory the BBFC was intended to define the acceptable audience for each film. In practice, however, it acted as a conservative institution attempting to expunge radical content. Although the BBFC claimed in 1938 that it had removed anything to do with political thought from films, a more accurate appraisal was that the political content was kept in line with the conservative British establishment.
During World War II, however, British film content was liberalized. For example the script for Love on the Dole (1941), which described the poverty of the Depression-era working class, was too controversial for the prewar BBFC but was passed for production during the war. In addition the Hollywood film Mission to Moscow (1944), a pro-Soviet film whose grasp of reality was less than perfect, was passed by the BBFC despite intense conservative opposition. During the war one of the greatest debates over film censorship developed around The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943). The film caricatured the innate conservatism, or “Blimpishness” as David Low called it, of the British military. Winston Churchill argued that the film was “detrimental to the morale and discipline of the army” and wanted to have the film censored. Unable to convince his own Ministry of Information, or the BBFC, to ban the film, he was, however, able to force its cutting for export (from 163 minutes to ninety minutes).
The postwar BBFC continued to issue certificates, with standards that were more liberal. In particular the 1950’s and 1960’s, the so-called permissive decades, witnessed the production of numerous films with overt sexual and radical political messages.