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MOTION PICTURE RATINGS |
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UNITED STATES
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All ages admitted. This signifies that the film rated contains nothing most parents will consider offensive for even their youngest children to see or hear. Nudity, sex scenes, and scenes of drug use are absent; violence is minimal; snippets of dialogue may go beyond polite conversation but do not go beyond common everyday expressions. |
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Some material may not be suitable for children. This signifies that the film rated may contain some material parents might not like to expose to their young children - material that will clearly need to be examined or inquired about before children are allowed to attend the film. Explicit sex scenes and scenes of drug use are absent; nudity, if present, is seen only briefly, horror and violence do not exceed moderate levels. |
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Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. This signifies that the film rated may be inappropriate for pre-teens. Parents should be especially careful about letting their younger children attend. Rough or persistent violence is absent; sexually-oriented nudity is generally absent; some scenes of drug use may be seen; one use of the harsher sexually derived words may be heard. |
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This signifies that the rating board has concluded that the film rated contains some adult material. Parents are urged to learn more about the film before taking their children to see it. An R may be assigned due to, among other things, a film's use of language, theme, violence, sex or its portrayal of drug use. |
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This signifies that the rating board believes that most American parents would feel that the film is patently adult and that children age 17 and under should not be admitted to it. The film may contain explicit sex scenes, an accumulation of sexually-oriented language, or scenes of excessive violence. The NC-17 designation does not, however, signify that the rated film is obscene or pornographic. |
BRITISH BOARD OF
FILM CLASSIFICATION
| Symbol | Name | Definition |
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Universal Children | Suitable for all, but especially suitable for pre-school children to watch on their own (video only). |
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Universal | Suitable for all |
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Parental Guidance | All ages admitted, but parents are advised that certain scenes may be unsuitable for younger children |
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12 Accompanied/Advisory | Suitable for those aged 12 and over (cinema only); under 12s are only admitted if accompanied by an over 18 |
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12 | Suitable for those aged 12 and over (video only) |
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15 | Suitable for those aged 15 and over |
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18 | Suitable for those aged 18 and over |
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Restricted 18 | Suitable for those aged 18 and over and only available at licensed cinemas and sex shops |
CANADA
Canadian ratings outside Quebec
General Canadian Ratings.
In the past there were a wide range of rating categories and practices in the various provinces. However, the five rating systems outside Quebec now all use categories and logos derived from the Canadian Home Video Rating System. In general, the categories are:
| G | General - Suitable for viewing by all ages. |
| PG | Parental Guidance |
| 14A | Suitable for viewing by persons 14 years of age or older. Persons under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. |
| 18A | Suitable for viewing by persons 18 years of age or older. Persons under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. |
| R | Restricted - Admittance restricted to persons 18 years of age or older. |
| A | Adult - Admittance restricted to persons 18 years of age or older. Contains predominantly sexually explicit activity. |
Quebec Ratings
In Quebec the Régie du Cinéma rates films and videos.
| G | (Visa général) -- May be viewed, rented or purchased by persons of all ages. A classification of "Visa général" means that the film so classified is unlikely to disturb an average viewer. It in no way indicates that the film is considered to be "suitable" for children. Only a "for children" notice would indicate that such a film would be appropriate for younger viewers. |
| 13+ | (13 ans+) -- May be viewed, rented or purchased by persons 13 years of age or over. Children 12 years of age and under may be admitted to a public showing of the film, but only if accompanied by an adult aged 16 or older. When rating a film as 13+, the examiners consider: certain scenes of violence (senseless destruction, physical harm, graphic violence, etc.); the representation of sexuality (extremely detailed intimate scenes, sexual relationships promoting dominance or disturbing situations, etc.); certain themes (suicide, family break-ups, mental instability, marginal behavior, etc.). |
| 16+ | (16 ans+) -- May be viewed, rented or purchased by persons 16 years of age or over. These films may contain complex sequences, including violent or erotic elements, as well as certain problematic situations encountered by adults. However, the examiners are required to conduct a rigorous evaluation when considering the following; detailed and complacent images of unwarranted or sustained violence; particularly troubling images; the manner in which sexuality is depicted. |
| 18+ | (18 ans+) -- May be viewed, rented or purchased by persons 18 years of age or over. Films reserved for adults most often deal primarily with the representation of explicit sexual encounters. They may also be extremely violent, showing scenes of hyper realistic cruelty, torture and horror. |
The ratings are sometimes accompanied by indications which specify the dominant characteristic of the film. These may prove quite useful when the classification alone does not provide sufficient information.
For children, Associated with a "Visa général" rating, this indication means that the film is particularly suitable for young children.
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Not suitable for young children, Associated with a "Visa général" rating, this indication warns that the film may be disturbing to children under eight years of age.
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Coarse language, Accompanies a rating of "13 years and over," "16 years and over", or "18 years and over." This indication means that the film contains coarse or obscene language.
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Eroticism, Accompanies a rating of "13 years and over", "16 years and over", or "18 years and over." This indication specifies that the film contains enough visual elements pertaining to sexuality to make this one of its dominant characteristics.
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Violence, Accompanies a rating of "13 years and over", "16 years and over", or "18 years and over." This indication means that violence is one of the dominant aspects of the film.
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Horror, Accompanies a rating of "13 years and over", "16 years and over", or "18 years and over." This indication warns that the film is strongly characterized by scenes aimed at provoking disgust, repulsion or fear, such as those showing mutilated bodies.
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Explicit sexuality, Only accompanies the classification of "18 years and over." This indication signifies that the film essentially contains scenes of real and explicit sexual activity. In the retail video industry, the presence of this indication requires the storeowner to place the film in a separate adults only room or the entire store must be off limits to minors e.g. a sex shop.
AUSTRALIA
Australian Ratings
The Office of Film and Literature Classification Generally controls all ratings used on motion pictures. The OFLC is government run and funded. Australian States have the power to reclassify or ban movies if they wish to. Television advertising for Films over the MA15+ Rating is restricted to certain times of the day. The OFLC will also not "cut" or edit a movie, and films are rarely banned.
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The ratings board is comprised of mostly liberal members, therefore the OFLC has a strong influence on "Informing your Choices", rather than "censoring." Thus very detailed content descriptions are used. Film Advertising is accompanied by a Color Coding and a Specific Shape for each classification level. This is accompanied by information such as Low, Medium or Strong Coarse Language, Nudity, Sexual References, Horror and so on. However this is generally
un- standardized and very detailed information such as "Suicide Themes" or "Racist Themes" and so forth can be included. The E Rating is used on films to do with things such as gardening, hobbies and other things which do not have a need to be classified. The MA15+ rating is usually quite strictly upheld by cinemas (with ID needed for entry), however MA15+ movies can often be rented out or sold to under 15's from video stores. Movies holding an R rating or higher are very strictly controlled in who is allowed to view, buy or hire them.
UNRESTRICTED
| E | Exempt From Classification. |
| G | Suitable for All Ages. |
| PG | Parental Guidance is Recommended for Young Viewers. |
| M | Suitable for Mature Audiences. |
RESTRICTED
| MA15+ | Suitable for Mature Audiences Only - Persons Under 15 Must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. |
| R18+ | Restricted to Adults 18 Years and Over. |
| X18+ | Restricted to Adults 18 Years and Over (ACT and NT Only) - Very Strong & Graphic Sex Scenes. |
BANNED
| RC | Refused Classification - Illegal to be Shown in Australia and its Territories. |
It is illegal to exhibit, sell or import RC films. It is not however in general illegal to have them in one's possession without intent to sell. (Although some RC films, i.e. child pornography, are illegal to possess as well.)
