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 F rom 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.
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
