Day 38: We Don't Give Out That Information

THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED (2006)
Directed by Kirby Dick

Have you ever wondered how a film gets its rating, or what the different ratings - G, PG, PG-13, R and NC-17 - mean?  Apparently, it's a pretty shady deal.

Director Kirby Dick interviews several filmmakers whose films have received the dreaded NC-17 rating, a rating that means no children under the age of 17 will be admitted.  But it also means that many theaters won't show the film, many chain stores won't carry the DVD and the film cannot be advertised on television.  They all argue that their films, though sexually explicit, were the victims of censorship at the hands of the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America), an anonymous board of ten people supposedly chosen at random to grant ratings to films released in America.  Specifically, they argue that it is the independent filmmaker who suffers most from the ratings board, and that similarly explicit films made by the Big Studios get a free pass.  Of course, it's not censorship in that the filmmakers are required to re-edit their films or that the re-cuts are done for them, but if they want their films to reach the widest audience possible, they must aim for an R rating or lower.

Dick hires private investigator Becky Altringer to find out the identities of the members of the ratings board.  Why he does this isn't entirely clear.  It would appear that he is trying to better understand who the people are and how the ratings process works, but it comes across more like he's just trying to blow the lid off an organization he has a problem with.  And his arguments have a lot of merit.  Films with graphic depictions of sex or films that deal in a frank way with homosexuality tend to get more severe ratings than films that have explicit violence or even simply a high body count with less on-screen bloodshed.  But he's not entirely mean-spirited.  He does try to get interviews with a few of the members, and even succeeds in talking to two former and two current raters (one of whom preferred to remain anonymous).  Dick's main problem with the ratings board is the fact that they're not entirely forthcoming about who rates the films.  The MPAA claims that the raters are people who are "normal parents" with children between the ages of 5 and 17.  This turns out to be not true, as many of the reviewers are divorced with children aged 20 or older.  Of course, if your film gets a harsher rating than you'd like, you can always appeal.  But the appeals process seems to be even more shady.

This film cites many examples of other films that got the NC-17 rating, and as such, there's a lot of graphic footage here, including things that were cut from original releases.  But the problem is that this film tends to focus more on the censorship of sexuality as opposed to graphic violence, which is mentioned, but is merely touched upon.  It is brought up that the European ratings system is almost exactly the opposite of the American system, giving the stricter ratings to violent films, a system many filmmakers would like to see adopted Stateside.

All of these interviews and comparisons are more interesting, and ultimately more constructive than the footage of Kirby and Becky digging up dirt on the folks on the ratings board.  The latter footage is, at times, funny, but usually pretty mean-spirited.  Yes, the ratings system is unfair; I actually agree with that.  But what will exposing these peoples' identities accomplish?  What is the point of going through their garbage?  Dick isn't so much trying to fix a problem or right a wrong as much as he's trying to send a message to the MPAA that he is no one to mess with.  He's trying to have two wrongs make a right, which never works.  But Dick does present himself as a pretty inspirational figure; taking on the huge, anonymous organization that can make or break your film. 

However, the film is very eye-opening and entertaining (interviews with John Waters are particularly funny), but it's not for every taste.  You can't expect to watch a documentary on censorship without seeing what was censored, and there are no punches pulled here.  But it's a must-watch for prospective filmmakers who really need to see what they're up against.  And even what they can get away with.