It's time to overhaul the MPAA or, at the very least, hold a series of open, public meetings and debates into the criteria used when applying ratings to films. Because in a year marked by a series of questionable ratings decisions they've just made one of the strangest, hitting Cannes, Sundance and Toronto selected drama Blue Valentine with an NC-17, reportedly for a sex scene which contains scarcely any nudity and no violence at all.
The decision making process at the MPAA is muddy at the best of times but the decisions lately seem to be more arbitrary than usual and driven by a sort of moralistic and political agenda that really should have no bearing on how films are rated and what is made available to the public. If nothing else these sorts of decisions are going to make producers skittish about producing any sort of film with any edge at all, with any sort of sensibility intended for consumption by anyone other than teenage kids in the American midwest. And nothing against teenaged Bible Belt kids - I was one, after all - but they're not the only people in the world and their stories aren't the only ones worth telling. By all accounts the sex scene in question is uncomfortable with being exploitative or cruel in any way. And you know what? Sometimes sex between consenting adults is like that and there really shouldn't be restrictions against portraying it as such.
The decision making process at the MPAA is muddy at the best of times but the decisions lately seem to be more arbitrary than usual and driven by a sort of moralistic and political agenda that really should have no bearing on how films are rated and what is made available to the public. If nothing else these sorts of decisions are going to make producers skittish about producing any sort of film with any edge at all, with any sort of sensibility intended for consumption by anyone other than teenage kids in the American midwest. And nothing against teenaged Bible Belt kids - I was one, after all - but they're not the only people in the world and their stories aren't the only ones worth telling. By all accounts the sex scene in question is uncomfortable with being exploitative or cruel in any way. And you know what? Sometimes sex between consenting adults is like that and there really shouldn't be restrictions against portraying it as such.
God, I can't stand the MPAA. "It's time to overhaul the MPAA..." I'm getting to the point where I think there shoudln't even be one. The whole thing is just fucking silly and parents clearly ignore their system anyway. You've got parents complaining about PG-13 films when the description under the rating clearly stated why the film was rated what it was in the first place. Combine that with their arbitrary way of doing things and you get what amounts to a bunch of BS, really. Something needs to be done. Change the ratings or the criteria...just do SOMETHING.
Fuck the MPAA.
I don't mean to play devil's advocate per se... I think arbitrary is the most accurate way to describe the MPAA's "method." Except I think the bigger issue is why exactly is the NC-17 rating not treated like a legitimate rating? In other words, it wouldn't matter what bizarre or idiotic decision the MPAA made if people (18 and older in this case) could go to their local theater and see films made for an adult audience. Personally I think Hollywood likes the status quo because they can (a. edge out competition from indies by limiting their release and (b. all the money made from dvd sales/rentals of "unrated" versions so they can sucker people into watching a movie again (most of the time the content of the unrated version would not require a more restrictive rating)
I dont believe any argument about the moral police (or whatever you want to call them) objecting to the NC-17 being used regularly. If the industry would sit down with these potential detractors and explain: hey your kid isn't getting into Saw unless they're 18! What objection would there be? Its a screwed up world where on opening night for Machete, half of the audience are children under 10 brought by their parents (I am not exaggerating) and I have to drive 90 minutes to see Hatchet II with a posted employee standing guard outside the screen the entire time to make sure no minors get in
I highly recommend Kirby Dick's muckraking documentary This Film is Not Yet Rated, for those curious about the exact nature of the RIAA's ratings system. (Here's a hint: It ain't pretty.)