Behind the Scenes at the BBFC: Film Classification from the Silver Screen to the Digital Age

by Edward Lamberti

This official history of the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) draws on unprecedented access to the BBFC's archives to trace 100 years of film classification, with contributions from leading film critics and historians and case studies of controversial films such as Battleship Potemkin and A Clockwork Orange .

Genres: Nonfiction, Film

240 pages, Paperback

First published November 27, 2012

About the author

Edward Lamberti teaches film at King's College London and also works at the British Board of Film Classification. He is the editor of Behind the Scenes at the BBFC: Film Classification from the Silver Screen to the Digital Age (longlisted for the 2013 Kraszna-Krausz Book Award for Best Moving Image Book).

Reviews

[Simon Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such an interesting topic but written like a retrospective internal report.

I'll continue looking for a more user-friendly and easier to read history of the BBFC.

[Ben Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're interested in censorship and the history of film in the UK, this is the book for you. And it seems, for me.

[Amy W · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the BBFC on the BBFC covering 100 years of its existence. This was written in chronological order from the various perspectives of former and current staff members and those in the know.

Although I didn't recognise all the films (my film knowledge is actually pitifully limited), a brief overview was supplied in most cases and there were also case studies giving more information on specific films.

The book seemed very well researched and authoritative. Countless dates, details and examples were used to back up everything that was said. Although thorough, it wasn't boring. Slow progress was made though as the text size is very small.

I didn't like the final chapter. The book brings you right up to date (to 2012 anyway), but the last chapter is a series of short essays on various elements of the BBFC and its role. These were just sort of stuck in all together at the end and covered some of the same ground that I'd already read about in the book. They could perhaps have been placed better, though I'd prefer for them not to be included at all as they were mostly DULL. Read the book, but skip the final chapter.

[Michael Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

The official retrospective of the BBFC's first 100 years is an interesting alternative history of British cinema. Familiar landmarks are ignored, focusing instead on those movies (obscure, well-known and forgotten) that challenged public attitudes at a particular moment. Being an authorised analysis, the contributors are broadly sympathetic to the BBFC's attitudes; at least, they attempt an explanation of the board's reasoning. Its only the organisation's former director, Robin Duvall, later in the piece, who is willing (perhaps the only one who feels politely able) to condemn his predecessors where they have been indecisive, overly cautious or just plain wrong.

[Barton Young]

For me it benefited greatly for being an in-house job. Last chapter was a bit of a slog though.