France Rates Fifty Shades of Grey Suitable for Teens

[Skwim]

"BERLIN — The French National Film Board (CNC) has given Sam Taylor-Johnson’s “Fifty Shades of Grey” a relaxed PG-12 rating.

Underscoring the discrepancies in social mores throughout Europe, “Fifty Shades of Grey” was judged much more strictly in the U.K., where the movie has been given an “18” certification for “unusual behavior and graphic nudity.”

In France, however, teenagers will get to see the movie, which features numerous sex scenes. In fact, Jean-François Mary, who presides over the French ratings board, said “Fifty Shades of Grey” was nothing more than a “romance.”

“It’s really a romance, we could even call it a bleuette — a sentimental tale,” said Mary of the board’s decision to allow adolescent moviegoers into the movie.

The Gallic board even considered not restricting the movie for audiences under 12, according to Premiere magazine. “The director handled the sex scenes very skillfully and limited them to the bare minimum. It’s more the subject itself, this SM relationship, which pushed us to restrict the movie for audiences under 12.”

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Opinions?

 

[gsa]

Well do they restrict access to the book? It seems strange to have one standard for a film and another for a book. I also don't know much about the content of either, save that I was underwhelmed by the excerpts I have read.

 

[SomeRandom]

Sacrebleu!

Nah, I'm sure the kids will be fine.

I mean it IS the French. They probably watched the movie all bemused like and said "how adorable, it thinks it's racy" and then went on to reviewing far more explicit erotic movies.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

It does a mind good to be exposed to alternative ways.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I don't see the problem. The BBFC is known to be quite uptight.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Well do they restrict access to the book? It seems strange to have one standard for a film and another for a book. I also don't know much about the content of either, save that I was underwhelmed by the excerpts I have read.

Haven't (and won't) read/seen either, but I've read reviews that suggest the movie is tame compared to the book.

 

[Skwim]

In the USA it's rated "R (for strong sexual content including dialogue, some unusual behavior and graphic nudity, and for language)" which, if viewed by anyone under 18, would be enough to send them straight to hell, or at least entice them into committing such perversions as to make Satan blush.

Guess who read the book and wanted to see the movie.

.​

 

[Brickjectivity]

Lulz. That's France.

 

[SomeRandom]

In the USA it's rated "R (for strong sexual content including dialogue, some unusual behavior and graphic nudity, and for language)" which, if viewed by anyone under 18, would be enough to send them straight to hell, or at least entice them into committing such perversions as to make Satan blush.

Guess who read the book and wanted to see the movie.

.​

Damn. I'd hate to see what happens if an under 18 year old tried to watch any adaptation made of 120 Days of Sodom!

 

[Flankerl]

Some time ago I saw how a Japanese man got his penis cut off in a movie on the channel arte(Franco-German channel). It was around 2pm.
Prior to that the movie depicted real sexual intercourse.

I lived.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Damn. I'd hate to see what happens if an under 18 year old tried to watch any adaptation made of 120 Days of Sodom!

Probably be bored. I know I was. It was so stupid. It took me 2 tries to watch Salo.

 

[SomeRandom]

Probably be bored. I know I was. It was so stupid. It took me 2 tries to watch Salo.

Well I guess so.
At least it's not as unwatchable as a Serbian film. *shudders* Seriously, newborn rape? WTF?

 

[metis]

I think it's more the American way we handle such things that strikes me as being hypocritical and illogical. Nudity on regular t.v. is naught, but having people jumping into bed constantly is OK. Showing a pair of boobs or a penis is "immoral", but graphic violence is just fine and dandy. Sometimes I think the whole society needs to be committed-- except me of course.

 

[Skwim]

I think it's more the American way we handle such things that strikes me as being hypocritical and illogical. Nudity on regular t.v. is naught, but having people jumping into bed constantly is OK. Showing a pair of boobs or a penis is "immoral", but graphic violence is just fine and dandy. Sometimes I think the whole society needs to be committed-- except me of course.

Boy! ain't that the truth. This isn't a new observation, of course, but the fact that it continues to be ignored shows just how screwed up the moral compass in the USA is.

 

[metis]

Boy! ain't that the truth. This isn't a new observation, of course, but the fact that it continues to be ignored shows just how screwed up the moral compass in the USA is.

Ya, I remember those days with the latter picture.

 

[gsa]

The internet has made the debate particularly ridiculous. Teenagers need only click "Yes" on the age disclaimers of any particular site to have access to actual depictions of executions, sadomasochism and other adult content. Real, not simulated.

The same forces that are making surveillance ubiquitous have rendered most forms of censorship unworkable.

 

[dgirl1986]

Just no. Teens have enough to deal with.

 

[SomeRandom]

Just no. Teens have enough to deal with.

I've seen French movies that are deemed suitable for teens over there. They'd probably view 50 Shades as uninteresting and fluffy.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Well I guess so.
At least it's not as unwatchable as a Serbian film. *shudders* Seriously, newborn rape? WTF?

Lol. I saw that movie. Not as stupid or boring as Salo but still overrated. But I'm just jaded.

 

[SomeRandom]

Lol. I saw that movie. Not as stupid or boring as Salo but still overrated. But I'm just jaded.

Ahh I see. Well perhaps I'm still too innocent to feel anything other than repulsion when faced with either Salo or A Serbian Film. lol