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Violence on Film: The Ratings Game
Level(s): Grades 9 - 12 Overview
| This lesson and all associated documents (handouts, overheads, backgrounders) is available in an easy-print, pdf kit version. To open the lesson kit for printing, . To print only this page, use the "printable version" link at the top of the page. | To introduce students to the rating systems for films, videos and television and to the issues that surround these classifications.
Learning Outcomes
Students demonstrate: - knowledge of the history of film classification in Canada.
- knowledge of the film classification categories in their own province.
- an understanding of the differences between film, video and television classifications.
- an understanding of the issues surrounding film, video and television classification.
Preparation and Materials
Prepare the following transparencies: And the following handouts: The Lesson
Part One: Film classification
Ask your students: - Why do we classify films?
(Film classification provides a means by which society can restrict access to films considered inappropriate for children and teenagers, especially films that contain frightening images, acts of cruelty and coarse language.) - Why are young children more vulnerable to sexual, coarse or violent content?
(They don't always understand the difference between reality and what they see in a movie; they are more susceptible to imitating acts that they see on-screen. They don't have a full understanding of the contexts underlying some film scenes.) - What about teenagers? Do you feel that you need the same protection? Why or why not?
- Who develops these classifications?
(In Canada, this is done through provincial ratings boards. However, these film classification boards don't set the standards themselves, but rather rely on existing legislation in rating films.) - Who shares the responsibility for guiding young viewers? (The broadcast and film industry, governments, educators, parents and other family members all share the responsibility of protecting young people from inappropriate images.)
- How do you think we classify films that we get from the U.S.?
(These films are already classified by the Motion Picture Association of America, but they still must be reviewed by provincial film classification boards.) - What are some problems that film classification boards might face in Canada?
(Viewers may not understand information captions, inconsistency between provincial film classification boards, cost surrounding having seven different classification systems, lack of people to enforce classifications, easy access to films via pay-television channels and video rentals.) Activity One
Ask your students: - What's your opinion of film classifications?
Distribute Rating the Movies to students and discuss their responses.
Place the overhead of your own province's Rating System on the blackboard and discuss with class. Ask your students: - For examples of films from each category.
- Whether they agree or disagree with these guidelines.
- How these ratings compared to their own standards.
Activity Two Part Two: Video and television rating systems
Guided Discussion: Classifications for films in theatres can be easily enforced because the ticket sellers act as "gatekeepers," restricting access where necessary. But once a film has completed its theatre run, it is circulated as a home video and finally, as a television movie. Both have their own classification issues. Ask your students - What are some problems with classifying home videos?
With home videos, there is some control at the video store level, but once a video is in the home, there is little that can be done to restrict access to it unless family members play a role. Added to this problem is the issue of video ratings. First, there is a difference between Canadian home video ratings and the Motion Picture Association of America rating system, with the Canadian system often being the more lenient of the two (for example, some videos which have been rated R by the Americans have received the more lenient rating of 14A in Canada).
- Place Video Rating Systems: A Comparison onto the overhead projector and discuss with class.
This discrepancy is further complicated by the way in which the Canadian system determines home video ratings - by averaging the different ratings that the individual provincial film classification boards give the movies when they are released in Canadian theatres. On top of this, some home-video outlets like Blockbuster Videos have created their own rating stickers, so by the time you pick up your Friday night movie, it can have as many as four stickers on it - no wonder people are confused! Aside from Seven, other movies that have received more lenient ratings in Canada include: - King Pin: PG-13 to PG
- The Fan: restricted to 14A
- Sleepers: restricted to 14A
- Last Man Standing: restricted to 14A
- Tin Cup: restricted to PG
Ask your students for other examples. - Let's take this issue one step further, to television. In 1995, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council received a complaint regarding a telecast of Silence of the Lambs. At issue was how a movie, which was classified as restricted in theatres, could be shown on a regular television station. (Teachers who want to explore this particular case in further detail can find it in the case study You Be the Judge: CITY-TV re: Silence of the Lambsand Silence of the Lambs: The Verdict). The Council ruled in favour of the television station, stating that the viewer advisories used by CITY-TV provided sufficient warning to viewers in this instance and that the edited version of the film that appeared on TV was different from the theatre version. However, the issue of restricted movies on television is still a contentious issue for many television viewers.
Canadian television ratings classify programs according to violent content, sex, nudity and coarse language and have been designed to work with the V-Chip, an electronic device that allows parents to block television programming which they feel is inappropriate for their children. - Place Canadian Television Classifications onto the overhead projector and discuss with class.
- Ask your students: How do these ratings compare with movie and video ratings we have looked at?
Activity Three - Distribute article: "TV Violence Warnings Lure Teens" to students.
- Divide class in half for a debate on this issue with one side arguing that advisories on television and in video games are nothing more than lures, and the other side arguing that they are necessary safeguards. (An interesting angle on this debate might be the role of others, such as parents and other members of society in upholding these advisories.) or
- Ask students to write a 500-word expository essay advocating either side of this debate.
Activity Four
How can the film classification system be improved? - Divide your class into groups
- Each group will create a new rating system for films. Students can create separate classification systems for film, television and home videos, or they can create a universal system. Whichever they choose, students must provide a written rationale for their new system(s).
- This assignment includes the creation of categories with explanations for each, and the accompanying symbols.
Evaluation
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