Page 1 of Irish Film Censor`s Classifications

I rented a couple of `foreign art-house` films from the local library at the weekend. What I`m curious about is the difference of certification on both films:

The Man on the Train has a UK `12` and a Republic of Ireland `15`
Brotherhood of the Wolf has a UK `15` and a Republic of Ireland `18`.

Why the differences? What are the Irish Film Censor`s criteria compared to the BBFC? Neither film is sexually explicit, though `Intimacy`, a yawn a minute British film by a French director, which is `explicit` was passed uncut in Ireland as an `18`; as was `Trainspotting` incidentally.

Paul

The short answer is that here in Ireland violence is more of an issue than sex when it comes to our film certs. For example, both FROM DUSK TIL DAWN and NATURUAL BORN KILLERS were banned here. Though in recent times we did get the headbutt version of EPISODE 2 in our cinemas. Plus generally kids movies that get a PG in the UK tend to be G certed in Ireland. Apparently Irish toddlers are psycholigially thick skined!

As a result of a mass of complaints about BAD SANTA from idiotic parents who took their kids to see it despite it`s 15PG cert- never mind the chick in tight leather pants with her toung in Billy Bob`s ear on the poster - the irish film censor is about to change our certs again, creating a new 16 cert, which means that any film labeled as such can only be seen be 16 and over. Currently 15PG means you can go if you`re under age if you are with a "parent or guardian". Since this came in a few years ago I look out the projection booth window where I work and see masses of kids at unsuitable films as their parents can save on the babysitting.

Thanks Markey. I had guessed that it must be the violence issue given that Brotherhood of the Wolf is pretty gory. Had it been the sex issue, then visions of Cinema Paradiso would have sprung to mind.

It`s interesting that Ireland still has a film `censor` whereas with the BBFC, the `C` has long since stood for classification rather than censorship, officially anyway

Paul