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Film chiefs block release of sadistic horror movie
19 Aug 2009Film chiefs today took the unusual step of refusing to give a certificate to a sadistic horror movie.
Distributors of Japanese movie Grotesque had hoped to be given an 18 certificate for the film, which involves torture such as amputation and eye-gouging.
But the British Board of Film Classification said the film featured sexual sadism for its own sake. It said that giving the film a rating would involve a "risk of harm" to those viewing it.
Selling or supplying the film would now be illegal.
The BBFC rejects films only rarely, preferring to give advice about how appropriate cuts would achieve the preferred certificate.
The decision was taken by BBFC director, David Cooke and senior colleagues.
The board said the majority of the film focused on the assault, humiliation and torture of two victims. The main character takes them prisoner abducts, restrains, strips and sexually assaults them before inflicting horrific injuries until they die.
Mr Cooke said: "Unlike other recent 'torture'-themed horror works, such as the Saw and Hostel series, Grotesque features minimal narrative or character development and presents the audience with little more than an unrelenting and escalating scenario of humiliation, brutality and sadism. The chief pleasure on offer seems to be in the spectacle of sadism (including sexual sadism) for its own sake.
"Rejecting a work outright is a serious matter and the board considered whether the issue could be dealt with through cuts. However, given the unacceptable content featured throughout cutting the work is not a viable option in this case and the work is therefore refused a classification."
Reader views (10)
Jane " Censorship is dangerous " . It may in your opinion be, but I can assure you that it neither is nor isn't.
- Neil, Southport, 20/08/2009 11:27
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I dare say that now it's been banned, more people here will end up seeing it than if it hadn't been.
- Roy, England, 20/08/2009 09:57
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Jane, london Very well said. Isn't it funny how the tree huggers love to control free thought? Just because they are weak I imagine and want us all to be like them, watch out a daalick is approaching hide behind the sofa. Like a sofa can stop a laser.
- Gary, Brentwood, 20/08/2009 08:57
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Well done the BBFC, the world is vile and sick enough without this rubbish. If you want to see grotesque just switch on the news or pick up the paper it is full of grotesque stories.
- David, London, 19/08/2009 16:35
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There was a time when this movie could have been described as being grotesque. Now it is just art following life.
- Harry H, London UK, 19/08/2009 15:35
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That was one seriously ambiguous comment Jane.
For those serious about their dislike of censorship, well - there has to be a line drawn somewhere, which means there has to be some one or some panel that has such authority - they just need to be kept in check from imposing personal likes and dislikes upon the rest of us. Violence, even the most horrific kind, if necessary for a plot, can be implied or off-screen with equal effectiveness to the story, just as sexiness doesn't require stark nudity to be appreciated. Having shock-horror blood and gore on-screen suggests that it wasn't part of the plot at all, but was the purpose of the scene in the first place.
Sounds like a good call to me.
- Rogan, Irving, 19/08/2009 15:29
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This sounds a nasty film & I wouldn't want to see it.
As an adult I make the choice, why the hell should someone who has seen it tell me I can't ?
I'm not their child. I'm probably older & more experienced than the censors.
- British Not Racist, Bracknell England, 19/08/2009 15:05
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Oh dear, Jane. Haven't you yet wakened up to the realisation that you are living in a neo-police state, where freedom of speech and the voicing of personal opinions has been suffocated by the politically correct guardians?
- Cuddly Duddly, Cuffley, UK, 19/08/2009 13:48
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Jane, London......I agree. I fancy a bit of eye-gouging. But I wouldn't do it myself, imagine all that blood and stuff spurting over my laminate floor and making a splatter sound to boot.
- Rod, Epping, UK, 19/08/2009 13:27
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Why can't they let us make up our own minds? Censorship is very very dangerous and I'm entitled to see an unrelenting and escalating scenario of humiliation, brutality and sadism. Not letting us see that is shocking and disgusting.
- Jane, london, 19/08/2009 12:08
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