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Abstract
This article explores the relationship between the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) and government during the implementation of the Video Recordings Act (VRA). It considers the public Parliamentary debates about the VRA, and places them alongside private correspondence between the Home Office and the BBFC, and internal BBFC material from the recently catalogued James Ferman papers held at the BFI. As well as exploring the introduction of the VRA, this article also aims to briefly consider its implications for the BBFC, how they set about interpreting and implementing its stringent recommendations and how this impacted upon the organisational working practices of the Board. While the VRA was without doubt one of the most significant pieces of legislation within the history of film regulation in Britain, the time is ripe for its reappraisal and with it a re-evaluation of the role played by the BBFC in securing statutory regulatory powers.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to the staff of the Special Collections at the BFI Library for access to the James Ferman papers and to staff at the BBFC in allowing me access to their own archive files for particular films.
Disclosure Statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1 More recently, this Act was superseded by the Video Recordings Act 2010, which corrected a procedural error from the 1984 legislation but otherwise confirmed all the main provisions of the original act.
2 Barker, “Nasty Politics,” 7.
3 Kuhn, “Letter to Editor,” 116–17.
4 Cmnd 7772. HMSO, 1979, 22.
5 Cmnd 7772. 158.
6 Robertson, “Home Office and BBFC,” 318.
7 Covered in detail in Barber, Censoring the 1970s.
8 Robertson, “Home Office and BBFC,” 318.
9 Michael Havers to Lord Harlech, 18 February 1981. James Ferman papers. BFI library.
10 Egan, Trash or Treasure, 1–15.
11 Petley “A Nasty Story,” 70. Also reproduced in Petley, Film and Video Censorship in Modern Britain along with other relevant publications relating to the VRA.
12 Ibid.
13 Egan, Trash or Treasure, 1–15.
14 Petley “A Nasty Story,” 72.
15 Report of the Video Working Party. January 1983. James Ferman papers. BFI library.
16 Brown, “A Curious Arrangement,” 23.
17 Ibid.
18 Ibid.
19 Ibid.
20 Legislation covered in detail in Petley, Film and Video Censorship in Modern Britain.
21 Marsh, Gowin, and Read, “Private Members Bills,” 183.
22 Sharman “Video Recordings Act,” 114.
23 Ibid., 117.
24 Bernard Braine, House of Commons debate, 11 November 1983.
25 Denis Howell, House of Commons debate, 11 November 1983.
26 Tim Brinton, House of Commons debate, 11 November.
27 Michael Shersby, House of Commons debate, 11 November 1983.
28 David Mellor, House of Commons debate, 11 November 1983.
29 Ibid.
30 See Lamberti, Behind the Scenes at the BBFC.
31 Dates given for these films correspond with their production dates and are included here for clarity, but their formal classification by the BBFC varies.
32 BBFC internal memo notes, 7 March 1985. James Ferman papers. BFI library.
33 For more information on these cases, see Barber, Censoring the 1970s.
34 Margaret Ford to James Ferman, 12 June 1985. James Ferman papers. BFI library.
35 Sharman, “Video Recordings Act,” 116.
36 Ibid.
37 BBFC examiner report on Crimes of Passion, 21 December 1984. BBFC archive files, London.
38 BBFC examiner report on Driller Killer, 28 December 1984. BBFC archive files, London.
39 BBFC memo from Administration to Management Team, 8 April 1985. James Ferman papers. BFI library.
40 Ibid.
41 James Ferman to Nigel Varney, 18 October 1984. James Ferman papers. BFI library.
42 Ibid.
43 James Ferman authored BBFC position paper, 19 November 1984. James Ferman papers. BFI library.
44 British Videogram Association to David Mellor, 25 January 1985. James Ferman papers. BFI library.
45 BBFC to David Mellor, January 1985. James Ferman papers. BFI library.
46 Ibid.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Sian Barber
Sian Barber, School of Creative Arts, Queen’s University Belfast, 21 University Square, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.