Does it seem like, generally speaking, the newer the movie the raunchier it is? And the dirtier the funnier? For better or worse, crass behavior is funny, and violence is exciting. In many cases, directors will add or remove specific scenes or language just to kick the movie up or bring it down to a desired rating. Hoping for a greater audience appeal, often the quality of a movie is sacrificed in order to make it PG-13 and available to all audiences.
While R-ratings definitely can influence a viewer, other aspects of the movie should also be considered like plot, cast, and characters. Sometimes, seeing an R next to the movie can encourage viewers to attend, as they will be assured that the director held nothing back, no matter if it be a comedy or thriller. Let’s recall some of the most popular and captivating R-rated movies. Would The Hangover (2009) have been as funny if Mr. Chow had been clothed when he jumped from the trunk of the car instead of completely naked? Would Jamie Foxx have even made an impression in Horrible Bosses (2011) if his character’s name had been censored to “Really Mean” Jones? Imagine a horror film like any one of the Saw franchise without the blood and guts; nothing much is left.
Even Oscar nominees find themselves utilizing the tool of obscenities and impropriety to capture otherwise ineffable feelings. For example, would The King’s Speech (2010) been as powerful a drama if there were no well-placed “F” words? What if the first heart-wrenching twenty minutes of Saving Private Ryan (1998) were removed? Does the power of The Fighter (2010) not rest in the abhorrent images yet definite effects of Dicky’s drug use? Going even farther into the folds of time, would Academy-award winning Silence of the Lambs (1991) have been as transfixing if Buffalo Bill had been stealing suits from used clothing stores rather than attempting to violently strip women’s bodies to create clothing of actual skin?Let’s face it, sex, drugs, and violence sell movies because they entertain the audience.
Since the formation of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) in 1922, movies have led us on a journey through the last 90 years to become what many believe is a centripetal force in the downward spiral of human culture. In 1968, Jack Valenti established the voluntary ratings system used today. During his thirty-eight year run as president of MPAA, Valenti helped to mold this new form of voluntary censorship exhibited over the American cinema.
There are five levels of ratings that the MPAA may choose from to properly evaluate the movie, G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17 (or X). The most kid-friendly rating is G, meaning that it is acceptable for General audiences. However, it does not take very much to bump a movie from G to PG, which signifies that the MPAA believes that a child should not watch the movie without a parent present. Sometimes all it takes is one character taking a dump to set things spinning.
Of course, one does not need an R rating to be entertaining. Examples include Inception (2010), The Social Network (2010), and Meet the Parents (2006). But while these movies may be entertaining enough as they are, could they not be improved upon with allowances afforded by the R-rating? If War Horse (2011), for example, had gone further to show the horrors of WWI, would the audience have been more moved? Would it have been more captivating if X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) had showed what Hugh Jackman could really do with those claws? Or imagine what further character development could have occured if Alvin, Simon, and Theodore had really been able to hook up with the Chipettes in Chipwrecked (2011).
R-rated movies are here to stay. Well-placed nude scenes, impalings, F-bombs, mature situations, and disturbing images can enhance a movie’s quality and make it more enjoyable for the audience as a whole. Ratings are intended as suggestions regarding the appropriateness of a movie for young audiences. In an ideal world, an R-rating should not give any indication as to how good a movie is. However, is there anyone reading this article who doesn’t think that The Dark Knight Rises (to be released in 2012) would be a little cooler if it were rated R instead of PG-13 like its predecessors?
hahaha! funny and true.