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May 1974

Page history last edited by PBworks 18 years, 4 months ago

Censorship

 

On 27th March, the Labour Party, or rather a member of the Labour Party, finally introduced into Parliament a bill to revise censorship of films. Mr Jonathan Hunt, the Junior Government Whip, on that date introduced the Cinematograph Films Amendment Bill as a Private Member's Bill.

 

Introducing the bill, Mr Hunt paid tribute to David Gascoigne, chairman of the working committee of the Federation of Film Societies, who was responsible for drafting a large portion of the proposed legislation.

 

Two of the most important provisions are a redefining of the age of an adult and the provision that films for adults shall not be cut. The censor is also empowered to take into account artistic merit when judging a film, something he can't do at present. An adult, in this bill, is now defined as a person "of or over the age of 18 years". (It is fairly certain that this age limit will also apply to members of film societies).

 

The bill lists 4 classifications that would be available for the censor:

A "G" classification, which means that the film may be exhibited to persons of any age.

A "Y" classification, which means that the film may be exhibited only to adults and

to younger persons of a particular age to be specified by the Censor in respect of a particular film.

An "A" classification, which means that the film may be exhibited only to adults.

An "N" classification which means that the film is banned.

 

Any film to be banned must be judged as a whole and if it is blatant or excessive in matters of sex, violence, crime or cruelty and devoid of artistic merit, the censor classifies it "N" and must specify his reasons for doing so.

 

The bill also allows the censor to exempt from censorship films of artistic merit or social importance to be exhibited only to members of approved film societies. This also applies to films at a festival run by a film society.

 

Speaking to the bill, the Opposition spokesman for Internal Affairs (and hence cinema), Mr Highet, said the bill was worthy of further study. He added that he believed that the censor should be given more definite guidelines. He spoilt his speech somewhat by stating that he was not aware of any films that have been censored for film societies. He has since been put right!

 

The present Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr May, commenced by announcing that the present censor was leaving for overseas to study censorship. He went on to promise that the department's own long-awaited bill will be introduced later this year and that the two bills will be studied together at a select committee. He then made a rather frightening statement. Talking about film societies and the kind of people he imagines attend our screenings he said: "No film at all should be allowed to be exhibited if it doesn't conform to the standard that should be acceptable or applicable to the whole community. I think it is a dangerous situation where you give certain people special privileges".

 

The bill was given its first reading and set down for a second reading on 29th May.

 

So what happens now? If you haven't yet seen a copy of the bill, write to your local MP and ask him for a copy. It's your right as a constituent. After reading it carefully, write: to your local MP expressing support, to Jonathan Hunt congratulating him on bringing the bill forward, to the Opposition urging them to support the bill.

 

It is important to remember that a private member's bill can not be enacted into law unless it is adopted by the Government or incorporated into a Government bill. Therefore it is important to watch for the promised Government amendment bill. Both bills will be examined in a select committee which will hear evidence from interested parties and the general public. It is important that film society members show their support for the provisions incorporated in this present bill and any efforts by the Wellington Film Society and the Federation to ensure their implementation.

 

And remember what we are up against. In her reaction to the introduction of the bill, the secretary of the Society for the Promotion of Community Standards, Miss Patricia Bartlett, attacked the bill as being "designed to pass the most pornographic and violent films under the guise of a little artistic or social merit".

 

To counter such ill-informed opinion, read the bill so that you can discuss it rationally and informatively. Write to the papers supporting such sensible legislation, keeping up the trickle of letters that have begun appearing in our papers.

 

The Dominion, in an editorial, agrees with the proposals. In their summing up they said: "The film censor is not against innovation. The Opposition seems ready to go along with the reasonable changes Mr Hunt proposes. The Government should allow the bill every facility to be debated and processed into law".

 

However, the Minister of Internal Affairs, in a speech to the Motion Picture Exhibitor's Association conference a week or so after the bill was introduced, said: "I believe that our present form of censorship has, despite its limitations, served us well in the past. Although I believe legislation should assist the censor to a greater degree, I will not be bulldozed into making drastic changes in this area merely to pander to those who advocate an extreme point of view".

 

- reprinted from Sequence, May 1974.

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