Ruqayyah Snyder
The Australian Classification Board (ACB) is an Australian government statutory body that classifies and censors films, television programs, video games, and publications for exhibition, sale, or hire in Australia. The ACB provides advisory categories to help individuals make informed choices about what to watch, play, or read. These ratings include G (General), PG (Parental Guidance), M (Mature), MA 15+ (legally restricted to people aged 15 and over), R 18+ (legally restricted to adults 18 years and over), and X 18+ (restricted). Films with higher ratings may contain more explicit content, such as sexual scenes, drug use, violence, or coarse language. The ACB also has the power to ban or refuse classification to certain films, such as those that exploitatively depict minors.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the movie | Australia |
| Year of release | 2008 |
| Genre | Romance, Adventure, Action |
| Plot | An English aristocrat travels to Australia to convince her husband to sell their cattle farm |
| Rating in Australia | MA 15+ |
| Rating in the US | PG-13 |
| Australian Classification Board | Australian government statutory body responsible for classification and censorship of films |
| Classifiable elements | Themes, violence, sex, language, drug use, nudity |
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What You'll Learn
The Australian Classification Board (ACB)
Following legislative changes enacted in the Commonwealth Classification Act 1995, it became known as the Classification Board. From 2006 until 2020, the Department of Communications and the Arts provided administrative support to the ACB. In 2020, it was merged into the 'mega department' of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. The ACB is made up of a director, a deputy director, and three other board members, appointed by the government for three or four-year terms, and temporary board members.
The ACB does not directly censor material by ordering cuts or changes. However, it can effectively censor media by refusing classification and making it illegal for hire, exhibition, or importation to Australia. The classification system has several levels of "restricted" categories, prohibiting the sale, exhibition, or use of some materials to those under a prescribed age. Some films are exempt from classification under certain conditions, for example, if they are made for educational or training purposes. Film festivals and institutions may also apply to the ACB for an exemption from classification for the purpose of screening at a particular film festival or event.
The ACB also classifies material submitted by the police, the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, and the Australian Communications and Media Authority. The board does not classify live performances, audio CDs, and television shows. Television is regulated by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, and film classification also applies to Internet streaming services.
In January 2019, Netflix was given the go-ahead to self-regulate film and television classification on its streaming platform, allowing the company to rank content between G and R 18+. The classifications below are unrestricted and may suggest parental advisory but do not impose any legal restrictions on access to or distribution of material.
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Classification ratings and their advisory nature
The Australian Classification Board (ACB) is an Australian government statutory body responsible for the classification and censorship of films, television programmes, video games and publications for exhibition, sale or hire in Australia. The ACB was established in 1917 as the Commonwealth Film Censorship Board. The ratings given by the ACB are advisory in nature and are meant to inform consumers about the content of the film or game.
There are six classifiable elements for films: themes (such as rape, suicide, racism), violence (including the level of violence and its context), sex (intercourse and references), language (level of profanity), drug use (use and references), and nudity (explicitness). These elements are considered when assigning a classification rating. Consumer advice appears with the classification symbol on products, packaging, and advertisements. However, consumer advice is not provided if the element in question would be acceptable at a lower classification.
The ACB's classifications are unrestricted and suggest parental advisory, but do not impose legal restrictions on access to or distribution of the material. In contrast, some classifications are legally restricted and indicated by a black banner at the bottom of the classification label. The ACB also classifies material submitted by authorities such as the police, the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, and the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
In 1994, a separate classification system was introduced for computer and video games due to their interactive nature and potential for greater impact on young minds. While video games now share classification ratings with films, the adults-only R 18+ classification was not applied to video games until 2013. Netflix was given the authority to self-regulate film and television classification on its platform in 2019, allowing it to rank content between G and R 18+.
The ACB's decisions can be reviewed by the Australian Classification Review Board. The current classification system is being reviewed to better suit today's digital environment and the changing landscape of streaming services and online game storefronts.
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The American R rating is equivalent to Australia's M rating
The movie "Australia" is rated M in Australia. It contains mature themes, violence, drug use, and language that may be inappropriate for younger viewers. The movie depicts the historically accurate storyline of half-aboriginal, half-white children being taken from their homes and taught to be domestic servants in white society. It also includes several instances of violence and frequent alcohol consumption by adults.
The American R rating and the Australian M rating are not identical, and there may be some discrepancies between the two. For example, the movie Deadpool is rated MA15+ in Australia but R in the US. This is because the US and Australia have different rating systems and standards for classifying content. Australia's MA15+ rating is essentially a slightly lower standard of the US R rating.
It is important to note that rating systems and their specific criteria can vary widely between countries. Factors such as cultural norms, historical context, and the portrayal of drug use or violence can influence the classification process differently in each country.
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Banned films in Australia
Australia has a history of censoring films, with the Australian Classification Board banning films that deal with matters of sex, drug misuse, crime, cruelty, violence, or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in a way that offends the standards of morality, decency, and propriety accepted by reasonable adults. Films that promote, incite, or instruct matters of crime or violence may also be banned. Personal ownership of Refused Classification (RC) material is legal except in Western Australia and prescribed areas of the Northern Territory, or if the films contain illegal content.
In the early days of film censorship in Australia, state governments employed a film censor, an individual who assessed movies to decide which ones were fit for public consumption. From 1925, this was Walter Cresswell O'Reilly, a conservative businessman who used his broadly defined powers to ban numerous movies, including the 1930 Best Picture Academy Award winner 'All Quiet on the Western Front'. The film was based on a novel by Erich Remarque and told from a German perspective, and Cresswell felt it undermined public confidence in the armed forces and the government. The film was eventually unbanned.
In the 1960s, a federal layer of review was added, with the 'Australian Chief Censor', a role within the Attorney General's Office, who could ban film content nationwide. Richard Prowse was appointed Chief Censor in 1964 and banned Michelangelo Antonioni's classic metaphysical mystery 'Blow-Up', as well as other acclaimed films such as 'La Dolce Vita', 'Zabriskie Point', and 'The Silence' (all subsequently unbanned).
In 1970, Australian film censorship changed again with the establishment of the 'Film Classification Board', a three-person panel that would review submitted films and give them one of four classification categories. Films could still be banned if deemed unsuitable.
Some films banned or initially banned in Australia include:
- 'The Blonde Captive' (1932)
- 'Blow-Up'
- 'La Dolce Vita'
- 'Zabriskie Point'
- 'The Silence'
- 'Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend' (the first anime banned in Australia)
- 'Sex Is...' (1993, initially banned on VHS)
- 'Super 8½ – A Cautionary Bio-Pic' (1994)
- 'Hustler White' (1996)
- 'Vampire Circus' (banned in 1972 for excessive violence, passed with an R-rating in 1973)
- 'Flesh' (banned in 1971 for indecency)
- 'Five Savage Men' (banned in 1971 for indecency and excessive violence, passed with an M-rating in 1982)
- '200 Motels' (banned in 1972 for indecency)
- 'Die Jungfrau von 18 Karat' (banned in 1972 for indecency)
- 'Sugar Cookies' (banned in 1972 for indecency)
- 'Slaves of Love' (banned in 1972 for indecency)
- 'Tropic of Cancer' (banned in 1972 for indecency, passed with an R-rating in 1973)
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Classification ratings for video games
In Australia, films, computer games, and certain publications must be classified before they can be made available to the public. The Australian Classification Board (ACB) is responsible for this classification and censorship. The ratings are advisory categories that help consumers make informed choices about what to watch, play, or read. While there are no legal restrictions on viewing or playing films and games, some content may be refused classification and thus cannot be sold, hired, advertised, or legally imported in Australia.
The classification ratings for video games in Australia include:
- G: General. Suitable for all audiences. May contain content that may scare very young children. Similar to the ESRB's E and PEGI 3 for video games.
- PG: Parental Guidance recommended for viewers under 15 years old. May contain mild impact content that may confuse or upset younger children.
- M: Not recommended for viewers under 15 years old. May contain strong impact content, including limited use of strong language.
- MA 15+: Restricted to players 15 years and over. May contain high-impact content such as sex scenes and drug use. Parental accompaniment is required for minors.
- R 18+: Restricted to players 18 years and over. May contain content that is offensive to sections of the adult community.
- X 18+: Restricted to players 18 years and over. May contain explicit content, including pornographic material.
It is important to note that the Australian classification system for video games continues to evolve. For example, in 2024, new classifications were introduced for games that contain gambling-like content.
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Frequently asked questions
The rating of a movie in Australia is determined by the Australian Classification Board (ACB). The movie US does not appear to have been rated in Australia.
The rating categories in Australia are G (General), PG (Parental Guidance), M (Mature), MA 15+ (legally restricted to people aged 15 and over), R 18+ (legally restricted to adults 18 years and over), and X 18+ (restricted). There is also the Refused Classification (RC) category, which refers to films that cannot be sold, hired, advertised, or legally imported in Australia.
The ACB considers six classifiable elements when rating a movie: themes (e.g., rape, suicide, racism), violence, sex, language, drug use, and nudity.
Yes, there are several examples of movies that received different ratings in the US and Australia. For instance, some movies rated R or TV-MA in the US are rated M or PG in Australia. Additionally, the movie "Ninja Scroll" initially received an MA 15+ rating in Australia but was later changed to R 18+.
