[Movies] What qualifies a movie as 'Rated R'?

[Feral404]

Basically as the title suggests. I am a frequent movie viewer. I have a general knowledge of why movies are rated how they are, like words, violence.
But I'm wondering what are the more precise rules to making a movie rated R? What can be said and not said by a PG-13 film? What can be shown and not shown? Etc.

Thanks, keep it civil.

[nektar]

Here is a site that tells you what generally differentiates a R from PG-13:
http://www.filmratings.com/filmRatin...ratings/rules/
Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_..._rating_system
There is a movie on this as well: This Film is Not Yet Rated

Movies are all rated individually and you can't really directly compare one movies rating with another.
A example would be comparing the movie Carrie with Orgazmo.
Carrie:
rated: R
nudity (like 3 straight mins at the beginning of the movie + some short scenes later)
violence and lots of blood
some profanity

Orgazmo:
rated: NC17 (highest rating in the US)
nudity (only a mans behind)
sexually suggestive scenes (no actual sex scenes)
violence (harmless stuff, things you see in PG13 movies)
profanity

As you can see Orgazmo got a higher rating than Carrie despite having less violence and nudity. Personally I don't like the system since they can limit the movies funds and the number of viewers (PG movies have higher funds than R movies. Many movie theaters don't show R and NC17 because they limit their own profit)

[Ferrn]

The question should be what doesn't

[unholytestament]

As you can see Orgazmo got a higher rating than Carrie despite having less violence and nudity. Personally I don't like the system since they can limit the movies funds and the number of viewers (PG movies have higher funds than R movies. Many movie theaters don't show R and NC17 because they limit their own profit)

If you want to see how fucked up the system is, watch the documentary "This Film Is Not Yet Rated". It's a little sensationalist, leaving out some important details, but it gives a very good idea of the people who are in control of these things.

And it's on Netflix instant stream now.

[Roose]

The MPAA say so. That is it.

---------- Post added 2012-02-12 at 04:22 PM ----------

If you want to see how fucked up the system is, watch the documentary "This Film Is Not Yet Rated". It's a little sensationalist, leaving out some important details, but it gives a very good idea of the people who are in control of these things.

And it's on Netflix instant stream now.

Yup. You want to know who is ruining the internet and quality films, check out that doc. Fuck the MPAA.

[skarsguard]

From what It seems to me its the amount and type of violence,profanity, and nudity. I believe one day that there wont be a MPAA rating for movies just like there use to be a comic book code that use to exist before Image Comics came around.

[Naidia]

PG-13 has the one F word rule, if they go over that, auto-rated R.

Violence wise, if it's sheers amounts of it, even in little douses like Drive where it looks real and gritty, it'll be R, if it's like Transformers violence and don't really show people getting hurt, it'll be PG-13.

Sexuality wise, nudity (yea yea Titanic...still not sure how that got pg-13), and i guess how it's presented. If it's full fledged like Shame, rated R or
NC-17. They've gotten better with what's in the movie. The recent Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is one of the first movies to have "scene/scenes of rape" in the rating thing. Something that can't really be shown in a PG-13 movie.

All that above, and how much it how excessive it is, is what makes it rated R. Usually it'll say something like "Strong violence" or "strong language".

[Warcrafter]

Whats R rated? is that like 18+ in America?

[unholytestament]

Whats R rated? is that like 18+ in America?

17+, actually.

To further clarify, a film rated R will not admit a child under 17 unless they are accompanied by someone 17 or over.

Meanwhile a film rated NC17 will just plain not admit anyone under 17, period.

[-Zait-]

To my knowledge, full on nudity and frequently saying "fuck". Graphic violence also.

[Skelington]

Basic censorship(nudity/suggestion, violence, naughty language etc.). Things that will "corrupt the youth" and such.

[Roose]

It is disheartening to see how some of you think there is actually a preset standard for ratings. If there actually was any actual standards list to go buy then please link it.

MPAA is controlled by, guess who, Hollywood. They use the MPAA to control the theater profits. They are quick to give independent films more restrictive ratings because it goes against their interests. Look at what it takes for a major Hollywood film to get an R rating versus what thy give indies. Indies get the NC-17 rating, not major studio flicks.

They are also very likely to give a movie a higher rating just for homosexual content.

All the violence and sex you want is OK, just as long as it is heterosexual and nobody uses any naughty language.

[unholytestament]

It is disheartening to see how some of you think there is actually a preset standard for ratings. If there actually was any actual standards list to go buy then please link it.

MPAA is controlled by, guess who, Hollywood. They use the MPAA to control the theater profits. They are quick to give independent films more restrictive ratings because it goes against their interests. Look at what it takes for a major Hollywood film to get an R rating versus what thy give indies. Indies get the NC-17 rating, not major studio flicks.

They are also very likely to give a movie a higher rating just for homosexual content.

All the violence and sex you want is OK, just as long as it is heterosexual and nobody uses any naughty language.

Thank you.

There are no hard and fast rules for movie ratings. If there were we wouldn't need a board with secret members who get to lord over the entirety of cinema.

[Feral404]

Thanks for the replies, all very interesting.