Incorrect Classifications

An ongoing issue raised by the good doctor Kermode on Radio 5 concerns the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) and its recent rise in inappropriate classifications, not least of all for The Other Boleyn Girl, a film that I haven't seen and neither will I in the future seeing as it lends a platform for the awful, wooden, and boring Natalie Portman. This film has been given a '12A' certificate, which suggests that children aged under 12 should only go and see the film with the accompaniment of an adult within special reason; certainly no-one under 8 years old should go. With regard to The Other Boleyn Girl, the BBFC states: "The film also contains a scene in which the King, frustrated by Anne Boleyn's refusal to submit to him, forces himself upon her, [...] merely suggesting what is happening through Anne's pained expression. [...] The film also contains undetailed implication of two executions by beheading. [...] The film also contains some brief and undetailed references to incest." Now, call me a square from the past, but surely films that contain rape, executions, incest, bad language, and dramatic violence should not be classified as a '12A'. This is not the first time that Kermode has taken issue with their guidelines, and rightly so, it seems. Moreover, a concerned fellow citizen even rang in to the show to express his doubts after watching the film, judging whether it would be appropriate for his daughter studying Henry VIII. What brings me directly to this, considering I would not normally post about this subject, is the BBFC's struggle against Rockstar Games' Manhunt 2. I have posted about this before but I cannot find where. In that instance, judge the case for yourself and analyze whether the BBFC has its priorities set straight: here and here.