The British Board of Film Classification today announced that it has granted Tom Six’s THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE II (FULL SEQUENCE) an 18 certificate, allowing the film to be legally sold in the UK. To some, the news may come as a surprise considering the BBFC had previously rejected the film, stating on 6th June: ‘[i]t is the Board’s conclusion that the explicit presentation of the central character’s obsessive sexually violent fantasies is in breach of its Classification Guidelines and poses a real, as opposed to a fanciful, risk that harm is likely to be caused to potential viewers.’ The BBFC also considered that THE HUMNA CENTIPEDE II may have even been in breach of the Obscene Publications Act or similar legislation.
However, for those who have followed the saga, the BBFC’s new stance may come as no surprise at all, considering director Tom Six and his production company’s protest against the decision and official appeal. But THE HUMAN CENIPEDE II has not emerged unscathed, as the BBFC have made 32 cuts to the material, totalling up to 2.37 minutes of action. This is particularly interesting considering BBFC Director David Cooke originally stated ‘[t]he Board considered whether its concerns could be dealt with through cuts. However, given that the unacceptable content runs throughout the work, cuts are not a viable option in this case and the work is therefore refused a classification’.
It remains to be seen how the UK press and public will respond to this decsion, considering their hysertical responses to past films of a contrversial or explicit nature, such as those involved in the ‘video nasties’ scandal, CHILD’S PLAY 3 (regarding the James Bulger murder case), and CRASH (against which the Daily mail waged an aggressive campaign).
THE HUMAN CENIPEDE II will be available on DVD and was not submitted for a theatrical release. Read the full BBFC press release below.
The DVD of THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE II (FULL SEQUENCE) has been passed with an ‘18’ classification following 32 cuts made across 8 separate sequences. The cuts total 2 minutes 37 seconds and address all the concerns raised when the Board refused a classification on 6 June 2011, including those relating to sexual violence, graphic gore and the possibility of breach of the law relating to obscenity.
The President, Sir Quentin Thomas, said “When we first examined this work earlier this year we judged that, as submitted, it was unsuitable for classification; and, as we explained to the company, we could not ourselves see how cuts could produce a viable and classifiable work. That remains the view of one of our Vice Presidents, Gerard Lemos, who is therefore abstaining from the Board’s collective decision.
”The company lodged an appeal against our decision to refuse classification. In the course of preparations for that appeal, the company proposed a number of cuts which it was right for us to consider. In response, after further examination, we proposed a more extensive series of cuts. These cuts produce a work which many will find difficult but which I believe can properly be classified at the adult level. The company has now accepted these cuts, withdrawn its appeal and the work has been classified, as cut, at 18.”
In its original letter of 6 June refusing classification, the Board made clear that it was open to the distributor to attempt cuts. The cuts which have now been made are, in the Board’s judgement, necessary if the film is to be classified.
Source: BBFC
