It’s always an interesting conversation when one talks about nudity and sex and it’s relationship to “art”. Sometimes it is art… and sometimes it’s just smut that producers slap the “art” label on to pretend it’s credible. So which one is “9 Songs“? I don’t know, I haven’t seen it. But I guess it was “Artful” enough to convince the British Film Board to ok it’s release in theaters. The good folks over at Artistic Delusions brought this to my attention:
The British Board of Film Classification has taken a very bold and positive step in the classification of cinema by allowing Michael Winterbottom’s new film 9 Songs to be released in cinemas with an R rating, without any cuts. They said that sexually explicit images can be screened to those over 18 if they are “exceptionally justified by context.” “The Board has concluded in this case that adults should be free to choose whether or not to see the film.”
To be honest, after reading the synopsis, I don’t think the movie even looks all that interesting:
9 Songs takes place in London in the autumn of 2003. Lisa is an American, studying in London for a year. Matt, a glaciologist, meets her at a rock concert at the Brixton Academy and falls in love with her. The film follows their domestic and physical relationship and includes music from the concerts they go to together: Black Rebel Morotcycle Club, The Von Blondies, Elbow, Primal Scream, The Dandy Warhols, Super Furry Animals, Franz Ferdinand, Michael Nyman. At Christmas, Lisa leaves London and returns to America.
Excuse while I yawn, but this sound dreadfully boring. All this “controversy” about the nudity and sex is probably the only thing that’ll get ANYONE to see it. Still, it’s interesting to see how people are responding to it.
Go to emule.com or kazaa lite and find a copy there, download it and burn to a cd
now enough mumbo jumbo, where can i download a copy?
Hmmm. I hope it’s not as big a disappointment as Triffic suggests – Winterbottom’s the best, most exciting British director working right now. Still, maybe it’s only to be expected that he’d have a stinker sooner or later, given his determination to experiment and switch film styles with every project he does.
He’s working on an adaptation of Tristram Shandy right now with Steve Coogan, and from what I’ve heard of the script, it sounds amazing. Sort of a British companion piece to Adaptation.
Interesting on the ratings. The NC-17 is very broad and the list of films it covers is quite extensive, however unlike the BBFC I can’t see anything that explicitly states the highest point it will cover. For example the R18 here states what will be deemed as going over the top of the rating bracket. Do you think it would get that rating for inclusion of actual sex scenes?
Ah, simple way is to check what rating Intimacy got in the US…just did.
From IMDB.
Sooo, um, they have sex at concerts…?
Rich, to view the U.S. Rating system go to:
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/MPAA_film_rating_system
Sounds like this movie might rate an NC-17 or an R if the MPAA was being gracious.
The film is neither Art nor Smut…Just unfortunately bad…(I’m a big fan of Winterbottom and this movie is a failure on nearly every level and thus a big disappointment)…My capsule-review is here
Drat! Damn that timezone, I’ve half written that story already – you’re too fast for me John.
I’ll say a few things if I can, coming from the UK and all. I don’t know how the R rating works with you guys, but here an R18 pretty much means a porn movie, a U rating is a Disney type film, suitable for all ages.. 18 is for mainstream movies that contain themes, language, sexual content, horror.
This category is open and unless any explicit sexual content cannot be justified by context or violent or dangerous acts promote the activity, the film will pass uncut. (Actually you could argue Pornography gets through that rating on wording, however).
A few years ago the BBFC relaxed their guidlines as explicit sexual acts were deemed obscene, as was an erect penis over a certain angle! This was changed quite quitely if I recollect, and pretty soon a mainstream film was released.
Intimacy was the first British film to feature and actual fellatio scene and to pass the BBFC, under these new guidelines, uncut.
Kerry Fox and Timothy Spall did the honours. So not so much of a milestone as perhaps the press would like you to believe.
Frankly I think that quote on the BBFC says it all.
I feel very strongly about censorship, and I can see a post coming in the near future about that.