CASE STUDY 1 - Brokeback Mountain (2005)
The Story:
2 young men, a rancher and a cowboy, meet in the summer of 1963 and form an unorthodox, secretive life-long bond.The Concerns:
Content of Homosexuality, Scenes of sexual and explicit nature, Scenes with nudity.
The Media's Stand:
Singapore's view on homosexual intercourse is that of an act of gross indecency, punishable by a maximum 2 years in jail. However, after much debate, the nation decided on screening a fully uncut, non censored version of the film in cinemas, only to viewers above the age of 21.
The MDA reportedly allowed the film to be screened as there is "no promotion or glamorization of the gay lifestyle." This was met with widespread praise from all quarters, hailing the move as a sign of loosening censorship, in a previously tightly controlled field.
CASE STUDY 2 - Lust, Caution (2007)
The Story:
In 1940s war-torn Shanghai, a torrid love affair of emotional intrigue begins between a young woman and a powerful political figure.The Concerns:
Scenes of sexual and explicit nature. Scenes with nudity. Scenes with extreme violence and disturbing content.
The Media's Stand:
Singapore originally released a censored, NC-16 version into cinemas, presumably to allow a wider audience group, thus bringing in more money at the box office. However, after howls of protests from movie-goers and public scrutiny, they relented and proceeded with a limited release of the uncensored version of the film, rated R21.
Both 'Brokeback Mountain' and 'Lust, Caution' are good modern day examples of films whose content and nature has caused much debate in the media, among censors and movie-goers alike. In both cases, the media and board of censors have had their concerns, but ultimately released uncensored versions of the films, both with an R21 rating classification.
This goes to further emphasize the point that in the niche media generation, censorship is becoming less prevalent, and classification seems to point the way forward.
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