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 | | Wednesday, 6 March, 2002, 14:45 GMT Film 'censor' moves to the Church  Billy Elliot was given a controversial 15 rating Andreas Whittam Smith, the man who oversaw the relaxation of the classification of sex movies, has taken on a new role in the Church of England. He has been president of the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) for four years. During his time in charge he has seen film guidelines overhauled to protect children but also relaxed for adult viewers, allowing more graphic sex films to be rated. He will stand down at the end of July to become the First Church Estates Commissioner, overseeing management of church investments. The board vets films and videos released in the UK, and Mr Whittam Smith's signature appears on a certificate before each production together with that of the BBFC's director, Robin Duval. 'Feared' In 2000 he caused controversy when he gave the movie Billy Elliot a 15 certificate. He feared people would have been outraged if the film had been given the lesser 12 certificate, because bad language features in it more than 50 times. Billy Elliot went on to become a big hit in the UK and the US. Mr Whittam Smith told BBC Radio 4's Front Row programme he was in no doubt about giving Billy Elliot a 15 because of the bad language. "There's no question - anybody in broadcasting knows that if you step over the line which the British public hold dear for the use of swear words in public, you are overwhelmed with protest."
He said he had been determined to make classification decisions more consistent, open, and infused with public opinion. A statement from the BBFC said: "The board's achievement since in meeting all three of these objectives is a tribute to his leadership." Mr Whittam Smith said: "The board is now seen as an open and accountable organisation with a set of guidelines which reflect current public opinions. "That is not to say that the board is above criticism from some quarters. "For example I recognise that not everyone yet shares my and the board's view that adults should be able to make their own viewing decisions."
The new laws on pornographic movies, rated R18, led to a huge rise in the amount of sex films being given ratings. It followed a court ruling allowing more explicit material than before, including actual sex scenes, as long as films were sold by licensed premises. Mr Whittam also set up a new panel at the BBFC concerned with the interests of children. In his new role with the church he will chair the Church Commissioners Assets Committee, which is responsible for strategic management of the Commissioners' �4bn investment portfolio. | | See also:  Internet links: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top Film stories now:  Links to more Film stories are at the foot of the page. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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