The Board of Film Censors (BFC) has rated the film 'The Da Vinci Code' NC16.
The film has a "mature content" advice and no children below the age of 16 will be able to watch it at the cinemas in Singapore.
BFC says that, in deciding on the rating, it sought the views of the Film Consultative Panel which comprises a cross section of society, representing different professions, age groups, races and religions.
The majority of members came to the conclusion that the film should be viewed as a thriller and a piece of fiction.
Members agreed that the film can be shown, but at a higher rating as only a mature audience will be able to discern and differentiate between fact and fiction.
An NC-16 rating would make more sense if "mature content" constitutes gross violence or sex. But it appears that the panel comprising "a cross section of society" have just decided to proclaim themselves religious historians to give them the right to proclaim this film fact or fiction. And to add to my amusement, I am left wondering what exactly is the founding criteria for establishing the age of '16' as the point of being able to "differentiate between fact and fiction". What about the non-Christians who don't believe the Bible is fact at all?? Should we ban Mickey Mouse too for confusing young toddlers into believing there are giant talking mice?
Should we ban Mickey Mouse too for confusing young toddlers into believing there are giant talking mice?
ReplyDeletehaha we should eh?
anyway, i think i know why there's an NC-16 ban. hmm.. City Harvest must have donated a massive amount of money to MDA to ban the film for under 16s. You know, kids are most impressionable at that age and might take the Da Vinci code as fact, and then not go to Church anymore!~
In our current peaceful (relatively) society, we can read all these religious (and racial in previous posts) comments with a pinch of salt, and even laugh about it.
ReplyDeleteBut we should all remember it doesn't take much for people to start judging others based on the colour of their skin, or the god that they worship.
All of us celebrate freedom of speech, but please show responsibility when you do open your mouth. Not every reader of our comments may be as discerning as the next.
- Impassioned Singaporean
Firstly, it is absolutely serious allegation for kt to state that "City Harvest must have donated a massive amount of money to MDA" which implied that MDA, a government institution, accepted bribes. Please REFRAIN from making such accusations even if you think this is merely "fictitious" or "jokingly".
ReplyDeleteSecondly, strictly from the SECULAR point of view, the movie is a work of
FICTION. This is a FACT!!! SECULAR HISTORIANS including Art Historians have vouched that the film is a work of FICTION.
So please get your facts, right before posting comments.
No need to scream at yell at kt, gerry, it's clear it's pure speculation that s/he's offering.
ReplyDeleteIt's regrettable when you behave like that. Whatever your reasons, I hope you realise that lack of manners will do nothing to win others to your side.
A lot of movies are works of fiction. Why should that warrant an NC 16 rating just because of that? Are you going to slap an NC 16 rating on the bible because it contains fiction?
ReplyDeleteBecause we have a world-class education system, children below 16 cannot tell between fact and fiction.
ReplyDeleteTotal bullshit.
ReplyDeleteAnother classic example of "mother overprotecting its kids". Over-protected kids, if there are bullied in school do not know how to fight back or form defensive strategies to anticipate potential bully attempt by other kids. Why? Because they don't need to as long as they stay beside their mother. However, mothers do not (or choose not to) realise that they cannot be by their kid's side forever. What options does the kid has except to stayed glued to the mother's protection even in times that they should venture out and learn new things. The same is true for Singaporean. The government have been dictating what is good for us, what is bad for us and we lose the ability to engage our own critical thinking to tell what's right, what's wrong or how to read between the lines. Why are some Singaporean so afraid to venture overseas? Probably because we are inherently afraid of change... more precisely, afraid of leaving our protective shell in Singapore. Why do some attempted to set up business out oversea, failed and came back saying "they are too dishonest", "too crafy" etc. That is reality. That's part and parcel of survival. Sadly, through censorship, we lost the ability to condition our brain to think "outside the box" or make judgement ourselves and I believe that is one of the reasons why Singaporean's survival skills (pardon me if I am generalizing, i meant on average) is so low (or seems to be by foreigners).
ReplyDeleteJust my personal opinion and you may disagree. The mickey mouse analogy is funny though. How about santa claus? Perhaps I can explain to my kids that the reason there is no Santa claus in Singapore is because HDB flats has no chimney ;)
"kids are most impressionable at that age and might take the Da Vinci code as fact, and then not go to Church anymore!~"
ReplyDeleteThen, when the children see how the garmen sued the enemies, the children will also grow up and use the same tactics to get even with anybody dislike. so, better keep their children from reading any news then. would this make the younger and later generations more disinterested in their surrounding social issues.
Folks, what would Singapore be without the absolute moralists and the thought police?
ReplyDeleteYou guys would have nothing to complain about if it weren't for the sillyness in singa-bloody-pore!
Strange reasoning indeed. A 15 yera old can go to any bookstore to buy the book, but he can't watch the movie in Singapore.
Oh, well - govt "prohibition" always gives a free-kick to the pirates, and punishes legitimate owners of private property.
The under 16's are no fools - they'll be buying the "hot" DVDs or downloading the ripped flick from the internet.
Then maybe we should have a rating for the books too.
ReplyDeleteAnd we should make harry potty NC-16 also. Else children might think that they can fly just by hopping onto any broomsticks and start jumping out from their HDB flat.
Matilah, absolutely! I was thinking along the same lines also. The kids also get to save that money which the distributor and cinemas would otherwise earn.
ReplyDelete... and the cab drivers, and the cafe's and the merchandisers. Many s'pore kids like a "good time" and love spending (their parents') money :-)
ReplyDeleteThe "thought police" is essentially anti-consumer. They presume to "know" what is "suitable" for consumption - as if people cannot make up their own minds.
The people fundamentally in-charge of the children are the children's parents.
The state should stay the fuck away from ramming its "morals" down anyone's throat - including kids.
And to those "cross-sectional" arbiters of public morality, who sit on the censorship board:
Fuck all of you, I pity your children. I sincerely, with all my heart, hope that they fuck you up when you grow old and useless.
xcuse me...recently i participated in the da vinci code contest..what's the answers to the four codes?
ReplyDelete1. TRUTH
ReplyDelete2. MONA LISA
3. MADONNA OF THE ROCKS
4. SEEK THE TRUTH
CONTEST CLOSED. TAKING PART IN THE RACE THIS SAT.
I'm not sure about the rest of you but I find matilah's comments highly unamusing. It's just plain bad form.
ReplyDelete- Impassioned Singaporean
It's just a movie !!! Sheesh, I think movies are great...they visualize what's in the book and they just give you another paradigm to think of.
ReplyDeleteAs long as your belief stands firm, nothing should be able to move you. What's a book made into a movie..but another million dollar income for an individual !
It's not about what's on tv that we should be worried about. As parents, our job is to sit our kids down, explain to them what reality is and then let them dream and laugh about the fantasy. Come on, you can only do that when you're a kid...hah...why worry them with soo much at this age.
As for the NC-16 issue..seriously, are you gravely affected if you cannot watch a show at that point in time when it airs ? What's so difficult about being patient ? Besides...why are we complaining ? We're over 16...