Well, once I met a 9-year-old whose favourite film was 'Gladiator'. In many countries these restrictions don't really mean a lot to many people, and most children have seen worse things than 'Alatriste'. Whereas in the UK they have to be prominently displayed in dvds, in Spain you have to get a magnifying glass out to find the rating.
By the way, that 9-year-old was a girl. And she attended a boarding school run by nuns. Sweestest girl you'll see, in spite of not caring much for ratings.