MovieChat Forums > There Will Be Blood (2008) Discussion > Rated R? For what?

Rated R? For what?

posted 9 years ago by DarthJarJar
15 replies | jump to latest

There is no sex or nudity, the language is PG at worst, there are hardly any references to drugs, and the violence is quite tame until the end of the movie, which really isn't that graphic of a scene.

[–] GorillazButter 9 years ago

PTA wants all his films rated R. I was just reading about a film (not one of PTA's) that got the UK equivalent of "PG-13" but they actually sent it back slightly altered because they wanted a certain audience. They then got the R-rating equivalent.

This film wouldn't benefit from a PG-13 because of its subject matter. Oh, and the violence in the last scene is a "borderline" moment that PTA most likely refused to alter. In "The Village" the sound of Adrien Brody stabbing Joaquin Phoenix was cut out to get the PG-13 rating. The visual is the same, but if the sound was there it'd be an R. Funny how it works sometimes.

I'd be willing to bet if you didn't hear the cracking sound of the bowling pin (and Eli's head cracking open) then it'd be PG-13.

----
I'd love to see you in the moonlight with your head thrown back and your body on fire.

[–] PizzicatoFishCrouch 8 years ago

You're very right, and as far as I know, TWBB is the only film in BBFC history where the producers asked for a higher rating given than the one that was allocated to them! Usually they ask for lower!

http://zummer.blogspot.co.uk/

[–] Randm1 9 years ago

Without spoiling, there is the one specific up close shot to someone's head, and though not bloody or gruesome it's definitely "effective" which sometimes is more then enough for the MPAA to come down with an 'R'. Like the person above said... PTA isn't the kind to fight the R.

But what gets me everything's is language... The MPAA allows 1 "f-word" per PG-13 movie, but only if it's not used as it's actually meaning.
You can say
"That 'effin' chair is so ugly!" = Pg-13
But NOT...
"I caught my girlfriend with my friend and they were 'effin'" = R

And another obnoxious one is showing a woman's face for more then a second or two during climax (sex) even WITHOUT nudity. But if you show her face for not then a couple seconds while climaxing automatic R.

It's like, wtf?!

- Rand

[–] vh8686 9 years ago

Because THERE WAS BLOOD!!!

[–] latent_one 8 years ago

Because THERE WAS BLOOD!!!

To be fair though, we were warned that there will be blood in this movie.

[–] FridayOnElmStreet 9 years ago

This really should have been PG-13.

[–] mikko-sandt 9 years ago

The "God is a superstition" part was probably considered too shocking for fragile American audiences.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] leo-hork-na 9 years ago

US audiences are too oversensitive and prude.

[–] sth78 8 years ago

Well, the main character is clearly an alcoholic, as well as beating someone to death could arguably give an R. The "God is superstition!"-exclamation is also profanity. But yes, it could also easily pass as PG-13.

[–] BobCH88 8 years ago

Rated R for some violence.

Check the main page for this movie. There's a trailer you can watch and see for yourself.

[–] the_la_baker 8 years ago

Rated R for some violence.

Yes, but that violence is quite tame when compared to many PG-13 films. TLOTR trilogy had copious amounts of quite intense and graphic violence(not that im complaining) and those films were all PG-13. There are many similar examples.
Its likely politics and 'death by committee'.
The MPAA is an inane institution that should be ignored.