Will my movie get an NC-17 if....?

H

harmonica44

There is a scene where a woman is being tortured, which I was given the idea from the torture scene in Casino Royale. But instead of a man being given extreme pain to his genitals, it's a woman. It's not one of those torture porn movies where it is being done just to show bad taste violence, there is a point to it, and it's part of the plot. Now Casino Royale got a PG-13 for it, but if it is being done to a woman, which means the interrogator would have to go into her womb to cause more pain, would it get an NC-17?

I wouldn't have to show anything down there, but there would be some slight sound effects and she would be screaming in pain, as much as Daniel Craig did. The MPAA has been gender biased on assigning ratings before, so will this be no exemption? I don't want an NC-17 cause that's box office poison. I would like opinions from people who are familiar enough with the rating if that's possible. Thanks.
 
Last edited:
Sort by date Sort by votes
Semiazas said:
Only show as much as you need to. Cut away from the torture to a reaction shot maybe. If you leave the audience wondering exactly what it is that happened, their imagination can do the rest. And, in many cases, not showing is scarier than showing.
Take the shower scene in Hitchcock's "Psycho". I gather it seems a touch dated now, but the principle applies. Through the way the scene is edited basically none of the killing is shown and it's still effective.
Click to expand...

But in Psycho you still see the woman scream, which is the same as in Casino Royale or how I will do it.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
harmonica44 said:
But in Psycho you still see the woman scream, which is the same as in Casino Royale or how I will do it.
Click to expand...
While handling "The Special Steely Dan" the Antagonist, (with cliche malicious grin or clinical insanity), provides exposition to Protagonist.
He licks "The Special Steely Dan" because he cares.
Close up of elbow, 4" DOF, comes towards the camera lens, then goes away from camera lens.
Protagonist, out of focus in background, screams and fights restraints.
EXT. shot of procedure room, camera dollys or crane shot pulls away as her screams continue or fade.
The household cat stares with indifference.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
harmonica44 said:
Well I read that some movies are distributed to theaters as 'unrated' instead of NC-17, because unrated will get more theater acceptance. Kind of messed up really.
Click to expand...

Nope, you read wrong. "Hatchet 2" saw a few days of light, in one single theater chain, before they bowed to pressure and pulled it.

Attention to detail is very important in this line of work. I think you should stop worrying about the grandiosities, and begin focusing on the all-important finer-details of your first short film.

It's like you're standing at the side of a swimming pool, and you're yet to even dip your toe to test the water. Instead, you discuss the cost/benefit analysis of a full-body shave, and whether or not a skull-cap is more aerodynamic than a shaved skull.

Just jump in the water!!!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Cracker Funk said:
It's like you're standing at the side of a swimming pool, and you're yet to even dip your toe to test the water. Instead, you discuss the cost/benefit analysis of a full-body shave, and whether or not a skull-cap is more aerodynamic than a shaved skull.

Just jump in the water!!!
Click to expand...

That’s the greatest analogy I’ve ever heard! The term “full-body shave” seriously cracked me up... :lol:

Anyways, get rid of the sexual torture scene. If you have to have it, shoot from outside the room and let us hear the screams only.

I think you should have a common torture practice, something more realistic, then have the woman shot in the belly as she tries to make her escape, which causes whatever damage you want caused in your version of the torture scene. This would be more acceptable, ‘R Rated’ and more in line with regular action films. Your torture scene is seriously close to torture porn.

I’m a big fan of films like “Hostle”, yet I found the water torture scene in “The Expendables” harder to watch.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
This isn't for my short film, the rating would be for a feature I plan to do, after the short. The short film I am doing is a subplot taken from the feature.

I still want the audience to see the woman scream though, because other shows like Casino Royale, or 24, they get away with showing the victim scream no problem. So I don't see the big deal if I show just that. I don't get how Hostel gets an R rating with scenes like the the eye ball removal. That is much more graphic then how I will do this torture scene.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Well yes I know, but my point is is that having an eyeball torn out is possibly worse than rape in some cases. It's definitely much more graphic than the torture scene I'll do, but I guess showing a graphic eyeball ripping isn't as bad as a non graphic rape torture to some people. I don't know if it was Hostel but there was some horror movie where they showed a man's penis being torn off, and that got an R. Isn't having your privates removed worse than rape in a lot of cases?
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
H, you ain't hearing!

Taking an eyeball out - kicking someone in the nuts..

ISN'T the same as torture of a sex nature!

I know you're only young BUT I also know you're not stupid - so pay attention to the advice given to you several times over this particular point - we're not all saying this for fun.

Otherwise you might come across as someone who asks for advice and takes no notice as they already 'know it all' - DON'T be that guy - no one likes that guy!

So if you ask, please listen, take on board and learn. Or you're just wasting our time and yours.

H, this is meant in a friendly way, you seem real keen and have great long term plans and goals, which I wish you well in BUT please walk before you run and take heed of the many wise responses you have recieved in this and many other threads.

So, shot your short - enjoy - learn - ask questions and grow, all the best, respect Jim.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I think it's been mentioned already in this thread, but I'm gonna reiterate.

PLEASE watch the documentary 'This Film is Not Yet Rated.' It will answer all your questions about the ratings process. (It's on Netflix watch instant if you've got it)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
A film getting an NC-17 certificate is only a problem for mainstream films for whom this cuts out a slice of their potential audience.

For an independent film it won't make much difference. You're very committed to this scene by the sound of your responses on this thread so don't make concessions, shoot the scene that you want to shoot.

Your film won't get an NC-17 rating if it never gets made... ;)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
harmonica44 said:
Well yes I know, but my point is is that having an eyeball torn out is possibly worse than rape in some cases. It's definitely much more graphic than the torture scene I'll do, but I guess showing a graphic eyeball ripping isn't as bad as a non graphic rape torture to some people. I don't know if it was Hostel but there was some horror movie where they showed a man's penis being torn off, and that got an R. Isn't having your privates removed worse than rape in a lot of cases?
Click to expand...

This is the perfect example to what I wrote several pages ago.

You, the writer, do not know what the MPAA will deem "R" or "NC-17"
No one writing on this forum knows. Maybe one is worse than the
other. You do not know. The MPAA doesn't know until they see the
final movie.

As a writer (or producer or director) you can try to second guess how
your movie will be rated all the way to moment you get the official rating
delivered. And then you can complain and justify and give examples all
you want until you have the movie rated again.

What you can't do is make a guess on what rating your movie will get.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Dreadylocks said:
I think it's been mentioned already in this thread, but I'm gonna reiterate.

PLEASE watch the documentary 'This Film is Not Yet Rated.' It will answer all your questions about the ratings process. (It's on Netflix watch instant if you've got it)
Click to expand...

I have seen that documentary, in order to learn but the documentary gave so many examples of how the MPAA will give a movie an R for one thing and an NC-17 for another even though a lot of times the R rated material is considerably worse. It's hard to predict what they will do since most of their decisions are double-standardish in several movies. And yes I get what a lot of people are saying, I guess I'm just saying for me personally, having an eye ripped out is pretty much just as bad if not worse, as to what happens to the woman in my script. But that's just my opinion on which is worse and I see that it isn't shared. That's cool.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
kudos to DirectorRick for his strict avoidance of critiquing the IDEA of the shot and focusing on the question of ratings.

I have no similar restraint.

Write, shot, edit. If at the END of that process you have the same visual as currently described, you will be god like in your omniscience.


And YES it is a funny to say.. "You know you cant just walk in to a whom" but let me add my own riff..

INT: APARTMENT-NIGHT
BILL and DAVE are standing with beers in hand...

BILL:
You know you cant just walk into a womb?
DAVE:
Why not, I just woked out of the bedwoom and into the livingwoom didnt I?
BILL:
Your such a freakin moron.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
mad_hatter said:
That’s the greatest analogy I’ve ever heard! The term “full-body shave” seriously cracked me up... :lol:

Anyways, get rid of the sexual torture scene. If you have to have it, shoot from outside the room and let us hear the screams only.

I think you should have a common torture practice, something more realistic, then have the woman shot in the belly as she tries to make her escape, which causes whatever damage you want caused in your version of the torture scene. This would be more acceptable, ‘R Rated’ and more in line with regular action films. Your torture scene is seriously close to torture porn.

I’m a big fan of films like “Hostle”, yet I found the water torture scene in “The Expendables” harder to watch.
Click to expand...

The torturer intends to hurt a certain part of her to cause that twist of fate though. If she was shot in the belly in a fraction of a second decision, then the ironic twist of fate, would not be intentional, and just feel like a big unlikely coincidence. This way it makes more sense and is more convincing cause it was under a characters control, and not just a coincidence.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Again that would make for far too many highly unlikely coincidences and would just not be convincing. Too much of the plot would have be changed as well. Besides what's wrong a little controversy in one scene? A lot of controversial movies are hits so it seems okay if you handle the material well.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
If you really want some advice on this, can you please do us all a favour and tell us exactly how this scene comes around, what happens in the scene and what it is that this "torture" causes?? I promise you 100%, nobody is going to steal your idea.

At the moment it sounds as if this woman is taken, subjected to a visious, sexual assult that results in.... something? She can't have children? What?

And what you're describing as a "twist of fate" would normally be something unintentional, people don't cause a "twist of fate". The term twist of fate implys that it's supposed to be ironic.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top