The BBFC: Overarching Factors

Whilst the BBFC have to abide closely to their guidelines and the law, they also have a hard time dealing with borderline cases. Then, they have to consider the following:

• The context in which the issue is presented
• Expectations of the public
• A work's genre
• The manner in which the issue is presented
• The intention of the film maker
• The original production date of the work

The Dark Knight was rated a 12A by the BBFC despite the complaints of the public of it being to dark and violent in places. The 12A rating was justified due to the work's fantastical genre and nature - as the super-hero genre would very much appeal to the 12-15 year old audience.