BBFC History: 1970

• A category was split into A- (admitted children 5+) which, unlike a U, could contain potentially unsuitable material for pre 14s  - and the new AA- (admitted plus 14s only) to allow more adults material to be exhibited whilst still protecting children
• the age for an X rating reaised from 16 to 18
• new X rating in america raise concerns with the board that films might push the boudaries on sex and perversion
• pressure groups like the Festival of Light, put pressure on the BBFC to harshly rate or cut contraversial films. this was contradictory to the percieved liberalisation and the efforts of anti censorship campaigners
• Stephen Murphy was Secretary of the board from 1971-75 and was replaced by James Freeman. he permitted increasingly sexually explicit films but simaltaneously clamped down on sadistic violence.
• His views reflected a wider shift in concern over whether a film could have any possibly corrupting influence eg enjoying a victims pain in (sexual) violence
• both of the Secretaries agreed that violence and terroism espicailly towards women was unacceptable  - which lead to the unclassifcation of The Texas Chainsaw Masacre
• Obscene Publications Act came into law in 1977 - this allowed for more flexibility when considering scenes as a whole/in context rather than in isolation
• the Exorcist raised concerns over whether it had a psycologically damaging effects on youg people and A Clockwork Orange had a controversial rape scene and was linked to sex and violence