Is this movie high art or dangerous filth? It took Australia decades to decide
The controversial film Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom was banned for decades in Australia but is getting a rare festival screening. Why are some films banned and what does the public lose when media is censored?
Australia has long debated whether a movie is high art or dangerous filth, taking decades to reach a decision. The game Halloween: The Game, set to release next month, has been refused classification by the Australian Classification Board. This refusal is not due to violent content but rather because consuming cannabis in the game can alert players to the killer's location.
The Australian Classification Board, which assesses media against guidelines, cited that games with illicit drug use related to incentives or rewards cannot be accommodated within the R18+ rating category.
This refusal is part of a pattern for the Australian Classification Board, a 100-year-old organization that assesses every film, video game, and publication for public distribution. Refused classification can lead studios and distributors to alter their content or apply for a new rating. For instance, Greta Gerwig's Oscar-winning drama Ladybird initially received a MA15+ rating, to which the distributor Universal made changes before the ACB approved an M rating.
The board's approach has been described as paternalistic by Jane Mills, a professor and author. Mills argues that such restrictions deny people the right to make informed judgments, which is a core democratic principle. She also points out the contradiction of keeping people ignorant in the name of innocence. Mills emphasizes that people should be allowed to see, hear, and read what they want, as long as they are mature enough to make those decisions.
The board's decisions have led to significant censorship journeys for some films. Pier Paolo Pasolini's Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom, banned shortly after its 1976 release, has been resubmitted for re-banning multiple times, including in 1998. The film, set in fascist-controlled Italy, centers on four powerful men who exploit lower-class victims. Despite its controversial content, the festival director Danielle Harvey sees it as a means to provoke thought about power, fascism, and consumerism.
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