XN000022-1972-07-19 — Page 4

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Wednesday, July 19, 1972

CENSORS TAKE STERNER VIEW OF VIOLENCE IN FILMS

The Panel of Film Censors has generally been taking a sterner view in

recent weeks of violence in films submitted for censorship and it will continue

to do so.

This was stated today by the Secretary for Home Affairs, the Hon.

D.C.C. Luddington, in the Legislative Council in reply to the Hon. T.K. Ann.

Mr. Ann had asked: "Will Government take steps to moderate or curtail,

if necessary by stricter censorhsip, the gory scenes of violence appearing in

many Chinese language films which are shown locally and seen by young persons of

an impressionable age?"

Mr. Luddington said he had discussed with the Chief Censor and the

Secretary to the Panel about the need to warn film producers that the quantity

and quality of violence portrayed was regarded as excessive and that he would

pursue the matter.

He said the Government was aware of a strong body of opinion that many

local films portrayed too much violence and included unnecessarily detailed

scenes of wounds and suffering.

"In addition, the Panel of Film Censors and the Board of Review, of

which I am Chairman, are aware that portrayal of sadistic or detailed and prolonged

scenes of violence could have an unhealthy influence on young and impressionable

minds."

However, he said, the setting of the films concerned would continue to

influence the Panel's decisions as it was generally agreed that "fantastic films

about by-gone days" were less likely to be harmful than films set in modern times

with more realistic, and all too often, sadistic portrayal of violence.

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