James Bond`s cigars live to smoke another day

James Bond’s cigar has been saved from the film censors - reports the Scotsman.

Anti-smoking campaigners had lobbied the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) over the glamorisation of smoking on the big screen.

They cited the Bond film Die Another Day, in which Pierce Brosnan smoked a Havana cigar, as a glaring example.

But the BBFC has decided 007 is unlikely to encourage young people to take up the habit.

The BBFC published its new classification guidelines today after canvassing opinion from more than 11,000 members of the public.

Greater emphasis will be given to concerns over the promotion or glamorisation of smoking.

But James Bond and his cigar will survive another day.

During the course of the BBFC research, focus groups were shown clips of smoking scenes from films and asked for their views.

“We showed the groups clips including Die Another Day where James Bond is smoking a cigar,” a BBFC spokeswoman said.

“They were quite happy with it and thought a junior audience were unlikely to take it up.”

However, BBFC director David Cooke said: “Quite a high percentage felt quite strongly we shouldn’t prohibit smoking in films because it would be unrealistic.

“But as with drug and alcohol misuse, we will be looking at the issue of glamorisation, at junior levels in particular. It may influence us in which classification level to go for.”

The main concerns among the public are drug taking, violence and sexual activity, in both films and computer games.

Some themes have been added to the classification concerns or given greater emphasis since the last set of guidelines were issued in 2000.

They include incitement to racial hatred or violence, expletives with a racial association, language which affects vulnerable minorities, and emphasis on easy access to weapons.

Scenes of self-harm and suicide also emerged as a particular concern to film-goers.

Last year the BBFC awarded Tracey Emin’s semi-autobiographical film Top Spot an 18 certificate because of its portrayal of a suicide attempt.

The public are more relaxed about the depiction of sex in films aimed at adults, Mr Cooke said.

The BBFC recently passed Michael Winterbottom’s controversial film 9 Songs with an 18 certificate. It contains scenes of real sex between its two lead characters and is the most explicit film ever seen in mainstream British cinema.

“This is a film about the trajectory of a relationship. There was no harm issue or question of lack of consent. There was a strong contextual justification,” Mr Cooke said of the graphic sex scenes.

“9 Songs is different in look and intention from the sex works we see here all the time.”

The research showed that the public are broadly happy with the guidelines issued in 2000 and as a consequence the 2005 guidelines contain no major changes.

“We are acutely aware that there will be works which we pass, at whatever classification, which may shock or offend some sections of the population, just as we sometimes outrage libertarian views when we intervene to cut, or even refuse a certificate to, a work.

“What the research shows, and the guidelines reflect, is that for the majority of the public we get it right for most of the time,” Mr Cooke said.

The BBFC is to launch a campaign to raise awareness of the 12A cinema rating, it was announced today.

The category replaced the 12 rating in August 2002 but research showed that only 40% of the public fully understood what it meant.

The 12A rating means the film is suitable for children of 12 and over but parents can take under-12s if they deem it suitable.

From now on the films will be preceded by on-screen explanations and information will be given out at point-of-ticket-sale.

Thanks to `JP` for the alert.

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