THE IRON LADY was classified ’12A’ for real images of moderate violence,
injury detail, and brief nudity.
In terms of the violence, there is some news footage from the poll tax
riots, showing policemen hitting protestors with truncheons, an apparently
injured police horse on the floor, and a man lying face down on the floor
with some blood around his head.
In terms of the injury detail, there is sight of the aftermath of the 1984
Brighton Hotel bombing, in which we see a person being taken out of the
rubble on a stretcher, with blood evident.
In terms of the brief nudity, there is some news footage of two topless
women celebrating after the Falklands War. Only breasts are shown.
It’s probably fair to say that all of this footage would have been shown on
the news during the 1980s (in the case of the bombing footage and the hotel
bombing) and in 1990 (in the case of the riots), although perhaps only
later at night and with appropriate warnings. None of it is particularly
detailed or lingered upon, but it is reasonably shocking, given the clear
impression of bloody injuries in real life. The ’12A’ classification
cautions parents about the material in the film, allowing them to make an
informed decision about whether it is suitable for their younger children
to view. If you want to show the film in schools to persons under 12, we
would suggest extending the same courtesy to parents and informing them of
your intentions and the content of the film.
Dave Barrett
BBFC
Chief Operating Officer
