Hong Kong Motion Picture Rating System - History

History

At the beginning of the film industry in Hong Kong, when the viewing of movies had no age restrictions, films were made under strict guidelines. For instance, movie characters were not allowed to get away with crimes, and sex scenes were not permitted. In 1986, with the release of John Woo's violent gangster movie A Better Tomorrow (later rated IIB), the general public became concerned about the influence films had on children. As a result, the Hong Kong motion picture rating system was established under the Movie Screening Ordinance Cap.392 on 10 November 1988. The purpose behind the law was to provide parents of minors a chance to prevent their children from being exposed to inappropriate materials.

The ratings were previously issued by the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority, and initially provided three levels of ratings, which led the slang term "three-tier ratings" (Chinese: 三級制) to popular usage.

In 1995, the ratings were amended, creating three levels of main ratings, and two sub-ratings for one level.

Read more about this topic:  Hong Kong Motion Picture Rating System

Famous quotes containing the word history:

    The history of a soldier’s wound beguiles the pain of it.
    Laurence Sterne (1713–1768)

    the future is simply nothing at all. Nothing has happened to the present by becoming past except that fresh slices of existence have been added to the total history of the world. The past is thus as real as the present.
    Charlie Dunbar Broad (1887–1971)

    Free from public debt, at peace with all the world, and with no complicated interests to consult in our intercourse with foreign powers, the present may be hailed as the epoch in our history the most favorable for the settlement of those principles in our domestic policy which shall be best calculated to give stability to our Republic and secure the blessings of freedom to our citizens.
    Andrew Jackson (1767–1845)