In December of last year, Chris Klimek wrote an interesting feature for The Dissolve which explored the birth and subsequent ubiquitousness of the PG-13 rating. What started as merely a way for Steven Spielberg to make slightly edgy blockbuster fare without his movies getting an “R” branding has turned into the go-to rating for basically all blockbuster/action films released by major studios. This is because of the weirdly negligent way the MPAA judges violence, despite their prudish sensitivity towards sex and foul language.
In short, Klimek’s article is pretty depressing if you’re a movie fan. Luckily, if you’ve been looking to hear more about the history of the PG-13 rating without getting completely bummed out, you can check out this cute little animated short which acts as a companion piece to the article. The animation lays out the issues of the PG-13 rating in a clear manner, but also finds clever ways to add some texture and visual demonstrations to the argument. In the video, you can find out the maddeningly simplistic reasons why movies like “Once” and “Love Is Strange” wound up with “R” ratings and how the same system gave 1984’s “Red Dawn” a PG-13, despite it having once been declared one of the most violent movies ever made.
Check it out below. [via Pitchfork]