It’s pretty rare now for a movie to be outright rejected by the BBFC. Far fewer films even get cuts (or at least forced cuts – some still have little bits removed to get a desired lower certificate) than used to be the case. However the British Board Of Film Classification has now taken the decision to refuse The Human Centipede II a certificate.
Nearly every time it’s happened in recent years it’s been because of a movie mixing extreme violence and sex, seemingly for the titilation of the audience, and that’s true here. Interestingly though, the BBFC also says the movie is so extreme it may actually be in breach of the Obscene Publications Act – and seeing as we’re now illegally allowed to watch hardcore granny-banging videos, it suggests Human Centipede II is something pretty unusual. Indeed, the first film, which featured a mad scientist attaching people together mouth-to-anus to create the titular centipede, was pretty out there, but it seems director Tom Six took things to a whole new level with his sequel.
Here’s the BBFC statement on the rejection, and whether you agree with censorship or not, it sounds like if the board was ever going to ban something, it would be this movie.
The BBFC has rejected the sexually violent, and potentially obscene DVD, The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) This means that it cannot be legally supplied anywhere in the UK. The decision was taken by the Director, David Cooke and the Presidential Team of Sir Quentin Thomas, Alison Hastings and Gerard Lemos.
The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) is a sequel to the film The Human Centipede (First Sequence), which was classified 18 uncut for cinema and DVD release by the BBFC in 2010. The first film dealt with a mad doctor who sews together three kidnapped people in order to produce the human centipedeof the title. Although the concept of the film was undoubtedly tasteless and disgusting it was a relatively traditional and conventional horror film and the Board concluded that it was not in breach of our Guidelines at 18. This new work, The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence), tells the story of a man who becomes sexually obsessed with a DVD recording of the first film and who imagines putting the centipede idea into practice. Unlike the first film, the sequel presents graphic images of sexual violence, forced defecation, and mutilation, and the viewer is invited to witness events from the perspective of the protagonist. Whereas in the first film the centipede idea is presented as a revolting medical experiment, with the focus on whether the victims will be able to escape, this sequel presents the centipede idea as the object of the protagonists depraved sexual fantasy.
The principal focus of The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) is the sexual arousal of the central character at both the idea and the spectacle of the total degradation, humiliation, mutilation, torture, and murder of his naked victims. Examples of this include a scene early in the film in which he masturbates whilst he watches a DVD of the original Human Centipede film, with sandpaper wrapped around his penis, and a sequence later in the film in which he becomes aroused at the sight of the members of the centipede being forced to defecate into one anothers mouths, culminating in sight of the man wrapping barbed wire around his penis and raping the woman at the rear of the centipede. There is little attempt to portray any of the victims in the film as anything other than objects to be brutalised, degraded and mutilated for the amusement and arousal of the central character, as well as for the pleasure of the audience. There is a strong focus throughout on the link between sexual arousal and sexual violence and a clear association between pain, perversity and sexual pleasure. It is the Boards conclusion that the explicit presentation of the central characters obsessive sexually violent fantasies is in breach of its Classification Guidelines and poses a real, as opposed to a fanciful, risk that harm is likely to be caused to potential viewers.
David Cooke, Director of the BBFC said:
It is the Boards carefully considered view that to issue a certificate to this work, even if confined to adults, would be inconsistent with the Boards Guidelines, would risk potential harm within the terms of the VRA, and would be unacceptable to the public.
The Board also seeks to avoid classifying material that may be in breach of the Obscene Publications Acts 1959 and 1964 (OPA) or any other relevant legislation. The OPA prohibits the publication of works that have a tendency to deprave or corrupt a significant proportion of those likely to see them. In order to avoid classifying potentially obscene material, the Board engages in regular discussions with the relevant enforcement agencies, including the CPS, the police, and the Ministry of Justice. It is the Boards view that there is a genuine risk that this video work, The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence), may be considered obscene within the terms of the OPA, for the reasons given above.
The Board considered whether its concerns could be dealt with through cuts. However, given that the unacceptable content runs throughout the work, cuts are not a viable option in this case and the work is therefore refused a classification.
So should we be infuriated that we won’t be allowed to see people stitched together and forced to eat shit, or glad that a potentially ‘harmful’ movie has been kept from being seen by possibly impressionable eyes? It’s tough to say, especially without seeing the movie, but the fact stands at the moment, that unless Bounty Films manages to win an appeal, we won’t be seeing Human Centipede II in the UK.