22/10/2002 - British Board of Film Classification consulted with clinical forensic psychiatrist to ensure no harm came from seeing Irreversible in its entirety

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), responsible for issuing film certificates, announced yesterday (Monday 21) that it was allowing the controversial French film entitled Irreversible to be released without any cuts. Directed by Gaspar Noé, Irreversible centres around a rape and the events which result from it, and it will be released next Spring by Metro Tartan with an 18 rating.
The BBFC said that they consulted with a clinical forensic psychiatrist about the rape scene, and the specialist found that “it didn’t contain any explicit sexual images and was not designed to titillate”. Satisfied, the Board therefore decided that “no issue of harm would therefore arise in the context of a cinema release for adult viewing only”.
However, the BBFC warned that it will reconsider its decision when the film is submitted for a video release.
Last June, another French film, Catherine Breillat’s A ma soeur - also released by Metro Tartan - was passed uncut for theatrical release although the 1’ 28” scene of a young girl being raped was cut from the home video release.