Do we always see the complete picture? Australian film censorship, explained

You've probably seen the Barbie movie has been banned in some countries. That's not the case in Australia, but not every film has made it to our screens.

In Australia, films must be classified before they can be legally released. Source: Getty / Emmanuel Faure

It wasn't the kind of movie you might expect to be censored, but it was.

Barbie, which has hit over $1 billion in global ticket sales, sparked a mania in some countries that even some world leaders indulged.

In other countries, authorities were less enthused. The film was banned in Kuwait for promoting "ideas and beliefs alien to the Kuwaiti society and public order", and is likely to meet the same fate in Lebanon, where the country's culture minister said it contradicted "values of faith and morality".

It was, however, released in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after speculation it would be banned, although SBS has not been able to confirm if any edits were made to secure its release.

And Vietnam barred it over a cartoonish map that showed the 'nine-dash line', which is used on Chinese maps to illustrate its claims over vast areas of the South China Sea.

That wasn't the case in Australia, but other films have been knocked back, or edited before being granted classification — a necessary step for public release.

Here's how our system works.

What is the Classification Board?

You've almost certainly would have seen a letter — G, PG, M, MA15+, or R18+ — when you have gone to purchase a movie ticket online, on a film poster, or on the cover or spine of a DVD or VHS (remember them?) case.

They denote a rating that has been decided by Australia's Classification Board (CB), which indicates whether it believes the film is suitable for everyone, mature or adult-only audiences. The Board does the same for video games and some publications.

Classification in Australia has existed since the early 1900s, and the system has evolved from one focused on censorship to one that provides consumers "with information to make informed choices", according to a review of the system handed to the Morrison government three years ago and released by Labor in March.

But that doesn't mean the CB no longer censors films.

How can the Board censor films?

Films must be classified before they can be legally released; so if the Board issues an RC, meaning Refused Classification, it is effectively a ban.

If a film is slapped with an RC rating, the CB issues a decision. In the wake of this, the application may edit the film and re-submit it for review.

If a film is refused classification, it is effectively a ban.

Why might the Board decide to refuse classification?

The CB states that it will issue an RC where content is "very high in impact and falls outside generally-accepted community standards".

A spokesperson said the CB will do so if a film, among other things, promotes, incites, or instructs crime, violence, or a terrorist act, or depicts a minor in an offensive light.

What guides the CB's decision-making is set out in the Classification Act, the National Classification Code, and films guidelines.

The Act also states "literary, artistic or educational merit" and "the persons or class of persons to or amongst whom it is published or is intended or likely to be published" must be taken into account.

Toija Cinque, an associate professor in communication at Deakin University, said: "It's a nuanced process."

"There has to be this dialogue of artistic intention on one hand, and social standards and expectations on the other," she said.

There have been a number of occasions where films have been refused classification or been classified after edits.

Such was the case for the second film in the horror franchise The Human Centipede.

In 2011, The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) was given an R18+ rating, but the Classification Review Board (which reviews CB decisions) then refused classification after complaints were made.

The Review Board said an R18+ rating could not be granted due to "the level of depictions of violence had a very high impact and the depictions of cruelty had a high impact".

But after 30 seconds — which in part included scenes of genital mutilation — were cut, the Review Board granted it an R18+ rating.

The CB spokesperson said the Board and the Review Board do "not provide suggestions to applicants to achieve a particular classification rating or consumer advice".

How does Australia compare to other countries?

Cinque said some parts of the world might view Australia as having a more liberal approach to classifications, and in others, not so much.

"Australia's guidelines may be seen as liberal in comparison to where religious beliefs might strongly influence censorship decisions, like the Middle East," she said.

"However, we're also seen to be quite conservative in comparison to European norms, and being more conservative with regard to depictions of sex and violence."

You can search CB decisions here and view Classification Review Board decisions here.