Star Wars film reclassified to PG due to violence and frozen Han Solo scene

Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi has seen its classification changed from a U to a PG due to violent scenes and a particular scene depicting the film's hero, Han Solo, frozen in carbonite.

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) originally rated it as U upon its release in 1983, but stated that "the detail and overall intensity" of the film's violence led to its reclassification to PG last year for violence and threat, despite these elements being "offset by humour and an emphasis on loyalty in adversity".

A U rating indicates that the film is suitable for viewers aged four and above and should be "family-friendly", while a PG rated film may contain some content not suitable for children, with parents or guardians advised to accompany them during viewing. In its 2023 Annual Report, which saw the sci-fi film reclassified, the BBFC described Star Wars Episode VI as: "This sci-fi adventure sequel concerns rebel heroes who must rescue their friends before facing an intimidating enemy army."

It further detailed: "As well as laser gun fights, aerial dogfights, and fight scenes which include the occasional use of improvised weapons, a person falls to a presumed but unseen death, a villain tortures a character by repeated electrocution, and a hero severs a villain’s hand at the wrist in a scene featuring limited detail."

It also mentioned: "A captor attempts to feed his prisoner to a monster, and there are other scenes of threat involving bombs, hostages and a hero being frozen alive."

In the iconic film, Han Solo, portrayed by Harrison Ford, remains trapped within the carbon chamber after being frozen by Darth Vader in the preceding installment of the saga, 1980's The Empire Strikes Back, classified as PG. The chilling moment was Vader's test to see if the process could safely immobilize Jedi Luke Skywalker.

Further classification changes were noted as Abba – The Movie had its original 1978 U rating upgraded to PG by the BBFC. This move reflected "mild sex references and language" found in a "suggestive" song title and lyrics, discussions about a "sexual term", and the band members talking about one of them winning the title of "sexiest bottom".

Additionally, the BBFC cited "mild bad language" present in the film and expressed that such sequences are "no longer within our standards at U", despite previously maintaining the same rating for video and theatrical releases in 1987 and 2008.

The reevaluation of other movies included the stirring 1947’s Black Narcissus, which transitioned from U to PG due to "mild threat, violence, brief bloody images and discrimination”, and the 1995 drama Higher Learning, which jumped from a 15 certification to 18 on account of "sexual violence".

Reinforcing this trend towards stricter scrutiny, the report disclosed that the BBFC is set to fortify its partnership with Amazon’s Prime Video, highlighting an evolving collaboration with streaming services operational within the UK.

The BBFC has expressed its intention to create a self-regulation scheme echoing the current agreement it maintains with Netflix. The film certification body highlighted how it closely collaborated with the streaming giant to hone its internal rating mechanisms in anticipation of rolling out age ratings and content advice comprehensively across the service.

David Austin, chief executive of the BBFC, remarked: "Following a precarious few years for the film and entertainment industry, it was encouraging to see cinema submissions increase in 2023."

He went on to say, "Looking forward, the BBFC will continue to deliver on our mission to support safer viewing experiences for UK audiences by supporting the cinema and home entertainment industries, as well as extending and enhancing our best-practice partnerships with streaming services."