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00:00Hollywood before censorship: an industry that worries America.
00:03At the beginning of the 20th century, American cinema experienced spectacular expansion.
00:07Hollywood is gradually becoming the world center of film production.
00:12Films attract millions of viewers and begin to influence behavior.
00:15clothing styles and representations of society.
00:19However, this popularity worries a segment of the American population.
00:23Religious associations, family organizations, and several political leaders
00:27consider that some films present behaviors contrary to the moral values of the time.
00:32Stories featuring criminals, extramarital affairs,
00:36Prostitution and violence attract a lot of criticism.
00:39The studios then began to understand that a lack of control
00:42could lead to local bans and, possibly,
00:45a greater intervention by public authorities.
00:48To protect their economic interests and avoid government regulation,
00:52Film professionals will gradually put in place their own system of censorship.
00:57In 1930, the leaders of the American film industry adopted a set of well-known rules
01:03under the name Motion Picture Production Code, generally called Code A, in reference to Will Hachey,
01:08who was then in charge of the professional organization of the studios.
01:11This text establishes a series of moral principles that films must respect.
01:15It's not simply a matter of banning certain images.
01:18The Code also seeks to control how stories are told.
01:21Films should not portray crime as an admirable activity.
01:25nor give the impression that behaviors considered immoral can go unpunished.
01:29The Code includes restrictions concerning sexuality, nudity,
01:34extramarital affairs, the portrayal of crime, and certain religious topics.
01:39Even dialogue and subtext can be affected.
01:42But we must distinguish between two important dates.
01:43The Code was adopted in 1930, while its application became truly strict from 1934 onwards.
01:50Hollywood is entering a new era of control.
01:53From July 1934 onwards, the application of Code A became much more rigorous.
01:58Studios must obtain a certificate of conformity before distributing their films in the relevant channels.
02:03A specialized organization, the Production Code Administration, oversees the application of the rules.
02:09It is notably directed by Joseph Brin, who plays a major role in Hollywood censorship.
02:14The scripts can be changed even before filming begins.
02:18Some scenes need to be removed, some dialogue rewritten, and some endings changed.
02:22A director may therefore be forced to drastically alter their story in order for their film to be distributed.
02:28American cinema then entered a period where artistic freedom had to constantly contend with imposed moral demands.
02:34by industry.
02:35Filmmakers are learning how to circumvent censorship.
02:38Faced with these restrictions, directors and screenwriters are developing new techniques to tell their stories without directly breaking the law.
02:45the rules.
02:46The dialogue becomes more subtle, the romantic scenes make greater use of glances and gestures, and some events are suggested.
02:52rather than shown.
02:54A closing door, an interrupted conversation, or a simple change of plan can thus replace a scene that
02:59would have been banned.
03:01This constraint gives rise to genuine visual creativity.
03:04Filmmakers learn to make viewers understand what they cannot explicitly depict.
03:09The audience must then interpret the images, the dialogues, and the silences.
03:13The 1942 film Casablanca, for example, illustrates how Hollywood could deal with complex romantic relationships within limits
03:21imposed by the system.
03:22Later, Som L'Aïkitot, 1959, would help to demonstrate the limitations of a code that had become increasingly difficult.
03:29to be applied to societal changes.
03:31Films that defied the system.
03:33Some films become true symbols of the confrontation between creators and regulatory authorities.
03:38In the 1930s, Babyface, 1933, starring Barbara Stanwyck, presents a heroine who uses her romantic relationships to advance socially.
03:48The film is particularly interesting because it belongs to the so-called "pre-Code" period, when the
03:53Rules already existed, but were not yet strictly enforced.
03:56Later, other productions would cause tensions with regulatory bodies.
04:00Directors and producers are gradually seeking to push the boundaries of what can be shown in cinema.
04:07The problem then becomes as much economic as artistic.
04:10Should we accept the requested changes to obtain wide distribution or take the risk of releasing a controversial film?
04:16?
04:16This opposition reveals a fundamental contradiction in the Hollywood system.
04:20Studios want to attract ever-larger audiences, but they must simultaneously adhere to rules that limit the topics that are likely to be controversial.
04:26to appeal to the public.
04:27From the 1950s onwards, the American cultural and social context evolved.
04:33Mentalities are changing, television is increasingly competing with cinema, and viewers are also discovering foreign productions.
04:40offering freer representations.
04:42Studios are gradually realizing that the A-code is becoming a commercial handicap.
04:46Some films manage to push its boundaries, while others spark controversies that undermine its authority.
04:52In 1952, the US Supreme Court explicitly recognized that films benefit from the protection of freedom of expression.
04:59guaranteed by the First Amendment.
05:01This decision helps to transform the legal context in which the film industry operates.
05:07In 1966, Jack Valenti took over the leadership of the Motion Picture Association of America and worked on a new organization
05:14of film control.
05:15In 1968, the age classification system replaced the A code.
05:20The goal is no longer to impose a uniform morality on all productions, but to inform viewers about
05:25the audience for which each film is intended.
05:27OUP Academic Plus 1
05:297. The legacy of the A-code in modern cinema
05:32The disappearance of the A code does not mean the disappearance of all forms of control in cinema.
05:37Even today, films must contend with classifications, distribution rules, economic constraints, and expectations.
05:43distributors.
05:45However, the major difference lies in the freedom granted to creators.
05:49Filmmakers can now tackle subjects that would have been extremely difficult to address in 1930s Hollywood.
05:55or 1940.
05:56Code A also left an artistic legacy.
05:59Suggestion techniques, visual symbolism, and the use of off-screen space have become important elements of language
06:05cinematographic.
06:07Ultimately, this period raises an interesting question.
06:10Do the restrictions imposed on artists destroy their creativity, or can they sometimes push them to invent new ways?
06:15to tell a story?
06:178. Conclusion
06:18Has Hollywood won or lost with censorship?
06:21Code A represents one of the most important periods in the history of American cinema.
06:25For nearly four decades, he influenced the screenplays, characters, dialogue, and even artistic choices of
06:31directors.
06:32He profoundly transformed the way Hollywood told its stories.
06:36Its history shows that cinema is never totally independent of the society in which it is produced.
06:41It is influenced by moral values, political developments, economic interests, and public expectations.
06:47But one thing is certain: Hollywood films probably wouldn't have evolved in the same way without this period.
06:53restriction.
06:53Subtitling by Radio-Canada
07:00Subtitling by Radio-Canada