The Hayes Code
The Hays Code was a set of regulations that, although technically voluntary, had a profound influence on how movies were made and what content was permitted in the United States from 1930 to 1968.
The Code was established in response to a series of scandals that rocked the US film industry in the late 1920s—most notably the Fatty Arbuckle manslaughter case involving the death of a young actress. The Code listed specific content that could not be shown or was deemed inappropriate for audiences, effectively shaping the moral tone of Hollywood films for decades.
In the UK, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) was founded in late 1912 as a self-regulatory body following public outrage over the film The Passion of the Christ (known in the UK as The Manger to the Cross), which depicted the story of Jesus. Unlike the US, British films have always required licensing for exhibition by local authorities, with the BBFC reviewing films and advising these authorities on classification.
When the Hays Code’s influence waned in the late 1960s, the BBFC’s age classification system became a model for the emerging US ratings system.
Beyond the BBFC, other censorship codes existed worldwide. For example, under apartheid in South Africa, the depiction of interracial relationships was banned—famously affecting James Bond films as late as A View to a Kill in 1985.
How does censorship affect society? I believe it often drives controversial subjects underground. While the depiction of child pornography must be completely banned, other difficult topics—such as rape—need to be openly portrayed to encourage public discussion, reduce stigma, and help victims heal.
Today, films remain heavily censored in countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, where even simple kissing scenes are often removed from both foreign and domestic movies. India, one of the world’s largest film-producing countries, still enforces significant restrictions on nudity.
Countries with heavy censorship tend to be strongly religious—Indonesia (which is officially secular but influenced by religion), Malaysia—as well as authoritarian political regimes like North Korea, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. In many cases, political oppression and religious conservatism intersect in driving censorship policies.
