Studio chiefs hope adults-only rating – for 'explicit sexual content' – will help rather than hinder film's success.'Shame', Steve McQueen's acclaimed New York drama starring Michael Fassbender, has been issued with an NC-17 rating by the MPAA in the US on account of its "explicit sexual content". The certification, which will make Shame officially off-limits to anyone under 18, would seem to limit the film's awards-season potential, as well as its possible audience reach.
But the decision of studio Fox Searchlight not to appeal the decision, nor to offer edits which might mean it could be reclassified as an R-rated film, suggests that the adults-only status may be one of the tools being used in the film's publicity drive.
"I think NC-17 is a badge of honour, not a scarlet letter. We believe it is time for the rating to become usable in a serious manner," Searchlight joint president Steve Gilula told the Hollywood Reporter. "The sheer talent of the actors and the vision of the film-maker are extraordinary. It's not a film that everyone will take easily, but it certainly breaks through the clutter and is distinctive and original. It's a game-changer."
The strategy is in contrast to that adopted by the producers of 'Blue Valentine', Derek Cianfrance's divorce drama which last year was issued with an NC-17 by the MPAA, only for them to downgrade it to an R without cuts after distributor Harvey Weinstein mounted a successful campaign against their decision.
That film, however, failed to pick up the awards many predicted for it, earning just one Oscar nomination, for Michelle Williams.
'Shame' has already won Fassbender a best actor award at the Venice film festival 2011, where it premiered in September. It marks the second collaboration between Fassbender and McQueen, following 2008's 'Hunger'.
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