Film censorship during the military dictatorship in Chile. A quantitative study on Consejo de Calificacion Cinematografica

The goal of this study is to describe the work of the chilean Consejo de Calificacion Cinematografico (Film Rating Board) between 1973 and 1989, based on a quantitative analysis carried out with more than six thousand film rating certificates. Complemented with documents from the Ministry of Education and the government and applying a comparative look with previous administrations, the analysis gave different findings. On the one hand, there is clearly a work aimed at intensifying the adultification of the activity and the prohibition of films, with a greater punishment of the sexual topic than that of violence. On the other hand, important variations are observed in the evolution of the ratings (1983 marks a kind of opening) and in the individual performance of the different members of the board. Finally, it is concluded that film censorship did not operate only as a defense mechanism but as a transforming element of cinematographic activity.