On the other hand, distribution can be quite difficult for a producers who do not obtain ratings. The major distributors, the theatres, and the MPAA all have contractual agreements effectively closing the major distribution channels to producers who do not play the game. And pay membership fees. In my year and a half as a projectionist for Large National Movie Theatre Chain, we had limited showings of NR films on only two occasions; both were exhibited from DVDs instead of film prints and were of considerably low budget.

Today, ratings are mostly a marketing tool. They are voluntary on the level of the individual film, and are part of the producer’s marketing consideration. Any producer could choose not to have his film rated and still release wide. The market is much harder for NR films (finding a distribution, exhibition, and an audience can be tricky), but there’s nothing legally compelling participation by individual movies.

The really sad part is that the system probably isn’t voluntary, even today. If MPAA did away with it, there’d be much gnashing of the teeth from all over the place, and Congress being Congress, we’d see a renewed push for a national censor board. Yuck.

~Q

“The rating system is private, voluntary, and pretty arbitrary.”

The MPAA ratings are private in name but I believe they were forced upon the movie industry by the government. Kind of a “create these ratings or else.” Also, they are dominated by a religious ethics; sex is evil, etc. etc.. So, one could argue that they are not really voluntary.