Censorship is the name for the process or idea of keeping things like obscene word or graphic images from an audience. Regulation is the action or process of regulation or being regulated. In post-war years it was fears of social unrest that was the reason for many films being censored or banned. As the nation relaxed in the 1960s nudity became the prime concern. The early 1970s saw film-makers pushing the limits of acceptability. In the 1980s the British Board of Film Censors to the board of Film Classification. Levels of violence then became the concern.

When Rambo III was submitted to the board in the late 1980s. Between Rambo II and III the Hungerford Massacre- where Michael Ryan killer 16 people with an assortment of guns- had made firearms and violence front-page news in Britain.
The attitude of the BBFC showed the way it had always had to respond to shifts in public opinion. The issue was that Rambo II seemed to be almost non-stop gunfire- "It's not so much what is shown, but how much and how relentlessly." The examiners fell into an intense debate over whether to grant the film the same 15 certificate as its predecessors (with cuts), or the more adult 18 reflecting the heightened sensitivities surrounding gun use. The film was released with an 18 certificate after cuts had been made.

Films can have different cuts of the film released depending on the country. In extreme cases films can be banned in certain counties. This is something we would have to take into consideration for our film. If our film has any elements that may offend people in other countries it could be censored or banned.

A recent example is the 2015 film Fifty Shades of Grey. The film was released in the UK with an 18 rating. However, in Indonesia, Cambodia and Malaysia it was banned out right. In the US the film came under fire from Christian groups for its salacious content and received an  R rating. Fifty Shades was promoted heavily in Vietnam however was cut of all love scenes and many other scenes were heavily edited. Similarly, last year Vietnam took Sex in the City off the air after only five episodes despite cutting racier moments. France couldn't differ more, they awarded the uncut version of the film a 12 certificate. The president of the French ratings board said the film "isn't a film that... can shock a lot of people" and described it as "a romance, you could even say a schmaltzy".

The Biblical epic Noah directed by Darren Aronofksy was dismissed by local censors in China on religious grounds. Noah was a huge hit in the US, despite its unorthodox depiction of the antediluvian patriarch. The film upset Christians, Muslims and secularists. The film was banned in Malaysia, after censor deemed it to be in violation of Islamic law, as well as Indonesia, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates due to concerns over the depiction of the prophet.

Promotional material such as posters can also face censorship and regulation. The Sin City sequel poster featuring Eva Green was deemed to risqué by US censors. Green appeared on the poster wearing a revealing thin gown and was banned by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for nudity.