brief natural nudity

A stylish and light-hearted adaptation of the 1815 Jane Austen novel of same name, Emma centres on a woman’s efforts to set up her friends in romantic relationships, nearly missing out on the chance for love herself as a result.

This gentle and comedic film presented very few classification issues, but a brief moment of nudity had to be considered at the U category. In the scene, Emma’s eventual love interest, Mr. Knightley, returns to his extravagant home and changes his clothes with the assistance of his butler. In the process, Knightley’s buttocks are briefly seen.

Sight of nudity is allowed at all categories under our guidelines, depending on the context in which it is presented. Prolonged or frequent sight of nudity, or nudity in a nonnatural context – most commonly in a sexual one – will require a higher age rating. However, where there is no sexual context and natural nudity is occasional, it is allowed at U.

In Emma, the nudity occurs in an entirely natural and non-sexual context. It also rear nudity as opposed to genital nudity.

The aim of the scene is not to highlight nudity, but to depict Georgian-era customs in a charming and somewhat comic manner. This is one of many small details that shape the historical world of the film, alongside immaculate design choices – a factor which earned the film two Academy Award nominations for its costume and make-up and hairstyling.

Ultimately, given the lack of any aggravating factors and the brevity of the sequence, we classified Emma U for brief natural nudity