British Film Institute Slaps Trigger Warnings On Classic James Bond Films

The British Film Institute will be slapping trigger warnings ahead of upcoming screenings of two classic James Bond films, informing viewers that the features contain “outdated” language and stereotypes that may cause offense.

The upcoming screenings will be part of a spotlight film season focusing on film composer John Barry, a frequent contributor to the Bond franchise. While purchasing tickets to the screening, perspective customers will be informed that the films contain “language, images or other content that reflect views prevalent in its time, but will cause offence today (as they did then).”

The BFI’s website makes clear that it does not “endorse” any messages contained in the movies, stating that the “titles are included here for historical, cultural or aesthetic reasons and these views are in no way endorsed by the BFI or its partners.”

The season’s films include the 1964 Bond entry Goldfinger, which starred Sean Connery in the lead role. Also included is 1967’s You Only Live Twice, which includes a disclaimer for “outdated racial stereotypes.”

Also included in the season is The Ipcress File, which starred Michael Caine, as well as the 1969 Best Picture winner Midnight Cowboy. For the latter film, the BFI will inform viewers that it contains “homophobic language and sexual violence.”

““As a cultural charity with responsibility for the preservation of film and moving image work and presenting it to audiences, we continuously face and deal with challenges presented by the history of film and television programmes and how they reflect views prevalent to their time,” the British Film Institute said in a statement to The Guardian.

“Whilst we have a responsibility to preserve films as close to their contemporaneous accuracy as possible, even where they contain language or depiction which we categorically reject, we also have a responsibility in how we present them to our audiences,” the statement. “The trigger warnings/content warnings that we provide in all of our exhibition spaces and online platforms act as guidance that a film or work reflects views of the time in which they were made and which may cause offence.”

The BFI’s decision will not be the first time the Agent 007 franchise has been subjected to trigger warnings. Just last year, it was announced that author Ian Fleming’s books had been revised to omit “racist language” and a number of racial references.