Citing “disturbing images of Holocaust atrocities including graphic nudity,” the appeals board of the movie industry’s Classification and Rating Administration has rejected a plea to reconsider its decision to slap an “R” rating on the Holocaust documentary A Film Unfinished. The plea was made by Oscilloscope Laboratories, the movie’s distributor, on the basis that the subject matter (how Nazi propagandists manipulated film imagery to create class envy and demonize the Jews) is of important historic value that should be available to school libraries (many of which won’t accept R-rated movies).

Just having seen the trailer, it’s hard to see the board’s ruling as anything other than a graphic example of the foolishness that can result of failing to take context into account when making such decisions.

While I can understand keeping five year olds away from the graphic and horrific imagery, a PG-13 rating that would allow teenagers to see the movie seems far more appropriate than a rating specifically designed to keep them away.

I, personally, would rather teens (aka soon-to-be adults) be exposed to the lessons of the Holocaust and on the dangers of allowing their opinions to be manipulated by film than to many animated TV sitcoms (i.e. Family Guy) that promote cynicism and just plain nastiness as somehow cool.

A Film Unfinished opens in New York City on August 18th.