How Red Dawn Changed Film Ratings Forever

Back in 1984, a gritty war flick featuring Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen hit the big screen and made history for more than just its cast. Directed by John Milius, Red Dawn became the first film in the United States to be released with a PG-13 rating, a move that would go on to influence film classification around the globe. The new rating system had only just been introduced that July, following a wave of complaints about films with questionable content slipping through with a standard PG label.

The Push for a New Rating

The introduction of PG-13 was a direct response to the backlash over violent and intense scenes in films like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins. Both had managed to secure PG ratings despite content that left some parents less than impressed. Other titles, such as Poltergeist and Sixteen Candles, also raised eyebrows, prompting calls for a more nuanced system. The new rating was meant to warn parents that some material might be a bit much for younger viewers, even if it wasn’t quite R-rated territory.

Interestingly, Red Dawn wasn’t the first film to be handed a PG-13 rating. That honour went to Garry Marshall’s The Flamingo Kid, but a delay in its release meant Milius’s film was the first to actually reach cinemas with the new classification.

Why Red Dawn Got PG-13

Set during a fictional World War III, Red Dawn follows a group of teenagers—played by Swayze, Sheen, and C. Thomas Howell—who become unlikely resistance fighters after the US is invaded by Soviet and allied forces. Despite the young cast, the film didn’t shy away from violence. There was no nudity or strong language, but the intensity was dialled up, with scenes like a blood-drinking ritual after a deer hunt standing out.

Milius, known for his brutal style in earlier works like Apocalypse Now and Conan the Barbarian, took over the project from Kevin Reynolds and amped up the action. The result was a film that some saw as a patriotic Cold War fantasy, but others felt pushed the boundaries of what should be allowed under the new rating.

Debate Over the Rating

The PG-13 label turned out to be a marketing boon, helping Red Dawn pull in $38 million at the box office on a $17 million budget. Still, not everyone was convinced the rating was strict enough. Critics argued the film was so violent it deserved an R, and a statistical analysis at the time found it was the most violent film ever released, with

134 violent scenes per hour

and a Guinness World Record for

two violent acts per minute

.

Thomas Radecki, head of the National Coalition on Television Violence, became a vocal opponent, using the film as evidence that the new system wasn’t tough enough. However, the following year, Rambo: First Blood Part II would take the crown for on-screen violence, and the PG-13 rating soon became the global standard for films that landed somewhere between family-friendly and adults-only.

Legacy and Impact

While some punters reckon Red Dawn should have been rated R, its role in shaping the way films are classified can’t be denied. The film’s release marked a turning point, setting a benchmark that’s still used today. Whether you see it as a patriotic action classic or just a bit too full-on for its rating, there’s no doubt it left its mark on the industry.

Red Dawn (1984) is currently available to stream on HBO Max.