Rated G with one murder and three hanged in first 10 minutes?!

Rated G with one murder and three hanged in first 10 minutes?

True Grit. I just rented the special edition and did a double take when I saw the sheriff gut shot and three men covered with black hoods and hanged -- all in the first 10 minutes.

I hit rewind. Sure enough. The film (released in 1969) was rated G. I checked IMDB and here's what it said:

When submitted for a rating from the MPAA in 1969, the film was given an "M". The film was edited and re-rated "G".

Do you think it is rated correctly?

The movie really paints clear lines of right and wrong, good and bad, crime and punishment. Standing up, to the very end, for what is right.

If it was remade today it would probably have to carry an "R" because the viewer would be subjected to the Slo-mo graphic hanging scenes with extreme close-ups. Not to mention language fit for a locker room or a brothel.

I was 10 years old when "True Grit" was first released and was one of the first in line to see it (In my imagination, I'm sure). My parents dropped me and my brother (14 at the time) off at the theater so that we could see it (not like we were going to sneak into something else, that was the only thing showing there). Not because it was rated "G" but because it was "THE DUKE" and if it was good enough for him, it was good enough for us. Maybe they were just looking for a little ALONE TIME and would have dropped us off to see "Night of the Living Dead" as well, this I can't say with any certainty.

Is it rated correctly, probably not. Is it suitable for a 10 year old. Only a parent can make that decision and I'm sure each parent would make a different one. I would not have a problem allowing my 10 year old to watch it. Of course, I no longer have a 10 year old so, that's just my biased opinion.

The rating system is not perfect. (look for the movie "This Film is Not Yet Rated" for an idea of just how flawed it can be). Much like the comics code started in the 1950s.