Amsterdam

What’s it about?

In the 1930s, three friends witness a murder, are framed for it, and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American history. Features an ensemble cast led by Christian Bale as Burt Berendsen, Margot Robbie as Valeria Voze, and John David Washington as Harold Woodman.

The facts

• Director David O. Russell (American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook)
• English language
• Runtime 128 minutes

This film was cross-rated by the Film and Video Labelling Body. You can find out more about cross-rating here.

Violence

In an early shocking scene we witness a woman being shoved in front of a moving car. We see the body go under the wheels. There is no graphic detail of injury but the scene is sudden and shocking.

The film is set in a post-war era with veterans recovering from their injuries. Battle scenes are not shown but the wounds as a result of war are seen throughout. Blood, and the pain and discomfort of war is seen through different characters.

Drug use

Burt is a practicing Doctor providing his own style of pain relief and medical advice to injured veterans. The use of illegal drugs, or drugs that are yet to be regulated, is shown and the benefits of access to this type of pain relief is shown in a positive, and at times light-hearted, way. There are several scenes where the injecting of drugs is shown with the needle is going into the skin clearly seen. There is talk of morphine for relief, and eye drops are used as a quick and easy method to take drugs for quick (and seemingly positive) results. There don’t appear to be any negative consequences from drug use in the film, except for one character who suspects she has been drugged in an attempt to control her behaviour. We don’t see her taking the prescribed medication and there is no detail about what specific drugs she has been given.

Content that may disturb

In an establishing scene two characters perform an autopsy on a corpse (cadaver). The torso is sliced open and organs inside the dead body are seen in close up as they inspect the stomach for possible causes of death. This scene isn’t long but the brief view of the open torso would be disturbing for some viewers. The film features a lot of veterans who have been injured in the war. Most of the wounds are now scar tissue, and Burt’s false eye pops out on several occasions which may be seen as comical or concerning depending on the viewer. In some flash backs there is wound detail that shows bloody flesh, and in one fast pace scene we see Valeria stitching up the facial wounds of both Burt and Harold and removing shrapnel from their bodies.

Burt, in his role as a doctor and concerned friend observes that a character’s wrist has been broken but isn’t healing well. He offers and then demands that he realign the wrist so it heals correctly. We see the bent wrist, and then we hear the action of the bones being broken again to fix the alignment.

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?