Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall (2011) Parents Guide: Is the movie OK for kids?

Name: Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall
Director: Sonia Anderson
Released: 2011
Duration: 80 min
Rating: 8.1

Age Rating, Sex, Violence & Language

This documentary looks at the conception, design and live shows of The Wall performed by Pink Floyd in 1980 and 1981. It features in-depth 1980s era interviews with Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright and Nick Mason and shows footage of The Wall performed at Earl's Court in 1980. It also features archival footage of the Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd and discusses how David Gilmour was brought into the band to initially augment their live shows when Syd became unreliable due to his drug problem and how Gilmour ultimately replaced… Sign up for the full guide

Rated NR • 2011 • 1h 20m

Directed by Sonia Anderson

8.1

Average rating by Bontent members

Age

13+

Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall is an unrated documentary about the creation and live staging of The Wall that mixes interviews (Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason) with archival footage and extended concert/animation clips from the original Wall shows (Earl’s Court). Parents should be aware that the film repeatedly shows intense, surreal and sometimes disturbing imagery from The Wall sequences — war scenes, an animated meat-grinder… Sign up for the full guide

Cast

David Gilmour

Nick Mason

Roger Waters

Richard Wright

Joe Boyd

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Is Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall appropriate for kids?

Content severity in Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall

Sex Strong 7/10

Violence Intense 8/10

Language Moderate 4/10

Substances Strong 6/10

Themes Intense 8/10

What happens in Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall, moment by moment

0:03 🔥 Mature Themes 6/10
0:07 ⚔ Violence & Gore 7/10
0:12 ⚔ Violence & Gore 8/10

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Sex and nudity in Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall

Strong sexual themes and implied sexual violence appear in animated sequences and a brief groupie/hotel-room segment. There is no prolonged nudity shown in the documentary clips, but the material is sexualized and tied to anger and violence in at least one animated sequence.

Violence and gore in Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall

Frequent and often surreal or staged violence: animated depictions of wartime brutality, children forced into a meat-grinder and a teacher thrown onto a bonfire, onstage destruction and mob attacks during the fascist-rally sequence, and a wall explosion. Much of the harshest imagery is stylized animation or concert projection, but it is intense and emotionally graphic.

Language in Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall

Occasional coarse language appears in interviews, archival clips and song performances, but profanity is not pervasive throughout the 80‑minute runtime.

Drugs, alcohol, and smoking in Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall

Moderate drug/alcohol content: interviews and archival material discuss Syd Barrett’s drug problems, there are brief shots of drinking/backstage smoking, and a paramedic injecting the protagonist to get him onstage.

Mature themes in Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall

Strong, adult themes run through the film: grief and the loss of a parent, trauma and mental illness, child abuse/humiliation (in the school sequences), fascism, racism/hate violence, isolation and suicidal ideation. The documentary explicitly frames these as the psychological “bricks” that construct the protagonist Pink’s isolation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall appropriate for kids?

Bontent's parent guide suggests Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall is best for ages 13+. It's rated NR. Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall is an unrated documentary about the creation and live staging of The Wall that mixes interviews (Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason) with archival footage and extended concert/animation…

What age rating does Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall have?

Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall is officially rated NR. Bontent's independent parent guide recommends it for ages 13+.

What is Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall about?

Is there sex or nudity in Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall?

How violent is Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall?

Is the language in Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall appropriate for kids?

Occasional coarse language appears in interviews, archival clips and song performances, but profanity is not pervasive throughout the 80‑minute runtime.

Are drugs, alcohol, or smoking shown in Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall?

What mature themes appear in Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall?

How long is Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall?

Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall runs 80 minutes, directed by Sonia Anderson, released in 2011.

Where can I read the full Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall parent guide?

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