According to The Hollywood Reporter, Miramax Films plans to appeal the R rating that the Rating and Classification Administration has awarded to the World War II drama The Great Raid, which opens Aug. 12.

Citing strong war violence and brief language, the board restricted the movie to audiences under 17 unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. "There have been a number of war films with comparable levels of violence that were given a 'PG-13' rating, including such films as Hotel Rwanda, Master and Commander and Pearl Harbor ..." said Miramax co-head Harvey Weinstein, whose tenure ends Sept. 30. "The violence is not there to shock the audience, rather it's to show them an accurate depiction of what happened and is by no means excessive."