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In the opening scene of the World War II movie “Saving Private Ryan,” American soldiers are mowed down by machine guns as they try to land on Normandy.

It’s one of the most graphic depictions of war on film.

To some, it’s a valuable history lesson, showing war isn’t G-rated. To others, it’s far too violent to be shown in class — even to high school students.

Thursday night, the Falcon School District 49 board adopted one of the Pikes Peak region’s strictest policies governing the showing of movies in high school classrooms, banning R-rated films and requiring parental permission for PG-13 movies.

The board voted 5-0 to prohibit teachers from showing R-rated movies, those that contain nudity, sexuality, profanity, drug use or graphic violence.

The policy does allow teachers to show excerpts from R-rated films in high school classes, with parental permission.

Parental permission also will be required for high school students to view movies with a PG-13-rating — those deemed appropriate even for young teenagers by the Motion Picture Association of America.

“I don’t understand their need for extreme censor,” Mary Louge, co-president of the D-49 teachers union, said after the decision.

The board’s unanimous decision was protested by teachers and came after two years’ debate over academic freedom.

The issue first arose in December 2005 when board member Anna Bartha responded to complaints she said she received from parents. Although schools allowed parents to excuse their children from viewing movies they found objectionable, Bartha and at least one parent, Robert Zoll, said that often resulted in the student being harassed by classmates.

High school teachers say R-rated movies lijke “Saving Private Ryan,” “Schindler’s List” and “Rain man” can teach history and psychology lessons in ways books can’t.

Several parents and teachers, including the two heads of the teachers union, pleaded with the board to allow teachers to decide whether a movie is appropriate.

“I’m sure the teachers aren’t going to have them watch ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,’” one woman said.

A few accused the board of overstepping its bounds, of micromanaging classrooms.

Union co-president Elaine Olsen said that in 20 years of teaching, only two parents have refused to allow their children to view movies she chose.

Interviewed earlier Thursday, she said, “I think they think we’re in there showing skin flicks.”

Olsen and others served on a committee appointed to recommend a policy and pushed for more flexibility in choosing films for high school classes.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0198 or bnewsome@gazette.com

CONTROVERSIAL MOVIES

A few R-rated films that are commonly shown in classrooms across the country:

’ERIN BROCKOVICH’

Classroom use: Economics, civics and current events classes might derive lessons from the story of a woman’s crusade against a polluting corporation.

Why it’s rated R: Language.

’GLORY’

Classroom use: The dramatization of the exploits of a regiment of black soldiers in the Civil War is often shown in history classes studying the war.

Why it’s rated R: Battle violence and gore.

’THE MILAGRO BEANFIELD WAR’

Classroom use: Students of Hispanic culture might study the struggle of Hispanic farmers in the Southwest.

Why it’s rated R: Language and sexual situations.

’RAIN MAN’

Classroom use: Advanced psychology classes have watched the film, which depicts the relationship between a man and his autistic-savant brother.

Why it’s rated R: Strong language and sexuality.

’SAVING PRIVATE RYAN’

Classroom use: The World War II epic has been shown in history classes.

Why it’s rated R: Intense, prolonged, realistically graphic sequences of war violence; language.

’SCHINDLER’S LIST’

Classroom use: The drama about a businessman who helped Jews avoid Nazi concentration camps is sometimes shown in history classes.

Why it’s rated R: Language, violence and sexuality.