Controversial films in the World of Entertainment
Cinema has made quite the global impact when it comes to culture. Whether for entertainment, information, or to bring attention to what’s happening in certain parts of the world, cinema has mastered the art of storytelling and conveying emotions, messages, and reactions to its viewers. However, as time goes on, some films’ charms have eroded in terms of story plots, how they are told, and from whose point of view they are told. Not all press is good press, and some movies are so scandalous, so disgusting, so offensive, that most of them have either been heavily censored or outright banned for the distressing content it relays to the audience. In this article, you will discover five of the most controversial films ever made.
Birth of a Nation (1915)
The American film Birth of a Nation directed by D.W. Griffith was a black and white film that chronicled the American Civil War and Abraham Lincoln’s assassination through the eyes of two families during that time. It became widely popular and successful, making it the highest grossing film in history until it was overtaken by the 1939 iconic film Gone with the Wind.
The Controversy: It should go without saying that the problem with this film was the racial disparities. African Americans were portrayed negatively, as lazy, incompetent, stupid, and subhuman. However, that was not the only controversy it stirred. The film created a narrative that White and Black communities simply could not co-exist, which actually prompted the re-emergence of the Ku Klux Klan. It is even rumored that the film’s images of Klan members in white cloaks and burning crosses helped this new Klan create their identity that everyone knows today. Birth of a Nation is said by critics to have helped reignite the hateful group in 20th century America, and as such, the film has been banned in America as well as parts of Europe.
Salo-120 Days of Sodom (1975)
Salo, also known as 120 Days of Sodom, is an artistic war/drama film based on the writings of French philosopher Marquis De Sade. It tells the depressing story of how four corrupt Italian libertines abduct young teenagers and hold them in a castle where they subject them to horrid conditions and disgusting acts. It takes place during the last remaining years of Mussolini’s regime at the end of the Second World War.
The Controversy: Was the plot synopsis not enough? Marquis De Sade was said to be a perverted and cruel person, often subjecting prostitutes he hired to extreme sexual torture for his desire. It is no wonder why this film based on his written works was controversial. The film depicts highly disturbing scenes, including but not limited to: the kidnapped children being naked some 70% of the film, multiple rape scenes, the teenagers being forced to urinate on the libertines for sexual pleasure, and tons of eating human poop.
By the end of the film, the remaining hostages are murdered in terrible ways and most of the servants who helped the libertines end up committing suicide. It was subsequently banned outside of Europe, even when some film festivals showed the movie, it had multiple walkouts and complaints from viewers. The film’s director, Pier Paolo Passolini, was murdered shortly after the film was released, and many speculate that his murder was connected to the making of the film, amongst other theories.
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
A Clockwork Orange is a drama/crime film that depicts the main character, Alex DeLarge, as a deviant teen whose gang goes around breaking into houses to loot, vandalize, and sexually assault inhabitants. After killing a woman and being abandoned by his gang, DeLarge gets sent to prison and undergoes an experimental therapy that changes his attitude towards lusting for violence. The therapy seems to work, but it is unethical and subjects DeLarge to difficult challenges in his new life.
The Controversy: Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange had won many awards and made its name in filmmaking, and also prompted the philosophical question about rehabilitation amongst criminals. It begs the question of the protagonist’s own autonomy; should we force criminals to adapt to society by means of excruciating psychological torture, or should we allow them to make their own choices, whatever the consequences of both may be?
However, the reason why this movie is considered a controversial film was because of the extreme levels of violence and nudity. Not only that, but how DeLarge and his gang enjoy the violence – one of the most iconic scenes is where the gang beat up and rape a man and his wife in their house while DeLarge dances across their living room, singing Singin’ in the Rain in tune with the couple’s agonizing cries. It was said to have inspired copycat acts across England, and the book in which the film was based off of was banned in schools.
The sheer depravity of the content had a strong effect on the public, with religious groups forbidding its members from viewing it. Another sad facet was how Malcolm McDowell, who played DeLarge, was snuffed by Gene Kelly at a party after the release of the film because Kelly felt he mocked his iconic debut song.
Faces of Death (1978)
Faces of Death is a 1978 mockumentary style anthology that shows both real and recreated footage of death, both human and animal, freak accidents, and disturbing rituals. It is often seen as a film simply used as ‘shock value’ for horror fans and is believed to have set the precedent for “found footage” type films.
The Controversy: Simply put, Faces of Death was just completely violent and repulsive for the sake of being violent and repulsive. The graphic nature of the film offended many viewers, especially upon finding out some of the footage was real, and seen as distasteful of the deceased’s memory. Many people found the content to be illegal to produce, and as more Faces of Death movies came out, the more violent and gross the content became.
It has had some controversies in schools as well: in 1985, a school district had to pay the family of two students a total of $100,000 after mathematics teacher Bart Schwartz showed the original in class, traumatizing the students and resulting in Schwartz’s suspension. A year later, 14-year-old Rod Matthews bludgeons a classmate to death with a bat, claiming to be inspired by the movie. The problems with modern found-footage movies pale in comparison to the controversies surrounding Faces of Death‘s true story and morally questionable legacy.
Kids (1995)
Larry Clark’s 1995 cult classic Kids shows the inner city life of New York teen Telly, an amoral miscreant who has an unpalatable life goal – to deflower as many virgins as he can, all the while not knowing he is HIV positive. Him and his friend Casper go around the city at all hours of the night, vandalizing, shoplifting, doing drugs, and partying while trying to coerce a much younger girl into having sex with him. Jennie, a girl Telly had slept with and found out is HIV positive, has to try and find Telly to stop him from his next conquest, failing to do so.
The Controversy: Filmmaker Larry Clark has been no stranger to making disturbing content. Kids is no exception. This is a coming-of-age film that depicts the bleak, hedonistic lifestyle of two teenage boys and their carelessness about the consequences of their actions. Viewers were made to watch kids as young as 10 years old doing drugs, partying, having sex, cursing like sailors, and spreading what was, at the time, a scary and deadly virus.
Kids was a gritty portrayal of life of inner-city impoverished kids, prompting a powerful message about being careful about your choices in life and where you want your future to lead you. A completely different portrayal of coming-of-age films (i.e. The Breakfast Club or Pretty in Pink), Kids shows a depressing, sleazy reality of youth culture where kids do whatever they can to escape their listless lives.
The ending is also too real: Jennie fails to stop Telly from having sex with the younger girl, and Casper rapes her when she is in a drugged state. Casper wakes up on a couch the next day, simply asking “What happened?”. This goes to show that not every coming-of-age movie ends on a good note.
In Conclusion…
These controversial films, within their own rights, give off a sense of disturbance among society’s comfort and disrupt the ignorance of what’s going on around the world. With some of them being banned we can only decide for ourselves whether we want to watch these types of films and if we can stomach the content. We should also be aware of our own privilege when it comes to watching some of these films – we can shut off the movie anytime we want. People who live or have lived through these exact plots cannot.