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Introduction:
Films always have the ability to anger
us, divide us, shock us, disgust us, and more. Usually, films
that inspire controversy, outright boycotting, picketing, banning,
censorship, or protest have graphic sex, violence, homosexuality,
religious, political or race-related themes and content. They
usually push the envelope regarding what can be filmed and displayed
on the screen, and are considered taboo, "immoral" or
"obscene" due to language, drug use, violence and sensuality/nudity
or other incendiary elements. Inevitably, controversy helps to
publicize these films and fuel the box-office receipts.
Controversy-invoking films may be from almost
any genre - documentaries,
westerns, erotic-thrillers,
dramas, horror,
comedy, or animated,
and more. Standards for what may be considered shocking, offensive
or controversial have changed drastically over many decades.The
voluntary ratings system of the Motion Picture Association of
America can influence a film's public showing in a theatre --
an NC-17 rating or an unrated film may often close down a film's
screening and lead to commercial failure.
The following illustrated list in the next few web pages,
in unranked alphabetical order, presents a solid collection of
the most controversial films in cinematic history. Entertainment
Weekly's June 16, 2006 issue contained a listing of their
top 25 "Most Controversial Movies of All-Time"
- included here and indicated with the # numbers after the film
title, in this more comprehensive list.
Note: The films that are marked with a
yellow star
are the films that "The Greatest Films" site has selected as the
"100 Greatest Films".
For
the many other milestone films with sexual scenes that were especially
notorious, infamous, controversial, or scandalous,
see this site's
special writeups on Sex in Cinema
and the genre of Sexual/Erotic Films.
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