MANILA, Philippines - There are times when filmmakers dare to make movies that go beyond what’s said to be acceptable for viewers to watch. Of course, it creates controversy which could actually benefit the film as viewers would try every way to get hold of the film even if it’s restricted or banned. For viewers, the more controversial a film is, the more it’s interesting. Here are some of the films that created controversies:
Lolita. A professor becomes obsessed with an adolescent girl. He marries the girl’s mother just in order to be close to her. When the mother dies, he pursues the young girl. They end up having an erotic relationship. But being a young girl, Lolita gets bored and leaves the professor. Desperate to get her back, the professor looks for her.
What made it controversial? The obsession of the professor towards the young girl and their relationship.
Schindler’s List. Oskar Schindler is a businessman turned hero (of the Jews) during the time of World War II. His plan is just to make profit from war by hiring Jews to be his workers. In the end, he felt responsible for them, thus, saving them from being killed. What made it controversial? There were sexual and brutal scenes in the movie that were cut.
The Priest. The movie is about a conservative priest who is struggling between living by the rules as a priest and expressing his true identity. It gets even more complicated when he finds out that he is actually surrounded by people who don’t care about morality, and so he becomes weak. What made it controversial? The movie showed priests engaging in relationships that are against church rules.
Da Vinci Code. Although this is a fictional film, it stirred up the Catholic Church because it conveys a message that could change or weaken people’s faith. After series of arguments and debates, the film was shown anyway — making it a box-office hit. What made it controversial? In the movie, through Da Vinci’s The Last Supper painting, it was revealed that Jesus had a wife.
Caligula. The 1979 film is about the Roman emperor Caligula. It shows the rise and fall of the empire with the focus on his lifestyle. He is famous for being extravagant, cruel and has a rather perverse point of view when it comes to sex. What made it controversial? Violence and explicit sex scenes which were mostly deleted upon showing of the film. Some countries even banned the film.
The Last Temptation of Christ. There’s actually nothing controversial to the fact that Jesus Christ had experienced being tempted because that’s what really happened according to the Bible. Therefore, the issue with the film is the way on how its filmmakers depicted Jesus’ reaction to the temptations. Although the film put on a disclaimer, it still got hit by criticisms. What made it controversial? The movie showed dreams that Jesus had before dying on the cross. These dreams sparked controversy.
Basic Instinct. The film is about a seductive and manipulative writer who is a suspect to the murder of a rock star. She seems to be the perfect suspect but investigators just can’t put enough proof to it, especially she knows how to be in control around guys. What made it controversial? Apart from the sex scenes, the most controversial one was when Sharon Stone did the leg crossing scene.
Cannibal Holocaust. Four researchers, making a documentary film in a jungle, are reportedly missing. A man tries to look for them but instead got film reels that would later reveal the horrifying truth that happened to the lost researchers. What made it controversial? Tortures scenes from the film looked so real that rumors came out that it might have actually been a real one; for this reason, the director of the film was put in a hot seat.
The Passion of the Christ. Many people know the story of Jesus and how he was crucified. What makes the movie special is because it deliberately showed the details of how Jesus suffered — from one torture to another until he was crucified and then died. What made it controversial? The movie showed detailed depiction of the tortures Jesus Christ endured.
The Evil Dead. Five college students go on a vacation and accidentally unleash an evil spirit. Now it is out to get them no matter what it takes. The film brings more than just the usual scare that viewers get from a horror movie. What made it controversial? The film was banned in many countries because of intense violence and gore. One disturbing scene was the tree, possessed by the evil spirit, raping a girl.
JFK. The film is about the events before and after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It tackles about the issues and the suspects behind the assassination. As what usually happens, films like these never escape controversy, especially when facts (showed in the film) are in question. What made it controversial? Some information in the film was considered questionable by many.
Salo (120 Days of Sodom). An Italian drama based on the book 120 Days of Sodom. It is about four wealthy men kidnapping 18 teenagers for violence, sex, mental torture and sadism — in short, just to abuse the teenagers for their personal satisfaction. What made it controversial? Needless to say, there were a lot of shocking scenes that made the film banned in many countries until now.
Last Tango in Paris. An American widower enters in a steamy relationship with a Parisian woman. What’s supposed to be a romantic relationship turns into tragedy when one of them decided to end the relationship permanently at the cost of one’s life. What made it controversial? Explicit love scenes from the movie stirred controversy, so strict rating was given.
Fahrenheit 9/11. In the documentary/film, Michael Moore dared to tackle about George W. Bush’s regime with the main focusing on the “War on Terror” campaign that the former president promoted. What made it controversial? Michael Moore got into a lot of trouble after the showing of the documentary/film because he was accused of presenting false information.
Natural Born Killers. A couple makes killing their business — to them, it’s a game and it’s satisfying. They just go on killing people like a hobby. What made it controversial? Because of severe violence, the film was accused for influencing some of the crimes that occurred during the heat of the film.