1. Natural Born Killers
Plot: Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory (Juliette Lewis) travel on the roads across America, leaving behind bullet-riddled bodies.
Controversy: Adapted from a script by Quentin Tarantino, director Oliver Stone intended to play on the cult of violence and the media’s causes of violence.
Even famous writer John Grisham got involved in the controversy.
2. Midnight Cowboy
What it’s about: A determined Texan (Jon Voight) and his dying friend (Dustin Hoffman) try to survive as near-homeless people on a seedy New York City neighborhood.
Controversy: This is the only “X” rated film to ever win an Oscar for “Best Picture” and has many scenes of exposed breasts and buttocks.
A few years later, when Midnight Cowboy was about to be released, the producer submitted it to the review board for review and it was rated R (Audiences under 16 years old need a guardian when watching).
3. The Last Temptation of Christ
Plot: While hanging on the cross, Jesus (Willem Dafoe) is tempted by Satan with a hallucination of what his earthly life could have been, including getting married and having
Controversy: The leaders of the city of Savannah, Georgia, banned the film directed by Martin Scorsese and sent a letter to Universal urging the company to stop showing the film everywhere.
In Paris, a group of Christians threw a gasoline bomb into a theater showing this movie, injuring more than 10 people.
4. Last Tango in Paris
Content: An American widower (Marlon Brando) tries to overcome the pain after his wife’s suicide and goes to the `city of lights` Paris – where he meets a woman who is about to get married and
Controversy: Director Bernardo Bertolucci was sentenced to four months in prison in his native Italy – where the film produced in 1972 was banned because it was considered `morally corrupt` and had sex scenes.
5. Fahrenheit 11/9
Content: Director Michael Moore’s famous documentary talks about President George W. Bush’s relations with Saudi Arabia, his alleged missed opportunities to prevent 9/11 and
Controversy: The film was proudly used by Democrats in the US as evidence of Mr. Bush’s campaign to deceive the American people into supporting the war.
6. The Passion of the Christ
Content: Director Mel Gibson describes the last 12 hours alive of Jesus (Jim Caviezel) in which he was betrayed, brutally tortured and nailed to a cross until death.
Controversy: Mel Gibson admitted that he made this film with the intention of creating outrage (such as the 10-minute beating scene) to maximize the impact of Jesus’ sacrifice.
Despite the controversy, it became one of the most successful R-rated films of all time, grossing $600 million worldwide on a film budget of only $25 million.
7. Requiem for a Dream
Plot: Four drug addicts are completely destroyed both physically and mentally as their addiction grows.
Controversy: The film was initially released in uncensored form after being rated NC-17 (no audience under 17 years old) due to scenes of full-frontal nudity and especially lewd scenes of lesbian debauchery
Director Darren Aronofsky still defends his 2000 version, saying that the disturbing scene was not only necessary to convey the devastating effects of drug use, but was also inspired by what he
8. The Devils
Plot: A power-mad Cardinal while his followers want to control a 17th-century French town.
Controversy: One of the town’s nuns, played by Vanessa Redgrave, is a sex-obsessed hunchback who embraces the image of the priest.
The studio removed the footage shortly before it was submitted to censorship in 1971, and it wasn’t until 2002 that portions of the scene were restored.
9. Crash
Content: The film was released in 1996 and tells the story of a film producer (James Spader) who has an open marriage with his wife (Holly Hunter).
Controversy: Explicit sex scenes are combined with bloody accident scenes.
10. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover
Plot: Georgina (Helen Mirren) seeks revenge on her brutal husband Albert (Michael Gambon) after he kills her lover.
Controversy: The 1989 film about cannibalism was given an “X” rating, forcing the production company to release it unrated.
Thanh Hai
