Everybody loves a good controversy! If you don’t, you’re a boring fart. Controversial movies have caused disgust, moral outrage and titillation since the very invention of cinema, all those years ago. One only has to look at the stink D W Griffiths made with his epic films Intolerance and Birth of a Nation.
It pays to have a little controversy in your film, a little rant or whine in the Daily Mail can have salacious film fans rushing to buy the condemned films in droves. It can elevate a crappy or mediocre film into culthood or it can uncover some marvellous little gems that may have gone uncovered were it not for someone kicking up a moral fuss.
The movies in my list have been praised and condemned in equal measures. Some of them on their release were so controversial they were nearly kicked into hell. However, over time, most of the controversy has died down and people say “Yeah that’s actually a good film.”
I hope that you enjoy the list and give plenty of your own contributions on what you think are decent, controversial films below!
10. Freaks (1932)
Why it’s controversial:
Tod Browning’s 1932 seminal horror film was wildly controversial in its day for its use of genuine circus performers. The story followed a bunch of sideshow performers – one of whom, a small person, marries a fully grown woman circus performer who only weds him for his money. She is having an affair with the Strong Man and poisons her husband. When the freaks find out they wreak a terrible revenge.
Viewers in 1932 were genuinely horrified to see carnival performers on their screen – there were Pinheads (microencaphelics), siamese twins, bearded ladies, a human skeleton, a human torso (he had no limbs) and Johnny Eck (who had no legs). The film was received very negatively and wrecked Browning’s career. The movie was considered so disturbing, it was subsequently banned in the UK for 30 years.
Why it’s good:
In the 1960s and 1970s, Freaks was rediscovered as a classic horror movie. It won praise for its humane treatment of the carnival performers which was way ahead of its time. The ending of the film, in which the villainess is turned into a chicken/duck type creature by the freaks, has now been widely recognised as one of the scariest and most upsetting scenes in horror cinema.
Tod Browning’s reputation has been restored to genius horror film maker level. One of a handful of oldies that still packs a punch today, if you haven’t watched it, Freaks is a curious and.. freaky little movie to watch.
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21 Comments
Y’all forgot Salo
Salo is too obvious and too hard to sit thru to be called a really good film in my opinion, but I appreciate your opinion to the contrary
Good article. personally i can’t sit through cannibal hollocaust. Not because of the many horrible scenes of rape and murder, but because of the animal sbuse. its just so needless in my eyes, animal suffering for the sake of a film just dosent sit well with me.
And i agree about Salo being omitted. it just isent a good watch
Hi lazysod
I completely agree with you about animal snuff. I can watch humans die in all sorts of ways but torture even a gerbil and I cannot bear it. So unnecessary.
Good list, but interesting that the picture accompanying this article is that of “Ichi the Killer,” but the movie itself is not in the top 10.
Just meant to lure you in ha ha! Flagrant false advertising!
After reading this and your past articles, I’m pretty sure that you and I are meant for each other. Just kidding. But not really. Anyway, our taste in films is pretty much identical.
I have always wanted a man who could make a romantic evening of Addio Zio Tom followed by Behind Convent Walls!
My usual first dates involve a showing of Singapore Sling and Beyond The Valley of the Dolls.
I have never seen Singapore Sling (embarrassed) so that would be a delightful and much welcomed first. As for Beyond the Valley of the Dolls – that is my kind of happening and it freaks me out!
Ichi the Killer? Seen as you used it as your header photo. Why didn’t you include it?
As i said above, flagrant false advertising. No I really do like Ichi but i decided to go with Seul Contre Ztous at the last minute just for the sake of being different. Ichi, like Salo, is the kind of movie you expect in these sorta lists. But I am sorry if I disappointed you.
Interesting list; i’ve seen a few of these, and suggest another film that could make this list (or your attention) would be Santa Sangre by alejandro jodorowsky, the tale of a boy in a circus who witnesses his dad cut his mother’s arms off.
Hi Jay
I love Sante Sangre, Jodowrowsky at his best. I just got the new DVD release after having a poor copy on VHS for years. You know, maybe you’re right. Perhaps I should have included it in the list?
I disagree wholeheartedly about Cannibal Holocaust. I do not consider it a good film because it is poorly paced, has zero emotional value, and it is not scary at all for a horror movie. Completely disregarding the animal killings, which I couldn’t care less about (seriously all this fuss about a stupid turtle and some monkeys getting killed, who gives a crap?), the film is a foul exploitation of sexual violence. Unlike The Last House on the Left by Wes Craven, which is a fantastic film with one of the best portrayals of a evil and in my opinion the scariest villain in horror movie history.
Well Greg each to their own but I agree with you on the awesomeness of Last House on the Left, I think it is one heck of a mighty film too. It hypnotised me with its raw ggression when I first watched it and David Hess gives one of the best baddies performances ever.
Bit surprised that Ken Russell’s The Devils didn’t make it on your list. Although I have to say I haven’t seen most of these. Never really seen the appeal of Cannibal Holocaust myself, I don’t watch films purely because they’re controversial they have to also be appealing.
Hi Andy. i love The Devils. In hindsight, I should have included it but I wanted to showcase films maybe people hadn’t seen. But I do have a real passion for the Devils. I’m sure it will pop up in a list soon. Thanks for your comment.
So happy you mentioned Freaks, it’s a brilliant movie.
Hi Antaria
It certainly was a movie that was well ahead of its time, hence the fact it only became legal viewing in 1968 in Britain. I’m glad it has the recognition it deserves. Pity it ruined Browning’s career.
Thank you for your post
i think you should have included peeping tom, brilliant film in my opinion, but all your choices are brilliant!