6. Maitresse (1976)
Why It's Controversial: Maitresse is a French film directed by Barbet Schroder and starring Gerard Depardieu in one of his first leading roles as a petty crook who falls in love with a Dominatrix (Bulle Ogier). Their relationship becomes very complicated as they try to sort out who is the dominant and who is the submissive. Causing a bit of a knicker twisting at the BBFC - the film was banned in 1976. They agreed it was well made and did not exploit sado-masochism, but the acts of SM that it portrayed on screen were in gross excess compared to anything the BBFC had passed at that time. In 1980, it was given a license for private cinema clubs and in 1981 the film was passed as X with approximately 4 minutes of cuts including the infamous nailing a penis to a board sequence. All cuts were waived on a third submission in 2003. There is a controversial horse knacker yard slaughter sequence.
Why It's Good: Well Gerard Depardieu is in it for a start. There's something about Gerard - I just love him and fancy him to bits - he is my biggest screen heart throb! Perving over Gerard aside, the dominatrix torture chamber is very inventive with all sorts of fetishes catered to - some of them, not even I could have dreamt of. Despite dealing with SM - the tone of the film is light and humorous - Schroder has a deft comic touch. It is a testament to Schroder's directorial finesse that the SM goings on do not overwhelm Depardieu's and Ogier's relationship which I think is more about feminism and a power struggle rather than 'Oh heck, my missus is a dominatrix!'. This is not just a film for SM freaks, it is a dark romance that will entertain your brain for a couple of hours.