20 Most Controversial Movies Of All Time
14. In the Realm Of The Senses
The Brown Bunny already secured a spot on this list for its depiction of unsimulated oral sex. In the Realm of the Senses takes that further - much further - and then throws some final act genital mutilation to secure its place as one of the most controversial films of all time.
The story, based on the true but somewhat mythic case of Japans Sada Abe, tells of a relationship between a former prostitute turned maid (Abe) who begins an affair with the owner of the hotel she works in. The affair grows darker, eventually based entirely on possession and obsession, and ends when Abe kills him and then uses the blood from a certain removed male organ to write a message on his body.
The fact that real sex was being filmed, coupled with the film's graphic climax, meant that even though the film was shot in Japan, the footage had to be developed elsewhere (France) to comply with Japanese censorship laws.
The film was heavily edited in several countries and temporarily banned in others, but has more recently become more available in its full, uncut form.