20 Most Controversial Movies Of All Time
12.Last Tango In Paris
Sometimes a film can become more controversial based on the reputations of the people involved in its making. Consider Last Tango in Paris, a film that is far less sexually explicit than some of the other entries on this list, but earns a higher spot because its controversy was magnified by the presence of star Marlon Brando and director Bernardo Bertolucci.
Released with the now-defunct X rating, Last Tango is notable not just for the explicit nature of its sexuality, but also for its emotional darkness. Tango doesn't aim for titillation; it's a brutally honest examination of a relationship based purely on primal instinct. Some of the film's heaviest criticism came in the US, where early reports condemned the film's supposedly pornographic content, especially the infamous butter scene. But its most noteworthy controversy may have come in Italy, where director Bertolucci was put on trial for obscenity and the film was banned until 1987.
Critical and public perception of the film has warmed significantly over the years, but even upon its release, many critics and filmmakers saw it as a masterpiece. Pauline Kael perhaps said it best when she wrote that the film altered the face of an art form in her review of the film, which would go on to become one of the most celebrated pieces of film criticism ever.