Classic Movie Scenes That Pushed The Boundaries

Underground artistic films are often breeding grounds for boundary pushing controversy. The pictures 1963 experimental film Flaming Creatures is the absolute picture of this phenomenon. The film is a loosely structured collection of scenes in which most of the characters are dressed in drag. The various scenes are quite graphic, particularly some that have vivid and explicit sexual content. The filmmakers were charged with obscenity and the it was banned, but as a result of this it became a symbol of fighting against such laws and therefore famous as a result. 

Murder mysteries are a genre whose popularity has remained consistent throughout the generations. Tales of murder often lend themselves to questions about ethics, revenge, justifiable violence, psychology, and so on, and can often be controversial in how they ask these questions as well as being quite explicit. The 1975 film The Legend of Lizzie Borden was an example of this. The film follows a still unsolved murder from the 1890’s in New England. The prime suspect was played by Elizabeth Montgomery, who was depicted committing the murders in the film sans clothing, which was censored for American viewers. 

Lynda Carter is most famous for her role as Wonder Woman, but it was not her feature film debut. That came a few months after the release of Wonder Woman in the film Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw. It follows Carter as a young, amateur country music singer, who escapes her life as a waitress and joins with Lyle, played by Marjoe Gortner, who fancies himself a modern day Billy the Kid. They are eventually joined by her sister and her boyfriend and embrace a life of crime. The film was notorious for some explicit scenes featuring Carter. 

Few directors have achieved the success and fame of Stanley Kubrick. Nearly all of his films have survived in the public imagination as critically acclaimed cult classic masterpieces. On his Mount Rushmore of films is A Clockwork Orange. Based on the novel by Anthony Burgess, it takes place in a dystopian Britain and follows a group of young delinquents who commit heinous acts of violence and rape. It’s popularity amongst young people and thereafter inspiration of copycat acts of violence similar to the film led to Kubrick going as far to request that the film be pulled from theatres in the United Kingdom. 

It is common for films viewed as controversial on release to be later appreciated and thereafter developed into cult classics among small but passionate fans. The 1970 film Beyond the Valley of the Dolls stands out as an example of this. The film follows an all-female band, one of whom is an heir to a large fortune, and their navigating the music industry amongst some less-then-upstanding characters they meet. The film was partially written by famed film critic Roger Ebert, and was controversial for its explicit violence and sexual content. 

Few comedy films have pushed the limits and maintained an absolutely iconic status in the way Mel Brook’s 1974 comedy Blazing Saddles has. The film has endured as a pillar of the comedy film genre ever since it’s release. It was thought to be controversial due to its crude use of language for jokes, particularly racial humor. During production, Brooks even said to the writers “Write anything you want because we’ll never be heard from again. We’ll all be arrested for this movie”. Ultimately, however Blazing Saddles was a massive success and has become an American classic. 

Halloween has long been a cliché setting within which to set a horror film. The apex of this notion is the 1978 classic Halloween starring Jamie Lee Curtis, as this picture shows, in her film debut, and others such as Michael Meyers. The film is lauded as a classic of the horror genre and was even selected by the Library of Congress as being worthy of special preservation. It was controversial at the time due to the sexual themes in the film, but has stood the test of time as being one of the better horror films ever made.  

The behavior of celebrities has always been a cause for public debate and controversy on ethics and personal decisions due to the fact celebrity behavior is covered by tabloids and is always in the public eye. The public often loves nothing more than they do a celebrity scandal, particularly one regarding an affair. Sometimes, controversial statements on subjects like this from celebrities become hot button subjects of debate. This quote by the pictured actress Claudia Cardinale, justifying infidelity, is a great example thereof. 

Comedy and senses of humor change from generation to generation: often, something one generation finds hysterical will be found to be utterly boring by the next. Some films, however, stand the test of time and become classics of comedy. Monty Python and the Holy Grail is one such film that has never gone out of fashion. The film follows parodies of King Arthur and his court trying to find the illusive holy grail, and their adventures along the way. Since it’s release, it has secured a place on the Mount Rushmore of all-time comedies, but remains controversial to some due to it’s language and themes and the subjects it mocks. 

Gore Vidal was one of the most controversial and hot topic authors in American literature during the 20th century, and the films based on his novels inherited this. The 1970 comedy Myra Breckinridge was no exception. The film was immensely controversial for its depiction of highly explicit sexual content including rape, as well as its depiction and commentary on transgender issues. Although the novel was critically acclaimed, the film was largely regarded even outside of it’s controversial aspects as being a poorly made one.

European films have often taken more risks as far as addressing and portraying controversial topics or content than the American film industry has, and the pictured 1981 film Possession is no exception to this trend. Possession is a rather bizarre but well reviewed horror film that follows a woman who abruptly demands a divorce from her husband, who is a spy involved in the cold war in Berlin. It becomes increasingly more bizarre and horrific as the husband tries to figure out what her motives are and has many graphic horror, violent, and sexual scenes that made it quite controversial. 

Music and what types of it are popular are often the most vivid, memorable and defining aspects of what separates different generations. The differences between generations and teenage or youth culture is a subject that many films have examined through the lens of music. This picture shows PJ Soles and Joey Ramone on the set of one such film, 1979’s Rock 'n' Roll High School. The film depicted late 1970’s and early 1980’s youth culture through the lens of contemporary music and touches heavily on young people versus established authority and other topics. 

The counter-culture movement of the mid to late 1960’s generated no shortage of controversy. The use of psychedelic drugs such as LSD by the counter-cultural community was emblematic of this. The above pictured appropriately titled 1967 film The Trip examined the use of LSD and its effects. Written by the legendary Jack Nicholson and starring Peter Fonda, the film was immensely popular and well received for it’s depiction of the drug but quite controversial when it was released due to the fact it explored and promoted the drug at all. '

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is an example of a film that was controversial upon it’s release, but as social norms and standards have changed, has been re-examined as is now viewed retrospectively as a classic of the genre. The film is a bizarre horror-musical comedy mix that largely is a parody of the old-fashioned science fiction films of the 1930’s and 40’s, and deals with themes of sexuality and androgyny. In 2005, it was selected as worthy of special preservation by the library of congress due to it’s eventual status as a cult classic. 

Prison films and shows are an excellent way to examine the themes of authority, power, punishment, and exploitation. The setting of a prison and its straightforward hierarchy lends itself to such discussions. The 1983 pictured film Chained Heat examined these topics in the context of a women’s prison. It was controversial due to its depiction of sexual exploitation, drugs, and inter-prisoner race relations. It came under particular fire from lesbian activists, who felt it was far too stereotypical in its depictions. 

This picture shows Dustin Hoffmann and Anne Bancroft in the 1967 film The Graduate. The Graduate is widely considered one of the greatest American films ever made, but it’s immense acclaim and success upon release was not universal, as the plot was controversial. It follows Hoffman, who plays an uncertain college graduate, who begins an affair with an older married women but ultimately falls for her daughter instead. In the end, he runs off married with the daughter, and it ends with them questioning their impulsive decision. In later decades, the controversy around it has shifted more so towards viewing Bancroft’s character as predatory, but it is still lauded as a classic. 

The Italian film industry has long punched above its weight in its export of critically acclaimed and controversial films. Its film industry is much more willing to take risks and push the limits of acceptability. Bicycle Thieves, released in 1948, is one such film. It is a neorealist film about a man who loses his bicycle that he needs to keep his job to support his family in the ruins of post war Italy. The cast was entirely first-time actors to make it as authentic as possible. It was controversial for its depiction of Italians and some graphic scenes but is in general lauded as one of the most influential films ever made for its impact on other directors. 

Witches and other traditional elements of folklore have long served as inspiration for horror films. The 1960 Italian horror picture Black Sunday tells the tale of a 17th century Moldavian witch who curses the descendants of her executioners and comes back to life centuries later. The film was controversial due to extremely graphic sexual and violence-based scenes. However, it is considered a pillar and foundational element of Italian gothic horror films and as such is remembered in high regard due it’s influence on future films. 

Before Quentin Tarantino’s western epic Django Unchained, there was the earlier inspiration for it, the 1966 Italian spaghetti western Django. Whereas many westerns prior and after it are typically slower paced dramas that ultimately center around climactic action scenes (such as A Fistful of Dollars), Django was regarded as an immensely violent film upon it’s release and was not shown in some places and countries that found said aspects excessive. However, it became a cult classic and quite obviously was the main inspiration for Tarantino’s later re-adaptation of the story. 

Audiences typically attend and enjoy horror films for the purpose of the adrenaline rush the horror evokes. However, some horror movies have become notorious for instilling such terror in the viewer that they are unable to finish watching them. 1981’s The Evil Dead is one such picture. Originally an independent short film, it later was picked up and turned into a feature length movie. It was controversial due it’s extremely graphic violent scenes but became a cult classic and is widely regarded as one of the greatest horrors ever made. 

Institutions making a large fuss about movies portraying them in a light that is less than favorable is far from a purely modern phenomenon. John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!, made in 1963, was sued by the University of Notre Dame for it’s depiction of the university. It follows a downed Air Force pilot in an Arab country who is an ex-college football star. The fictional country stages an exhibition game against the fighting Irish with the downed pilot on their team. Notre Dame felt they were being put in a bad light and sued to block the release of the film, albeit unsuccessfully. 

Religion and critiquing it has always been a hot button issue in society. Films that mock or poke fun at it have often found themselves at the center of controversy. The 1979 Monty Python film Life of Brian was one such film. It poked fun at Christianity by following the main character, Brian, who is mistaken for Jesus and the messiah during the life of Christ. The film’s mocking of Christianity was extremely controversial and a number of countries, including Norway, Ireland and Italy, banned the film.  

Only once has a controversial, X-rated film won an academy award: Midnight Cowboy. The above pictured Jon Voight played an aspiring male prostitute and the film’s plot revolves around him making his way through the seedy world of prostitution and his interactions with various pimps and clients. It explores various themes of masculinity and sexual orientation and portrays it all in explicit detail. The film was controversial for it’s explicit sexual imagery but was thought of highly enough in terms of it’s cinematic value to earn the aforementioned award. 

The 1960 film Peeping Tom was thought of as a horrible film at the time, but is an example of a film that became beloved in retrospect and extremely influential on other films. It follows a serial killer who murders young women and uses a camera to record his actions, played by Carl Boehm. It was controversial due it’s graphic violence, but the camerawork techniques and exploration of dark psychological themes let to it be re-appreciated in retrospect and influential to future “slasher” films. 

Some films invite great controversy and anger by depicting absurd degrees of graphic excess on screen. This is certainly true of the 1972 cult classic Pink Flamingos. It follows a drag queen who makes it her express goal to be as “filthy as possible”. She engages in a wide variety of increasingly outrageous acts, ranging from murder to cannibalism and so on. It ends with a revolting scene wherein she consumes dog feces. The film is considered an example of abject art, where art is detached from social norms. 

Jack Nicholson has been a mainstay of American cinema for decades and has achieved iconic status as a dynamic and superbly talented actor. Nicholson came of age as an actor during the counter-cultural years of the 1960’s and the film Psych-Out depicts the changing norms and culture of that era. It follows a group of hippies who engage in psychedelic drugs and all the other associated activities of hippies during the 60’s, all in vividly explicit detail. Ultimately, the film is meant to have an anti-drug message and does well reasonably well. 

Some movies achieve such a cult status in popular culture that their mere name and plot is universally known. The plot revolves around a group of friends who are captured by a group of cannibals in Texas. Although the excessive violence resulted in some censorship and bans in various places, the film was an enormous success. It grossed an incredible amount of money and spawned a number of sequels and ingratiated itself into pop culture, and is regarded as one of the greatest horrors of all time. 

Of all the movies that have garnered controversy and have been thereafter censored or banned, few have done so at the level of the 1971 Ken Russell production The Devil. The film takes place in France during the era of Cardinal Richelieu and The Three Musketeers stories and follows an immoral priest and nuns who are alleged to be witches. The film is packed with unbelievably graphic violent, sexual, and sacrilegious content. It was not given good reviews and is viewed as among the most controversial films ever made. To this day, finding a full copy is difficult. 

One movie quote that has entered our collective cultural lexicon like few others is the renowned line from the 1973’s The Exorcist: “The power of Christ compels you”, spoke during the scene the title is derived from. The Exorcist is based off a book and follows a young girl who is possessed and the efforts of priests to exorcise her. The film achieved classic status and is one of the greatest and most successful horror movies of all time. It has inspired several sequels and become universally known. 

The 1950’s was a time of strict cultural conformity and frowned upon controversy and movies pushing the limits of social acceptability. For this reason, the 1953 movie The Moon is Blue was a controversial one. It follows a young unmarried woman who goes to the apartment of two older playboy men. They are disappointed when their efforts to win her over fail as she much prefers to discuss the hot button cultural issues around sexuality of the day. The discussion of these topics on film made it a controversial release. 

Marlon Brando was an actor who achieved what almost all actors strive for: he ascended to the status of a cultural icon. Key to his ascendancy to this status was the 1953 film The Wild One. Brando portrayed the character of Johnny Strabler, a biker gang criminal, which became one of his most iconic roles in his long and storied career. It’s depiction of youthful crime and rebellion led to it being banned in the UK until 1967, over a decade after it’s release. The film has stayed relevant for it’s sheer cultural status. 

The counterculture and post counter-culture years of the late 1960’s and 70’s led to movies and other art taking a more critical look at the decades that came before, such as the 1950’s, when explicit films were far more taboo. An example of this is the 1971 teenage coming of age drama The Last Picture Show. The film followed a group of high schoolers in Texas during the early 1950’s and the latter stages of their teenage years. It generated some controversy due to it’s sexual content, but overall, is regarded as an excellent film that portrays the slings and arrows of adolescence well. Famed critic Roger Ebert even named it the best movie of 1971. 

Along the lines of The Wild One, the 1966 movie The Wild Angels is a classic of the biker criminal genre. The film, starring most notably Nancy Sinatra and Peter Fonda, follows a biker gang called the “Angels” and their criminal and debauched behavior in southern California. The film is loosely based on the notorious activities of the Hell’s Angels during that time. It was controversial among some for it’s romanticization of the counterculture and was not overly successful, though it greatly boosted Fonda’s career. 

Often times, governments are far more interested in trying to censor documentaries directly investigating societal issues than they are in doing so with provocative films. Titicut Follies was a documentary that was released in 1967 that investigated and shed light on a mental hospital in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Frederick Wiseman produced and directed the film, and it exposed the awful conditions of the facility. The state of Massachusetts went to great lengths to block its release, stating that it violated the inmates right to privacy. It was not until 1992 that it was publicly shown on PBS.

The Vanishing Prairie was a documentary made by Walt Disney in the 1950’s that documented the decline of the great plains and vast prairies of the American west, focusing on the increasing extinction threats to much of the wildlife there. It showed unvarnished footage of the animals such as the buffalo, including a scene where a buffalo gave birth. This was considered obscene by the authorities and thus it was originally censored in the state of New York. The film became a lasting pillar of the Disney documentary collection. 

The 1960’s saw the beginning of a major societal shift in how homosexuality was viewed. Few films embodied this better than the 1961 British movie Victim. The plot is centered around a highly successful barrister (or lawyer as he would be called in the U.S.) who has a relationship with another man. The other man is blackmailed about his sexuality and commits suicide. Eventually, the barrister decides to ruin his career rather than give in. The film was initially censored but has been praised for it’s sympathetic portrayal of gay characters since. 

The cold war in the first few decades after the second world war led to a consistently less than friendly attitude towards Latin American revolutionaries, which in the political context of the time evoked images of Fidel Castro and Che Guvera, among others. For this reason, the 1965 comedy Viva Maria! starring famed actresses Brigitte Bardot and Jeanne Moreau, both playing characters named Maria, aroused controversy upon release. It follows the two as Latin American women in the 19th century caught up in a revolution in south America. 

Most western films, particularly from the 1960’s and surrounding eras, often glossed over the brutality of the old west and depicted it in a very romanticized fashion. This cannot be said of the 1969 Sam Peckinpah movie The Wild Bunch. It is centered around a gang of outlaws on the U.S.-Mexico border and their attempts to survive. Their lives and journey and the violence surrounding it are shown in very graphic detail, unlike other westerns. For these reasons, the film is retrospectively viewed as one of the greatest westerns ever made. 

The crime wave of the late 1960’s made the issue a highly salient one in the public eye. As such, films addressing the issue became popular. Few achieved as much success as 1974’s Death Wish starring Paul Bronson. It follows a man whose wife and daughter are murdered on their way home by criminals. Bronson’s character embraces vigilante justice and hunts down criminals to kill them. The film was controversial for its violence but was highly successful.