Credit: New Line Cinema
‘Most Controversial’ Film Ever Had Scene So Graphic It Was Banned All Over The World
One of the ‘most controversial’ films in history featured a scene so graphic it was banned all over the world.
It’s funny how movies can stir up so much controversy that some just… disappear.
Every so often, a film gets slapped with a ban because someone in authority decided it was ‘too much’ for the public.
Sometimes it’s the violence – blood, gore, explosions, you name it – that earns a film a permanent ‘no entry’ sign.
Other times, it’s the extreme scenes, nudity, or s**ual content that makes people clutch their pearls.
And honestly, the rules seem to change depending on where you are. What’s considered shocking in one country might be perfectly fine in another.
Of course, the idea is to protect audiences, especially kids, from things that could be disturbing.
But let’s be real: banning a film doesn’t make the content disappear; it just makes it mysterious, forbidden, and sometimes even more tempting.
It also sparks debates about creative freedom. Should filmmakers hold back, or should viewers be trusted to decide what they can handle?
And speaking of controversy, there’s one film that took all of this to an entirely new level…
Banned around the world
Director David Cronenberg, widely considered the principal originator of the sub-genre body horror, is famous for his provocative and twisted movie style relating to the human body.
His popular titles include The Fly, A History of Violence, and The Brood.
Yet another film of his is particularly controversial, with people even today disgusted by it.
Discussing the erotic thriller, one person wrote: “This is so weird, sick and twisted.”
Another added: “I am completely confused on how and why the directors, producers, and whoever wrote this.”
“This movie was depraved, dark, and altogether unnecessary,” a third person said.
The controversial horror film’s issues began with its initial screening at the Cannes Film Festival.
The festival’s jury created the ‘Special Jury Prize for originality, for daring and for audacity’ to evade the intense dislike harbored towards it by The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola, who was jury president, as per BBC Culture.
Following the film’s release, it faced intense pressure to be banned.
Late British film critic Alexander Walker said it went ‘beyond the bounds of depravity,’ per the BBFC (the British Board of Film Classification).
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail and Evening Standard led a campaign aiming for its ban, leading some places in the UK to stop showing it.
Westminster Council even prohibited the film from being shown in areas of London, while Norway also banned it from cinemas, as per the Daily Star.
In the US, AMC Cinemas posted security guards on its doors to prevent minors from slipping in and seeing it.
From outrage to cult classic
The twisted horror follows a car crash victim who suddenly finds himself turned on by car accidents and becomes involved with an underground subculture of like-minded souls.
Based on the J.G. Ballard novel of the same name, it stars James Spader, Holly Hunter, Elias Koteas, Deborah Kara Unger, and Rosanna Arquette.
It features numerous s** scenes, with one involving the protagonist using his manhood to penetrate a scar on a disabled woman’s leg.
The BBFC was asked to view the erotic thriller in October 1996. It determined that the film was ‘not intended to be taken literally’ and examined its topics metaphorically.
The governmental organization also sought the advice of experts and a psychologist ruled it wouldn’t incite dangerous or copycat behavior.
Finally, eleven disabled people screened the title, sharing whether they considered it offensive – they generally didn’t enjoy it, but noted its depiction of disabled people as s**ually attractive and active as positive.
Another scene was also cut; however, it wasn’t down to the reason many may have presumed.
The sequence in question shows an actress lactating and a ‘spurt of milk shot across the screen,’ which Cronenberg told The Guardian didn’t fit the movie’s logic.
He explained: “It was pretty sensational, we were all excited that it happened, but the thing is in the movie that character is not pregnant and is not breastfeeding, so dramatically it made no sense.”
Despite—or perhaps because of—its controversy, Cronenberg’s 1996 Crash has endured, earning a devoted cult following and recognition as one of his most daring and acclaimed works.
Watch the trailer for Crash here…
Related Article: Horror Movie Is So Disturbing It’s Banned In 50 Countries And Director Got Arrested
Related Article: Nicole Kidman Forced To Stop Filming Movie As She ‘Didn’t Want To Org*** Anymore’
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