7 most scandalous movies in history

7. "Viridiana"

Drama | 4.33 out of 5 on MyShows | 1962

Luis Buñuel's movie, which the Vatican called sacrilegious and Franco banned from Spain. However, the critics did not agree with them: the film won the Palme d'Or and became one of the central works of Spanish cinema.

In the story, a young novice Viridiana, about to give her last vows as a nun, goes to visit her widowed uncle. He has been supporting her for many years, and now he asks her to come and see him before her tonsure. But the meeting turns tragic: the uncle is struck by the resemblance between Viridiana and his late wife and falls in love with the girl. He puts Viridiana to sleep, kisses her, and almost deprives her of her innocence, and when he realizes what he has done, he hangs himself from a tree. Horrified by what has happened, Viridiana decides not to go to the convent and stays behind to help the poor.

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6. "Freaks"

Drama, horror | 4.17 out of 5 on MyShows | 1932

Circus gymnast and beauty Cleopatra learns that a midget has inherited a large fortune. Although she likes another circus performer named Hercules, she seduces Hans and forces him to part with his fiancée in order to get the money. Cleopatra and Hans marry, but at a party the drunken gymnast tells the circus freaks what she thinks of them. They decide to take revenge on her.

To shoot "Freaks" director Tod Browning approached in the status of a world star: just released in the rental of his hit "Dracula", which made a real sensation and collected a huge box office. Finally, Browning could begin work on the movie of his dreams, not yet suspecting that he failed miserably at the box office, will be banned in some countries and will cause a lot of controversy. By the 1960s, the film would become a cult favorite, but by then Browning's career was beyond saving.

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5. "A Clockwork Orange"

Fantasy, crime | 4.02 out of 5 on MyShows | 1971

Violent psychopath Alex, leader of a gang of teenagers who kill, steal and rape, falls into the hands of the police. In order to be released early, he agrees to participate in an experiment designed to eradicate his destructive tendencies and curb his destructive impulses. But sometimes the cure is worse than the disease. Will the new Alex be able to fit into the world he himself had a hand in creating?

Stanley Kubrick's movie, based on the famous novel by Anthony Burgess, caused a scandal in the UK. Observers called it misogynistic and fascist, and journalists feared whether fans of the movie will not turn into imitators of the main character. Kubrick began receiving threatening letters, and eventually he himself withdrew it from distribution in Britain. Officially, the picture began to be shown again only in 2000.

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4. "The Birth of a Nation"

Drama, war | 2.9 out of 5 on MyShows | 1915

D.W. Griffith's film epic about the American Civil War, told primarily from the point of view of Southerners. The story centers on two brothers, Phil and Ted Stoneman, who visit friends from the Cameron family in Piedmont, South Carolina. The unfolding Civil War changes their friendship when the Stonemans and the Camerons join opposing armies.

"The Birth of a Nation" was called the most racist movie in history: Griffith's picture shows African-Americans (played by white blackface actors) stupid and sexually aggressive, and the Ku Klux Klan looked heroes in white coats, always ready to come to the rescue. Incidentally, it is believed that it was "The Birth of a Nation" that helped revitalize the Ku Klux Klan.

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3. "Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom" / Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma

Drama, horror | 2.41 out of 5 on MyShows | 1976

In 1943-44 in Fascist Northern Italy, four high-ranking members of the government, with the help of henchmen and Fascist soldiers, kidnap nine young boys and girls. They hold them for 120 days, subjecting them to physical, mental, and sexual torture.

Pier Paolo Pasolini's last movie based on the novel by the Marquis de Sade. After the mysterious murder of the director, which is sometimes linked to the picture, it was up to producer Alberto Grimaldi to present "Salo". The movie was withdrawn from distribution several times, and Grimaldi was sued for distributing pornography, but he was acquitted.

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2. "Triumph of the Will" / Triumph des Willens

Documentary | 4.33 out of 5 on MyShows | 1933

The movie, commissioned by Hitler, recounts the events of the Sixth Congress of the NSDAP, held in Nuremberg in 1934. The original intention was to document the early days of the NSDAP and to show the unity of the German people, so that future generations could see the birth of the Third Reich.

In fact, "Triumph of the Will" is one of the brightest representatives of propaganda cinema. Until her death, director Leni Riefenstahl claimed that she was not a Nazi, and "Triumph of the Will" is just a documentary. Her work was indeed groundbreaking: Riefenstahl succeeded in changing the perception of camerawork and editing, but she will still forever remain in film history as a propagandist in the service of evil.

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1. "The Last Temptation of Christ"

Drama | 4.44 out of 5 on MyShows | 1988

Carpenter Jesus of Nazareth, tormented by demonic temptations and guilt for making crosses on behalf of the Romans, as well as pity for people and the world, sets out to find his purpose. The movie is not based on the Gospel, but on Nikos Kazantzakis' novel of the same name, which explores the dual nature of Christ — divine and human.

Martin Scorsese for many years dreamed of shooting "The Last Temptation of Christ", but the studios were not ready, clearly realizing the controversy and riskiness of the topic. When Scorsese did get to work, Universal had to hire political strategists to calm the excitement in the press about the upcoming movie. This, of course, did not help: Scorsese got too "human" Jesus, full of doubts, and the scene in which he dreams of sex with Mary Magdalene, forever made "The Last Temptation of Christ" banned from many Christians. The Vatican and many public people expressed their displeasure with the picture and protested against it, and a French fundamentalist group threw Molotov cocktails at a movie theater in Paris, causing several audience members to be injured.

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The full list is available on the Time Out website.