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Some films were so controversial, they were forbidden from being seen at all. Join us as we count down our picks for the most shocking films that were once banned somewhere in the world! Which movie do you think was most unfairly censored? Let us know in the comments below!
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00:00I don't want any of my workers dissatisfied.
00:02Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 films that were once considered so
00:07controversial that they were banned somewhere in the world.
00:10Well, well, well, well.
00:16Number 10, Natural Born Killers.
00:18Written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Oliver Stone, Natural Born Killers was a film that generated some real controversy
00:24upon its release in 1994.
00:26When them people come here and they ask you who done this, you tell them Mickey and Mallory Knox did
00:31it, all right? Say it!
00:32It was banned outright in Ireland and the Philippines due to concerns over its extreme violence, its dark satire, and
00:38the possibility that it may inspire copycats.
00:41Mickey and Mallory are the best thing to happen to mass murder since Manchester.
00:44Yeah, but they're way cooler.
00:46Irish censor Seamus Smith famously refused to grant it a license before a planned club screening at the Irish Film
00:52Center was canceled at the 11th hour after the Department of Justice threatened an injunction.
00:57The ban was eventually lifted, but accusations of the movie glamorized violence persisted.
01:01I'm a natural born killer.
01:04Number 9, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
01:06When a film is considered too extreme for even X-rated audiences, you know that it's crossing some lines.
01:11You see those buildings there? That's where they kill them.
01:14The Texas Chainsaw Massacre might not rely on all-out gore as much as many modern horrors do, but there
01:20is something timeless about the way it makes its impact.
01:22It was banned or refused classification in numerous countries, including Britain, France, West Germany, Finland, and Norway.
01:31You like this taste?
01:33Britain's experience was particularly significant, as the BBFC claimed that cutting specific scenes wouldn't change the film's overall tone.
01:39Although it had a limited screening in the UK after its release, it didn't receive an uncut 18 certificate until
01:451999.
01:50Number 8, Battleship Potemkin.
01:52Although it's now regarded as a classic, Sergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin was initially banned, or at least severely restricted in
01:59several countries after its 1925 release.
02:08Its depiction of a successful sailor's mutiny was considered an issue.
02:12According to some censorship boards, it was a clear example of revolutionary propaganda, and as a result, it was famously
02:18rejected outright in Britain.
02:25The political climate at the time was a big reason for this, as the decision came during heightened concern about
02:30communism around the time of Britain's general strike.
02:38Eisenstein's film contained specific scenes, especially the famous Odessa step sequence, that the censors feared would cause audiences to sympathize
02:45with the idea of collective rebellion.
02:54Number 7, Schindler's List.
02:56There are very few movies from the last 50 years that managed to conjure up widespread emotion quite as well
03:02as Steven Spielberg's masterpiece, Schindler's List.
03:05I could have got more.
03:09I could have got more.
03:11I don't know.
03:12If I just...
03:15I could have got more.
03:17Its subject matter instantly made it a problematic release for certain nations, however.
03:21Malaysia banned the film, labeling it as propaganda, while several Arab nations did the same, characterizing it as pro-Zionist
03:27work.
03:28You want these people?
03:29These people.
03:30My people.
03:31I want my people.
03:32Who are you, Moses?
03:33Most of these issues didn't stem from the movie's depiction of Holocaust violence.
03:37Instead, they came from political and ideological differences.
03:40All of the bans were eventually lifted, with some only lasting a short period of time.
03:44I didn't do enough.
03:47You did so much.
03:48Number 6, Monty Python's Life of Brian.
03:51Any film parodying the story of Jesus Christ is going to have a hard time avoiding a certain amount of
03:56controversy.
03:56Look, you've got it all wrong.
03:58You don't need to follow me.
04:01You don't need to follow anybody.
04:05You've got to think for yourselves.
04:07You're all individuals.
04:10Yes, we're all individuals.
04:13These days, Monty Python's Life of Brian is regarded as one of the most hilarious and important films in comedy
04:19history.
04:20However, its satire of religious fanaticism, Christian institutions, and biblical institutions saw it banned in Ireland, Norway, and Italy, to
04:28name but a few countries.
04:29I said, don't pass judgment on other people, or else you might get judged too.
04:35Oh, me?
04:36Yes.
04:36Oh, thank you very much.
04:38The legendary troupe took this in their stride, however, famously advertising it as so funny it was banned in Norway.
04:45Now, you listen here.
04:47He's not the Messiah.
04:49He's a very naughty boy.
04:51Now, go away.
04:52Several British local authorities took action against the film too, and the Welsh town of Aberystwyth only lifted their ban
04:58finally in 2008.
04:59The reason?
05:00Sue Jones Davies, who acted in the movie, was elected the town's mayor.
05:04Ryan!
05:05Judith.
05:06Number 5.
05:07All Quiet on the Western Front
05:08Adapted from a German novel of the same name,
05:111930's All Quiet on the Western Front is one of the most historically significant early portrayals of the brutality of
05:17war in film.
05:18The Kaiser's got everything he needs.
05:20Well, he never had a war before.
05:22Every full-grown emperor needs one war to make him famous.
05:26Why, that's history.
05:27Yeah, generals too.
05:28They need war.
05:29In it, young German soldiers learn a horrific truth about the nature of combat and the damage it can do.
05:35Unsurprisingly, it was banned in Germany shortly after its release,
05:38because its anti-war portrayal of German soldiers clashed with nationalist and militarist politics.
05:43Any of us stops a bullet.
05:45Before we die, we're going to come to you,
05:47click our heels together and ask stiffly,
05:49Please, Sergeant Himmelsdorf, may we go?
05:51It depicts German troops experiencing fear, mutilation, exhaustion, and disillusionment rather than heroic glory.
05:58Joseph Goebbels even helped to organize disruptive protests,
06:01including Nazi stormtroopers causing disturbances inside cinemas.
06:04To say that this film and novel had an impact would be a major understatement.
06:08You still think it's beautiful and sweet to die for your country, don't you?
06:13Well, we used to think you knew.
06:15But the first bombardment taught us better.
06:19It's dirty and painful to die for your country.
06:22Number 4.
06:23The Exorcist.
06:24The immense controversy that came about during the release of 1973's landmark horror film The Exorcist,
06:29in many ways, helped its promotion immensely.
06:32Is there someone inside you?
06:35Sometimes.
06:38Who is it?
06:40I don't know.
06:41Its combination of demonic possession,
06:43blasphemous language,
06:44sexual imagery,
06:45and extreme psychological terror
06:47generated intense scrutiny,
06:49including reports of audiences fainting or becoming physically ill.
06:52This, of course, made it a must-see for anyone looking for a thrill.
06:56Even the trailer reportedly caused instances of panic and fainting.
06:59Holy Lord, Almighty Father,
07:02Everlasting God,
07:03and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
07:05It was banned outright in Malaysia, Singapore,
07:08and multiple Arab-speaking nations across the Middle East and North Africa.
07:11In the UK, while it was allowed in cinemas,
07:13home video releases were prohibited until 1999.
07:16The power of Christ compels you!
07:19The power of Christ compels you!
07:22Number 3.
07:23The Great Dictator
07:24It's not hard to understand why The Great Dictator,
07:26a film openly mocking Adolf Hitler,
07:28was banned in Nazi Germany and their occupied territories.
07:31We shall never have peace until we have a pure Aryan race.
07:35How wonderful.
07:37Turmania, a nation of blue-eyed blondes.
07:40Why not a blonde Europe, a blonde Asia, a blonde America?
07:42A blonde world.
07:43And a brunette dictator.
07:45Dictator of the world.
07:46What might be more surprising to learn
07:47is that it was also banned in several neutral countries
07:50who didn't want to antagonize the German leader,
07:52including Spain and Ireland.
07:54These days, it is widely regarded as Charlie Chaplin's masterpiece,
07:57a cutting satire that was decades ahead of its time.
08:00Police commander shoots under arrest.
08:02Very well.
08:03But remember my words.
08:04Your cause is doomed to failure
08:06because it's built on the stupid, ruthless persecution of innocent people.
08:09Your policy is worse than a crime.
08:11It's a tragic blunder.
08:14Traitor!
08:15Traitor!
08:16There are famous reports and rumors
08:17that Hitler's curiosity eventually got the best of him,
08:20and he screened it for himself two nights in a row in a private cinema.
08:23We'll never know for sure if he ever did get to see
08:25how hilariously he was lampooned.
08:27The banana!
08:27The banana!
08:28That big kaboobin!
08:29Number 2.
08:30The Last Temptation of Christ
08:31Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ
08:34is considered one of his boldest moves as a director.
08:36You want to know who my mother and father are?
08:40You want to know who my God is?
08:44Fear.
08:46You look inside me and that's all you'll find.
08:52But the more devils that we have inside of us,
08:54the more of a chance we have to repent.
08:56It portrays Jesus as deeply human,
08:59struggling with doubt, fear, and temptation,
09:01and has him envisioning marriage, sex, and children.
09:04Predictably, this did not go down well with some people.
09:07Greece, Turkey, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile
09:10all imposed bans or restrictions around its release,
09:13while the Philippines and Singapore also banned it.
09:16You're a coward!
09:28No one will you ever pay for your sins.
09:32With my life jitters,
09:35I don't have anything else.
09:36In the United States,
09:38it was not nationally banned,
09:39although organized protests and threats
09:41caused some cinemas to withdraw it.
09:43It's a claim from a filmmaking perspective
09:45was widespread, but religious objections
09:47followed it for years.
09:48If I was a woodcutter, I'd cut.
09:50If I was a fire, I'd burn.
09:52But I'm a heart and I love.
09:53That's all I can do.
09:56Before we continue,
09:57be sure to check out WatchMojo's 24-hour livestream.
10:00All of your favorite videos in one place,
10:0224-7.
10:03Always on, always live.
10:05Are you not entertained?
10:08Number one, A Clockwork Orange.
10:10The story of Alex DeLarge
10:11and his violent and unruly ways
10:13was a truly interesting commentary
10:15on ideas like free will, morality,
10:17psychiatry, and political power.
10:19I've taught you much, my little droogies.
10:22It presented its ideas in a way
10:24that was viewed as pretty extreme
10:25upon its release in 1971.
10:27The movie was violent,
10:29and presented that violence in a way
10:30that was undeniably entertaining,
10:32despite not glorifying it.
10:33It was banned in Ireland until 1999,
10:36Spain until the late 70s,
10:37and in several other countries
10:38for varying lengths of time,
10:40including South Africa and Brazil.
10:42Punishment means nothing to them,
10:43you can see that.
10:44They enjoy their so-called punishment.
10:48You're absolutely right, sir.
10:49Shut up, leading home!
10:51It was never outright banned in the UK, however.
10:54Director Stanley Kubrick
10:55voluntarily withdrew the film in 1973,
10:57after receiving violent threats
10:58against his family,
10:59amid a media uproar
11:00over alleged copycat crimes.
11:02I'm cured!
11:03Praise God!
11:05But what do you consider
11:06to be the most unfairly banned movie
11:08of all time?
11:08Let us know in the comments below.
11:10Thank you so much for listening.
11:10Thank you all for listening.
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