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There’s a line between dedicated and insane, and when it comes to art, that line is frequently played with. This is all to say that some of your favorite movies have dramatic backstories, ranging from behind-the-scenes fights to film and acting techniques that can either be described as brilliant or cruel. However, some movies push those limits a bit too much.
Recently it was revealed that Last Tango in Paris‘ infamous butter scene was a lot more disturbing and a lot closer to actual rape than anyone suspected. But Bertolucci is far from the only director who has played with morality and the rules of what is and isn’t acceptable in the pursuit of his art. From onscreen animal killings to takes of verbal abuse, here are 10 of the most controversial films that were arguably taken way too far for the name of art. Scroll through and be happy that your boss on her worst day only makes you work overtime.
‘The Shining’ (1980)
Despite what Stephen King thinks about it, The Shining is widely regarded as one of the greatest horror movies ever made. However, it was a movie that was equally a nightmare to shoot, at least for Shelley Duvall. The actress recently revealed on Dr. Phil that the abuse the notoriously demanding Stanley Kubrick put her through caused her to have mental health problems. In the documentary Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures, Jack Nicholson claimed Duvall was forced to perform the bat scene 127 times, and according to Duvall herself, the stress of filming caused her hair to start falling out. The actress has since described the experience as “almost unbearable.” That’s a lot of work for a role that earned Duvall a Razzie nomination.
‘Kids’ (1995)
Larry Clark’s film about sex, substance abuse, and irresponsibility faced a lot of criticism for its subject matter. Kids follows on a group of sexually active teenagers in New York City and stars Chloë Sevigny, Leo Fitzpatrick, Justin Pierce, Rosario Dawson, and Jon Abrahams, all in their film debuts. However, what made this the most controversial movie of the ‘90s was accusations that the film was exploiting its young stars. There were accusations of pornography as well as child obscenity. The movie was eventually released without a rating.
‘The Birds’ (1963)
Alfred Hitchcock was notoriously brutal toward his leading ladies, and few suffered his wrath more than Tippi Hedren. In an interview with The Telegraph, Hedren said that “Hitchcock put me in a mental prison.” In addition to the director’s mental and verbal abuse, the actress had to endure live birds with rubber bands around their beaks that were thrown at her multiple times. However, the film did earn the actress a Golden Globe. Hedren went on to have a tumultuous relationship with the director.
‘Irréversible’ (2002)
When it comes to depicting rape and sexual assault in movies, there’s almost always controversy. However, Gaspar Noe’s nine-minute long, unflinching rape scene will likely go down in critical history as too much. The entire act was simulated, but the prospect of watching a rape occur in its long entirety was sickening to many critics and film goers, though the movie does have its defenders.
‘Deliverance’ (1972)
As anyone who’s had to call their own ambulance knows, insurance is a cool thing. It’s also something that the cast of Deliverance lacked all throughout filming. To save on money, the movie’s stars agreed to do all of their own stunts without the benefit of being insured, and that’s how we almost lost Burt Reynolds. In Reynolds’ memoir But Enough About Me, the iconic actor revealed that cracked his tailbone and almost drowned while filming the scene where Reynolds’ character goes down the waterfall. Not only that, but the scene resulted in Reynolds getting shot out of a whirlpool. All of this drama happened because Reynolds insisted on doing his own stunts instead of letting director John Boorman use a dummy.
‘Apocalypse Now’ (1979)
It’s common knowledge that the cinematic adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s iconic masterpiece was the stuff of nightmares. Production of the film was filled with setbacks, terrible weather conditions, and breakdowns. When Francis Ford Coppola’s replacement lead, Martin Sheen, arrived at the shoot, he was met by a disorganized production already severely over budget. Allegedly, real cadavers made their way onto to the set from an accused grave robber, an actual buffalo was slaughtered on screen, Sheen had a heart attack, and Coppola suffered a nervous breakdown.
‘Antichrist’ (2009)
Unsimulated sex scenes are nothing new to the film industry, but they have almost always been controversial. Lars von Trier is largely credited as bringing the trend back into a more mainstream focus with his movie The Idiots, but three of his films — The Idiots, Antichrist, and Nymphomaniac (which is streaming on Netflix) — have used real sex scenes. However, out of all of von Trier’s films, Antichrist is by far the most controversial. Packed with graphic depictions of sex and violence, many critics praised the film’s execution but questioned its merit.
‘Cannibal Holocaust’ (1980)
There’s a lot that makes Cannibal Holocaust controversial — cannibalism, snuff film allegations, murder charges — but what earns this found footage film a spot on this list is the turtle scene. Several real animals were killed for the film, including the memorable turtle, a coati, tarantula, a boa constrictor, a pig, and a squirrel monkey.
‘Raw’ (2016)
This French-Belgian horror film gained widespread attention at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival when some viewers had to seek help from emergency services after watching the film’s graphic scenes. According to The Hollywood Reporter, multiple audience members fainted while watching this movie about a vegetarian who slowly becomes a cannibal. If causing medical illness isn’t a great hook for a horror movie, then I don’t know what is.
‘The Last Tango in Paris’ (1972)
This is the artistic scandal that’s been making headlines lately. Yahoo recently posted a 2013 interview with director Bernardo Bertolucci who admitted that he and star Marlon Brando planned the film’s infamous butter scene without telling actress Maria Schneider first. According to Bertolucci, “I wanted her reaction as a girl, not as an actress.” Schneider, who passed away in 2011, admitted in 2007 that she felt “a little raped” by her co star and director because of this moment.
