Censorship issues have always been a pain for most filmmakers in the world. The amount of nudity, violence, drug use, profanity thrown in a film often triggers controversy, mostly from viewers which forces the censorship officials to cut parts of the film which is grossly unfair to the artistic vision and ambition of the filmmaker. There are films that are not meant to be seen with the family or children and it’s something people got to accept. However, the NC 17 (No Children Under 17 Admitted) rating system in the U.S was introduced in the 90s by the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) to classify films featuring strong adult content and was used to reassign films which were previously given an X rating. Let’s take a look at the list of 15 best adult rated movies of all time.
This highly controversial sexploitation flick featured some of the most visually disturbing scenes which include violent sex, cannibalism, masturbation, vomiting, rape, incest, sodomy. The film was initially banned in Australia and had several rating issues as a cut version was released in many countries with the video distribution being discontinued in Australia. Post its controversial explosive debut, the film has managed to garner a strong cult following especially among the LGBT community.
‘Nymphomaniac’ is the story of Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg), a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac who is discovered badly beaten in an alley by an older bachelor, Seligman (Stellan Skarsgård), who takes her into his home. As he tends to her wounds, she recounts the erotic story of her adolescence and young-adulthood. Oddly funny and provocative, ‘Nymphomaniac’ may not be von Trier’s best work — remember he has several great films to his name — but still it is sufficiently good enough to hold your interest from start to finish of its nearly four-hour running. Nymphomaniac initially received an NC-17 from the MPAA in early 2014. The film, however, surrendered the rating and was released without any MPAA rating
13. In the Realm of the Senses (1976)
Another highly controversial film. ‘In the Realm of Senses’ depicts the tumultuous relationship between a former prostitute and the owner of the hotel where she now works as a maid. The film is immensely disturbing to watch and features visually explicit sexual and violent content. Actors actually engaged in the sexual acts performed on-screen which makes it a lot more disturbing and the film was initially banned in some countries including the U.S but later received an uncut release. Most of the sex scenes here are very important and director Nagisa Oshima did not compromise his vision for the sake of a wider release.
12. The Dreamers (2003)
Bernardo Bertolucci’s relentless obsession with sex has earned him another spot on our list. ‘The Dreamers’ has some of the most memorably beautiful and provocative sex scenes ever filmed. Actress Eva Green was pretty nervous about taking up the project because of the film’s graphic depiction of sex and her parents almost begged her to not take the lead role as they did not want her life to be destroyed the way Maria Schneider’s life had been after the hugely controversial ‘Last Tango in Paris’. However ‘The Dreamers’ is another cinematic gem that deepens the distinguished oeuvre of one of the most controversial filmmakers of all time.
11. Bad Lieutenant (1992)
Bold, brutal and utterly devastating, ‘Bad Lieutenant’ is one of the more powerful American films of the 90s. It follows a morally corrupt cop trying to redeem his ways when he is given the opportunity to nab criminals who raped a nun. Harvey Keitel delivers a stunning performance in the lead role and turns the film into one of the most harrowing experiences of all time. The film was given an NC-17 rating because of the its bold depiction of drug use and excessive violence and many viewers considered it be very lurid and also received strong criticism for its dark, raw, obnoxious tone.
10. Crash (1996)
David Cronenberg’s stone cold classic is easily one of the most controversial films ever made. Of course, one shouldn’t expect the most pleasant things from a Cronenberg film but this was a whole other level of cinematic provocation and madness. The film features visually explicit depiction of violent sex which famously triggered audiences at Cannes where it won the Special Jury Prize. It’s superbly made and Cronenberg here is at his most emotionally challenging, provoking, intriguing and terrifying his viewers in ways they’ve never really been before.
9. Lust, Caution (2007)
‘Lust, Caution’ features some of the most beautifully crafted, realistic and profoundly emotional sex scenes in cinema. Lee wanted to bring in as much realism as possible and demanded the scenes be as realistic and visually explicit as possible which caused a big censorship issue in his home country. It featured full frontal nudity and there were 10 minute long sex scenes which reportedly took over 4 days to shoot. However, an uncut adult NC 17 rating was given to the film in the U.S which made sense considering the extremely bold visual and thematic content of the film.
8. Killer Joe (2011)
William Friedkin’s Southern Gothic black comedy flick tells the story of a cop who is hired as a hitman by a man who wants to kill his mother in order to collect the insurance money. While the film does not hold up to Friedkin’s greatest works, it still is a largely fascinating film partly because of its strong violent overtones and stupendous performances. The film was instantly given an NC-17 rating in the U.S for its violent, sexual content but the rating was surrendered in 2012 when it was released as an unrated director’s cut in the U.S and was also released on DVD and Blu-Ray.
7. Mysterious Skin (2004)
This Dutch-American drama directed by Gregg Araki focuses on two boys who are sexually abused by their basketball coach and how the traumatic incident changes their lives and personalities in different ways. The film was praised for its accurate depiction of the mental agony of child sexual abuse victims and its overall bold appraoch to the subject. However, an NC-7 rating was provided to the film upon its release in the U.S due to its bold content but was later released unrated. The film triggered some controversy in Australia as the Australian Family Association felt that the film’s depiction of pedophilia would only help pedophiles groom kids for sexual abuse.
6. Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990)
Spanish auteur Pedro Almodovar’s films are known for their provocative plots and bold subject matter. His films usually feature adult content but perhaps none of them were as controversial as this one. ‘Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!’ is about a man, released from a mental institution, who is determined to win the love of a woman with whom he once slept with. He forces his way into her apartment and ties her up to make her remember him and get to fall in love again. The film featured some explicit scenes which forced the MPAA to introduce the new NC 17 rating under which many previously X rated films were reassigned.
5. Man Bites Dog (1992)
Arguably one of the most original and daring films ever made, ‘Man Bites a Dog’ follows a crew of film directors who follow a brutal serial killer as they film his heinous crimes for a documentary they intend to produce. However, what becomes bizarrely interesting is that the filmmakers lose their sense of objectivity and get themselves involved in the brutalities committed by the killer. The film is high on violence and explicit content which ensured that it received an NC-17 rating in the U.S. The film’s was screened at Cannes where it disturbed and put many viewers off because of its unusually provocative content and extremely unsettling depiction of violence.
4. Last Tango in Paris (1972)
Bernardo Bertolucci’s controversial masterpiece features some of the most disturbingly graphic sex scenes ever filmed in cinema history. It’s extremely painful when you think of the actual story behind the film’s infamous rape scene. However, the film remains a true masterpiece of cinema and most of the sex scenes are beautifully shot with some of the most intensely profound acting you’ll ever see. The kind of controversy this film generated remains almost unparralleled and many countries had given different censorship with the most graphic scene being cut in the US when it was initially released. But revisions were made later on and the film was given an NC 17 rating.
3. Shame (2011)
‘Shame’ is a disturbing portrait of human addiction and a shockingly effective depiction of the darkest extremes it pushes our psyche into. Of course, addiction seems to be the central theme here but what makes it so disturbing is the sex. The film features many sex scenes including a very provocative and disturbing threesome which kind of shows its protagonist’s total detachment from reality. The film, surprisingly, wasn’t controversial but was given an NC 17 for its explicit depiction of sex and overall disturbing content. ‘Shame’ is undoubtedly one of the most powerful films to have come out of America this decade.
2. Bad Education (2004)
‘Bad Education’ is one of Pedro Almodovar’s greatest works and easily one of the very best of this century. The film explores darker themes of child sexual abuse, drug use and murder mystery. It’s truly an unforgettable journey packed with Almodovar-ian melodrama, suspense and breathtaking visuals. However, the film was given an NC-17 rating as it featured one highly explicit sexual scene and was generally considered a very adult film as it featured strong language, bold sexual content and drug use.
1. Blue is the Warmest Colour (2013)
‘Blue is the Warmest Colour’ is simply one of the greatest films I’ve ever seen. Many people categorize this as an L’s GBT film and it’s sad because it’s really much, much more than that. In fat, I would say that it’s not even a film about romance. It’s a film about adolescence and the way it captures all the madness, vulnerabilities and conflicts of adolescence with such heartbreaking honesty is what makes the film such a deeply personal experience and Abdellatif Kechiche’s intimate style further pushes the film on to a higher emotional realm. The film features numerous sex scenes including the famous 6 minute long one between Lea Seydox and Adele Exarchopoulos which generated some sort of a controversy among some critics and viewers. Most of the lovemaking scenes are very graphic and so its NC 17 rating seemed pretty obvious.
Comments
Post a Comment