10 movies that were banned for their explicit sex scenes
As a medium, cinema is able to convey nearly anything we can conjure up. Thus, many filmmakers have repeatedly found their work banned by certain countries for explicit content deemed offensive or inappropriate for widespread release. In many instances, images of people having sex, whether it is unsimulated or not, can cause censors to pull a film from release. However, the most common forms of censorship regard scenes of sexual violence or intense sex acts, ranging from BDSM to illegal acts such as bestiality and incest.
Arguments for and against banning and censoring films require a whole separate article, although this list indicates that banning films on the grounds of explicit sexual content only prohibits audiences from watching some incredible and life-changing pieces of cinema. It also seems apparent that depictions of female sexuality are often harshly judged by censors, as evidenced in the work of Catherine Breillat, who has had to fight off censorship since she began her career in the 1970s.
In many instances, the films on this list were temporarily prohibited in various countries before their bans were lifted. However, in some cases, they remain banned in specific locations, such as Baise-moi, which is still unavailable in Australia. Moreover, the rules and regulations for banning films differ depending on location. For example, Fifty Shades of Grey remains banned in multiple locations across the world due to its sexual content, despite its mainstream appeal in the United Kingdom and the United States.
So, from Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom, to In the Realm of the Senses, here are ten films that have been banned at some point following their release due to explicit sexual content.
10 movies that were banned for their explicit sex scenes:
A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick, 1971)
Adapted from Anthony Burgess’ 1962 novel of the same name, A Clockwork Orange is just one of Stanley Kubrick’s many masterpieces, exploring themes of morality, violence and authoritarianism. Malcolm McDowell does an incredible job of playing the young delinquent Alex DeLarge, who leads his gang of ‘droogs’ in bizarre, matching white outfits as they wreak havoc on their neighbourhood.
Rape, violence and murder are common fixtures of the film, which led to its ban in many countries. There is also a graphic sex scene where Alex engages in a threesome, sped up from a 28-minute sequence, which contributed to the film’s ban and censorship. Kubrick also withdrew the movie from British cinemas for almost 30 years after acts of copycat violence occurred.
Pink Flamingos (John Waters, 1972)
John Waters is known for his shocking, transgressive movies, which centre bizarre characters who often engage in disgusting behaviour. His films are definitely not for everyone, but he has managed to garner a cult following due to the sheer brilliance and execution of his visions. One of Waters’ most contentious works is Pink Flamingos, starring Divine. Her character happily labels herself “the filthiest person alive,” and the film does everything to prove that this title is in no way hyperbolic.
Pink Flamingos features graphic sexual scenes of incest, masturbation, rape and bestiality, alongside castration, cannibalism, murder, and dog faeces consumption. Moreover, some of the sex scenes contain unsimulated action. As expected, the film was banned in several countries, including Switzerland, Australia, Norway and Canada. It is still prohibited to screen the movie in Hicksville, Long Island.
Last Tango in Paris (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1972)
Marlon Brando starred as a middle-aged American widow, Paul, in Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1972 erotic drama Last Tango in Paris alongside Maria Schneider and French New Wave icon Jean-Pierre Leaud. When Paul meets the younger Jeanne, they begin an anonymous sexual relationship, not even revealing their names. During one of their rendezvous, Paul rapes Jeanne, using butter as a lubricant. Disgustingly, Schneider was not told the full details of the scene before shooting “because I wanted her reaction as a girl, not as an actress,” claimed Bertolucci.
The controversial rape scene, amongst other frank depictions of sex, was highly criticised by certain countries, including Bertolucci’s own Italy, which banned the film between 1972 and 1986. It was described as “self-serving pornography”, and the director was put on trial for obscenity, resulting in the loss of his civil rights for half a decade.
Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1975)
Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini’s final film, Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom, was so controversial that many have speculated it was the reason for his death. After the director went to retrieve the stolen reels of the movie, he was brutally killed. The arthouse horror film follows four libertines as they relentlessly torture 18 teenagers in fascist Italy. Pasolini uses shocking imagery to critique capitalism, authoritarianism, consumerism and general depravity, resulting in a hard-to-stomach yet unforgettable watch.
Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom, is packed full of gross imagery, such as people eating faeces and others having their eyes, tongues and nipples ripped from their bodies. However, it also contains plenty of intense sex scenes, including rape, that shocked audiences. The film was banned in many countries upon its release, including Italy, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Although you can now easily watch Salò in most places, it is still banned in a few countries.
Maîtresse (Barbet Schroeder, 1975)
Barbet Schroeder’s erotic comedy Maîtresse starring Gérard Depardieu and Bulle Ogier takes a graphic look at BDSM, which, naturally, subjected the film to much interference by the BBFC. The film follows a thief who breaks into a house only to discover a dominatrix living there. The two embark on a strange relationship, marred by his discovery that she has a son.
Upon its release, the BBFC stated that “the actual scenes of fetishism are miles in excess of anything we have ever passed in this field.” Due to its explicit nature, Maîtresse could not be shown in public cinemas. However, by 1981, it was reassessed and given an X rating, removing a scene which depicts a scrotum being nailed to a plank of wood. In 2003, the cuts were removed, and the film received an 18 rating.
In the Realm of the Senses (Nagisa Ōshima, 1976)
The Japanese erotic drama In the Realm of the Senses adapts the story of Sada Abe for the big screen, a former prostitute who murdered her lover and cut off his penis. Nagisa Ōshima includes plenty of explicit sex scenes in the film, which stars Eiko Matsuda and Tatsuya Fuji. The sex we see is unsimulated, making it highly controversial upon its release. Additionally, graphic scenes, such as the penis removal and the insertion of an egg in a vagina, made In the Realm of the Senses one of the most contested films of the 1970s.
The film was heavily censored or banned in many countries, such as the United States, which temporarily prohibited it following its New York Film Festival screening. It was also banned in Germany and Belgium before they allowed its release in the 1990s. Israel, Australia and Japan also blocked the film from being screened for many years.
Caligula (Tinto Brass, 1979)
The controversy surrounding Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange did not stop Malcolm McDowell from starring in another film with explicit sex and violence. He took the leading role in Tinto Brass’ Caligula in 1979, which dissected the perverse nature of the Roman Emporer. Whereas some people have referred to the movie as one of the worst ever made, others have lauded it as a cult classic.
The film was subject to plenty of censorship and banning upon its release. This was due to its depiction of explicit sex, such as unsimulated acts between extras, featuring Playboy’s ‘Penthouse Pets’. In Australia, the film has struggled to find acceptance. After the country lifted its ban in 1981, it re-banned it in 1984 before a cut version was eventually agreed upon.
Romance (Catherine Breillat, 1999)
As a key figure in the New French Extremity movement, Catherine Breillat is no stranger to facing the hard wrath of censorship in her quest to depict female sexuality. For example, her 1976 debut film A Real Young Girl featured unsimulated sex, resulting in an immediate ban after its premiere, which was not lifted until 1999. Moreover, her 2001 film Fat Girl was banned in a few countries, and the BBFC removed a rape scene from the video release.
In 1999, her film Romance, which features real sex between the actors, was banned for its explicit nature and acts of sexual violence in several countries, notably Australia. The country initially refused to grant the film any classification. Yet, in 2000, an R18+ rating was awarded to the film, a pivotal moment that set a precedent for unsimulated sex to be allowed to be shown in Australia.
Fifty Shades of Grey (Sam Taylor-Johnson, 2015)
Perhaps one of the most well-known and mainstream erotic flicks, Fifty Shades of Grey took the world by storm in 2015, earning $570 million at the box office worldwide. The film depicts the sexual relationship between the reserved 21-year-old Anastasia (Dakota Johnson) and a slightly older billionaire, the mysterious Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan), who has a penchant for whips and blindfolds, storing them all in his ‘playroom’.
The film received an NC-17 or 18 rating in most countries, although France only awarded it a 12. However, due to its explicit scenes of sex involving BDSM, the film was banned in countries such as Cambodia, Indonesia, Kenya, and Papua New Guinea.
Baise-moi (Virginie Despentes and Coralie Trinh Thi, 2000)
Baise-moi, which translates to ‘Fuck me’, was banned in many countries for its portrayal of graphic sex and violence. The French thriller is based on Despentes’ novel and follows Nadine and Manu, young girls who are angry at the world for their mistreatment. Thus, they embark on a sex and murder-filled road trip across France. As part of the New French Extremity movement, Baise-moi is a highly graphic and subversive film, not for the faint of heart.
The film was given an X rating in France, with the high court ruling that it is “mostly made up of very violent scenes interspersed with scenes involving non-simulated sex, whereas other sequences do not denounce violence against women, contrary to the directors’ alleged intentions.” In Malaysia, the film was banned for “very high-impact violence and sexual content throughout.”
In Australia, the film is still banned because of its “harmful, explicit sexually violent content.”
