John Waters on the “most shocking movie I’ve ever seen”
Cinema has always had its enfant terribles, pushing the boundaries of the medium with shocking works of art designed to go against the mainstream. John Waters emerged in the 1960s as the latest name associated with cinematic provocation and subversion, cementing himself as an unforgettable filmmaker in the following decade with Pink Flamingos.
Many viewers would much rather have forgotten their experience of watching Pink Flamingos – a grotesque exploration of all things considered ‘bad taste’. The movie sees its cast engage in acts ranging from animal abuse to castration, incest, rape, murder, genuine fellatio and even genuine dog shit consumption. Waters’ film shocked many audiences, leading it to be banned in many countries – it still remains banned in several places today – although it soon garnered a cult following.
Waters is one of the ultimate cult directors – his fanbase has been going strong since the ‘70s, with fans worshipping his shamelessly transgressive mode of cinema and his spotlighting of outcasts and unconventionality. His collaborations with drag queen Divine and indulgence in all things camp cemented him as a queer icon, leaving a truly influential mark on cinema.
While Waters’ began to make considerably more accessible movies from the ‘80s onwards, he didn’t lose his ability to shock, although there is a distinctive lack of stomach-turning sequences from here on out. Still, Waters remains the reigning ‘King of Filth’, capable of leaving his audiences utterly confused and repulsed yet, after everything, entertained.
If there’s anyone to ask when it comes to the most shocking movie of all time, it is probably Waters. He has seen it all – it feels like nothing could startle the man or even make him uncomfortable. However, he once revealed the name of a movie he believes to be “the most shocking movie I’ve ever seen”.
Talking to NPR, he selected In A Glass Cage by Agustí Villaronga, a film about ruthless torture, depicting a Nazi child killer coming face to face with the brutality of his actions years later – from the perspective of one of his victims. The Spanish horror movie stars Günter Meisner and Marisa Paredes and acted as Villaronga’s directorial debut – certainly a bold choice.
Waters said, “It’s about someone finding who tortured them as a child and then having an affair with them. I was really shocked… I thought, this is going too far. But it’s incredibly well done and it’s incredibly scary.”
When Waters says, “this is going too far,” then you know the film is going to be intense, to say the least. The movie was received well despite the harrowing nature of its contents, with Waters adding, “It’s the kind of movie that in any country, censor boards go berserk.”
While Waters has never made anything like In A Glass Cage, he understands the importance of making movies that challenge audiences, making them reflect on what they’ve seen in relation to the wider world. “It does cause great, great trouble because it is not only politically violently incorrect, it is incorrect in every possible way, therefore, I think, important,” he added.
Watch the trailer below.
