The Wild One (1953)
Following is the list of 10 movies that were Censored: Banned, Cut or Edited. When it was previewed in 1953, UK censors expressed genuine fears that ‘The Wild One’ would provoke antisocial behavior and nihilistic attitudes among British youth. They subsequently slapped a ban on the film that was only lifted in 1968.
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
An anomaly on this list is that ‘Clockwork Orange’ wasn’t banned. Rather its director, Stanley Kubrick, withdrew the film from British release after it received widespread criticism for excessive violence. ‘A Clockwork Orange’ was, however, eventually banned in several countries including South Africa, Singapore, and parts of Canada. It was officially rereleased in the UK in 2000.
Caligula’ (1979)
One of the most controversial films in modern cinema history, the first rushes of ‘Caligula’ included footage of real sexual activity, scenes the cast was unaware of. The uncut version of the film is banned in multiple countries. The film’s principal actors—Malcolm McDowell, Teresa Ann Savoy, Helen Mirren, Peter O’Toole, John Steiner, and John Gielgud—later disowned the production.
‘Dirty Harry’ (1971)
Clint Eastwood’s iconic Inspector Harry Callahan ended up firing blanks in Finland after the country banned ‘Dirty Harry’ for its excessive violence and an apparent unsympathetic disregard for mental health issues (the movie’s bad guy is a kidnapping psychopathic killer).
The Devils’ (1971)
Ken Russell’s ‘The Devils’ was also one of the 10 movies that were censored. The film’s graphic portrayal of violence, sexuality, and religion ignited harsh reactions from censors, and it was quickly banned in many countries. Where it was shown, ‘The Devils’ was heavily edited to the point of becoming nonsensical.
‘Schindler’s List (1993)
Spielberg’s masterpiece was banned in several Muslim countries, notably Indonesia, for being too empathetic towards Jews. Malaysia dropped the picture due to “material offensive to Muslim majorities,” while censors in the Philippines were more worried about the film’s sexual content.
Natural Born Killers (1994)
‘Natural Born Killers’ was a victim of the censor in several countries, but it was Ireland’s refusal to screen the picture for fear that it had inspired copycat killings in France and the US that made headlines, a turn of events that worried even Quentin Tarantino, a filmmaker not known for being economical with violence.
The Great Dictator (1940)
Unsurprisingly, Adolf Hitler banned Charlie Chaplin’s political satire in Germany and all countries occupied by the Nazis. Elsewhere, ‘The Great Dictator’ was suppressed in parts of South America and the Irish Free State. It was first shown in Spain as late as 1976.
The Da Vinci Code (2006)
‘The Da Vinci Code’ was also one of the 10 movies that were censored and banned in several countries including Syria, Belarus, and Lebanon, seen as it was as an affront to Christianity. The film is still highly frowned upon by both Catholic and Muslim leaders who believe the narrative contradicts the truth as written in the Bible and the Quran about Jesus. It’s a movie worth watching if only to see how the creative team behind it went about turning the best-selling novel into celluloid.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
Lines of dialogue uttered by Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) confirming their mutual affection for one another were cut before ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ was screened in China. The affirmation of a gay relationship between the two characters was deemed too controversial by Beijing, so, with a wave of its wand, the Chinese censor made the offending narrative disappear.
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