List of banned films
For nearly the entire history of film production, certain films have been banned by film censorship or review organizations for political or moral reasons. Censorship standards vary widely by country, and can vary within an individual country over time due to political change or shifting moral attitudes.
Many countries have government-appointed or private commissions to censor and rate productions for film and television exhibition. While it is common for films to be edited to fall into certain rating classifications, this list includes only films that have been explicitly prohibited from public screening.
Bans by country
Argentina
- 1985: Je vous salue Marie (Hail Mary), directed by Jean-Luc Godard, was banned due to its blasphemous and sexual content.[1]
Australia
Burma
- 1970: Catch-22 [citation needed]
- 1983: Scarface [citation needed]
- 2005: Sin City [citation needed]
- 2006: United 93 [citation needed]
- 2008: Rambo[2]
Bhutan
- Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) - banned due to inappropriate religious content [citation needed]
- Cannibal Holocaust (1980) - banned due to animal cruelty [citation needed]
Cambodia
- 2005: Human or Ghost, for excessive sexual content [citation needed]
- 2008: The Red Sense, for its Khmer Rouge material [citation needed]
Canada
Chile
All three films were banned during General Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship:
- 1974: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre[3]
- 1982: Costa Gavras's Missing
- 1988: Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ.
People's Republic of China
Because only 20 imported films are granted permission to screen each year in China[when?][vague], only blockbuster or widely-known films are listed.
- 1959: Ben-Hur, for containing "propaganda of superstitious beliefs, namely Christianity." (Never given permission to screen)[4]
- 1993: The Blue Kite, a Chinese film that was not only banned, but deemed so offensive that director Tian Zhuangzhuang received a 10-year ban from making films.[5] It won the Grand Prix at the Tokyo International Film Festival, and Best Film at the Hawaii International Film Festival.
- 1993: Farewell My Concubine, a Chinese film that won the Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or, was banned due to homosexual themes and negative portrayal of communism.[6]
- 1997: Frozen (Pinyin: Jídù hánleng) is directed by Wang Xiaoshuai. The film was originally shot in 1994, but was banned by Chinese authorities and had to be smuggled out of the country.
- 2005: Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, for its unflattering depictions of Chinese society (never given permission to screen)[7]
- 2006: Scorsese's The Departed, for suggesting that the government intends to use nuclear weapons on Taiwan (a sensitive political issue – never given permission to screen)[8]
- 2006: Death Note: Banned because people were making their own death notes and writing people's names down to imitate the show, which was deemed harmful, and was thought to incite anarchy and insubordination.
- 2007: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End was banned because (according to Xinhua, the state news agency of the People's Republic of China) 10 minutes of footage containing Chow Yun-fat's portrayal of Singaporean pirate Sao Feng have been trimmed from versions of the film which may be shown in China. Chow is onscreen for 20 minutes in the uncensored theatrical release of the film. No official reason for the censorship was given, but unofficial sources within China have indicated that the character offered a negative and stereotypical portrayal of the Chinese people.[9]
- 2010: Avatar, 2D versions were banned on January 23 because it was thought that its themes may lead audiences to think about forced removal, and may possibly incite violence. (The unedited DVD release is widely available in stores in China. Walmart stores in China use the films visuals to display television sets)
- 2011: In April 2011, several news sources reported that the Chinese Government had "banned" time travel "films".[10][11] However, the original article in the New York Times stated that guidelines published on March 31, 2011 by the State Administration for Radio, Film & Television discouraged television dramas that showed characters traveling back in time.[12]
Denmark
- In 1937, Ryska snuvan was banned. [citation needed]
- 1956: The Ten Commandments was banned due to its controversial religious nature [citation needed]
Finland
- 1940s: During World War II, Finland banned the films Mrs. Miniver and Johnny Eager in 1943. [citation needed]
Other films banned in Finland include:
- 1930-1952: Bronenosets Potyomkin [citation needed]
- 1933-1939: King Kong [citation needed]
- 1947-1949: The Big Sleep [citation needed]
- 1948: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein [citation needed]
- 1956-1959: Rififi, for an extended sequence detailing how to crack a safe. A 1959 re-cut was allowed. [citation needed]
- 1957: The Curse of Frankenstein [citation needed] and its sequels The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958) [citation needed], The Evil of Frankenstein (1964) [citation needed], and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969). [citation needed]
- 1960: Peeping Tom [citation needed]
- 1964-1987: The Manchurian Candidate [citation needed]
- 1972: Dirty Harry for glamourizing police brutality. [citation needed]
- 1981: Cruising [citation needed]
- 1981: The Evil Dead [citation needed]
- 1984: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre[3]
- 1984-2001: Cannibal Holocaust [citation needed]
- 2011: A Serbian Film was banned because of high impact sexual violence and gore. Stores like Citymarket and Anttila decided to confiscate all copies of the film in order to avoid law issues.
France
- 1925: Battleship Potemkin - Banned due to fears that it could inspire revolution.[13]
- 1953: Les statues meurent aussi, a short film by Alain Resnais was banned. Its theme was that Western civilization is responsible for the decline of African art. The film was seen at the Cannes Film Festival in 1953, but subsequently banned by the French censor.[14]
- Paths of Glory was never banned but was not distributed by United Artists, which feared reactions and boycotts from army supporters. The film saw its first French release in 1975, to public acclaim.[citation needed]
- 1960: Le Petit Soldat was banned on political grounds; the ban was lifted in 1963 with re-editing.[15]
- 1966: The Battle of Algiers was banned for five years, due to the politically-sensitive nature of a film that depicted the Algerian War. [citation needed]
Germany
| Year | Name | Reason | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1919 | Different from the Others | Banned due to homosexual themes | [16] |
| 1933 | Battleship Potemkin | Banned due to fears it could inspire Marxism. | [13] |
| 1936 | The Bohemian Girl | This Laurel & Hardy film was banned in Nazi Germany, because it depicted gypsies. | [17] |
| 2011 | Valley of the Wolves: Palestine | This film was banned in Germany, because of FSK's initial concerns over the film's perceived anti-Israeli and anti-American overtones. | [18] |
- West Germany
Greece
- 1984: Cannibal Holocaust [citation needed]
Hong Kong
- 1962: Lolita
- 1967: The Battle of Algiers
- 1980: The Coldest Winter in Peking
- 1981: If I Were for Real
Hungary
- 1948 - Ének a búzamezőkről (Song of the Wheat Fields): banned for political reasons [citation needed]
- 1956 - Keserű igazság (Bitter Truth) and Az eltüsszentett birodalom: both banned for political reasons [citation needed]
- 1957 - A nagyrozsdási eset: banned for political reasons [citation needed]
- 1969 - A tanú (The Witness): banned for political reasons [citation needed]
- 1974 - Bástyasétány '74: banned for political reasons [citation needed]
- 1983 - Álombrigád (Dream Brigade): banned for political reasons [citation needed]
Iceland
| Year | Name | Reason | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Friday the 13th | Banned due to high-impact violence and gore | [citation needed] |
| 1984 | Cannibal Holocaust | Banned due to high-impact violence and animal cruelty | [citation needed] |
| 1985–1999 | The Texas Chain Saw Massacre | Banned due to high-impact violence and cruelty; a censored version was later released. | [3] |
| 1986 | To All a Good Night | Banned due to high-impact violence | [citation needed] |
| 1987 | Re-Animator | Banned due to high-impact violence | [citation needed] |
| 1987 | Amazonia | Banned due to high-impact violence | [citation needed] |
| 1990 | Halloween 5 | Banned due to high-impact violence | [citation needed] |
| 1996 | Halloween 6 | Banned due to high-impact violence | [citation needed] |
India
Indonesia
- 1984: The Year of Living Dangerously:[19] an Australian film about Jakarta under Sukarno's rule in 1965. It was unbanned in 1999.
- 1994: Schindler's List: a film that is sympathetic to the Jewish cause[20][21]
- 1994: True Lies: an action film that was banned for featuring Muslim terrorists[citation needed]
- 2007: Long Road to Heaven: an Indonesian film about the 2002 Bali bombings was banned on the island of Bali, as local politicians worried that the film might promote hatred and intolerance.[22]
- 2009: Balibo: an Australian film based on the story of the Balibo Five, a group of journalists killed during the 1975 Indonesian invasion of East Timor[23]
Iran
- 1956: The King & I [citation needed]
- 1968: Oliver! [citation needed]
- 1977: Saturday Night Fever [citation needed]
- 1980: Cannibal Holocaust, Cruising [citation needed]
- 1982: The Dark Crystal (ceremonial imagery) [citation needed]
- 1983: Scarface [citation needed]
- 1989: Pet Sematary [citation needed], Glory [citation needed], and Back to the Future Part II [citation needed] (due to a scene where Ayatollah Khomeini is burning in hell; a cut version was later released)
- 1990: Henry & June [citation needed]
- 1993: Schindler's List [citation needed]
- 1994: The Naked Gun [citation needed]
- 1995: Showgirls [citation needed]
- 1997: Boogie Nights [citation needed], Liar Liar (shows that adultery is legal) [citation needed]
- 1999: South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut [citation needed]; Three Kings [citation needed] and Anna and the King [citation needed]
- 2001: Zoolander (seen as supporting gay rights) [citation needed]
- 2002: Pinocchio [citation needed] and Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heavens Door [citation needed]
- 2003: Bruce Almighty [citation needed] and The Matrix Revolutions [citation needed]
- 2004: Fahrenheit 9/11 [citation needed], Catwoman [citation needed], and The Passion of the Christ [citation needed], Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle [citation needed], Marmoulak (shown for two weeks but stopped showing due to the main character disguising as a mullah) [citation needed]
- 2005: The 40-Year-Old Virgin [citation needed], Sin City [citation needed] and Brokeback Mountain [citation needed]
- 2006: The Da Vinci Code [citation needed], Alexander [citation needed], Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby [citation needed], Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan [citation needed], and Hostel [citation needed]
- 2007: The Kingdom [citation needed], 300[24] and Hostel Part II [citation needed]
- 2008: Meet the Spartans [citation needed], Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay [citation needed], You Don't Mess with the Zohan [citation needed]
- 2009: The Last House on the Left [citation needed]
Iraq
- 1999: South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut was banned for its depiction of Saddam Hussein as the homosexual lover of Satan. South Park is also unavailable on television.[citation needed]
- Fahrenheit 9/11 [citation needed] (due to a scene where Saddam Hussein is burning in hell)
Ireland
- 1931: Monkey Business was banned because censors feared it would encourage anarchic tendencies. Ban lifted 2000[citation needed]
- 1943: The Outlaw[25]
- 1945: Mildred Pierce[25]
- 1945: Brief Encounter by Noël Coward was banned, as it was considered too permissive of adultery.[25]
- 1946: The Big Sleep[25]
- 1950: Outrage[25]
- 1967: Ulysses, based on the book by James Joyce - Ban lifted September 2000[citation needed]
- 1968: Rocky Road to Dublin (documentary which, in part, questioned Irish censorship) - ban lifted in 2003[citation needed]
- 1971: A Clockwork Orange - ban lifted in 2000[3]
- 1979: Monty Python's Life of Brian - ban lifted in 1987[3]
- 1983: Monty Python's The Meaning of Life - ban lifted in 1990[26]
- 1984: Cannibal Holocaust - ban lifted in 2006[citation needed]
- 1987: Personal Services
- 1989: Meet the Feebles - still banned, as of 2009[citation needed]
- 1991: Riki-Oh - ban lifted in 2000[citation needed]
- 1994: Natural Born Killers - ban lifted[citation needed]
- 1996: From Dusk till Dawn - ban lifted in 2000[citation needed]
- 1999: Romance - still banned[citation needed]
- 2000: Baise-moi - unbanned[citation needed]
- 2010: I Spit on Your Grave - The re-release of the 1978 film was banned.[27]
Italy
Although there is a censorship board run, very few films are not certified for release.
- 1972: Last Tango in Paris was banned from 1972 to 1986.[3]
- 1999: Li chiamarono... briganti! was suspended from the cinemas and it is not available on VHS and DVD. For some critics it was banned as being an uncomfortable side of the Italian unification.[28]
Israel
- 1957: The Girl in the Kremlin was banned because it may have harmed Israel's diplomatic relations with Moscow.[29]
- 1957: China Gate was banned in Israel for indulging in excessive cruelty. The Israeli film censorship board indicated the film depicted Chinese and Russian soldiers as "monsters".[30]
- 1965: Goldfinger played for six weeks before the Nazi past of Gert Fröbe, who played the title villain, was disclosed;[31] it was unbanned after a few months after a man went to the Israeli Embassy in Vienna and told staff that Fröbe hid him and his mother from the Nazis (which may have saved their lives).[32]
- 1973: Hitler: The Last Ten Days was banned in a unanimous decision by the censorship board that Alec Guinness's Hitler was represented in too human a light.[33]
- 1988: Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ was banned on the grounds that it could offend Christian believers in the Holy Land.[34]
- 2002: Jenin, Jenin was banned by the Israeli Film Ratings Board on the premise that it was libelous and might offend the public; the Supreme Court of Israel later overturned the decision.[35]
Japan
- 1945: The Akira Kurosawa-directed film The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail was temporarily banned by the SCAP because it portrayed feudalism in a positive light. [citation needed]
- 1955: The Toho production Half Human, directed by Ishirō Honda, was put under a self-imposed ban by Toho after it was feared that the film would be seen as a degrading portrayal of Japan's Ainu minority. The film was never released on laserdisc or DVD, even though there were several home video releases and to this day the only way to see it is through its heavily-edited US version. [citation needed]
- 1958: Varan the Unbelievable was put under a self-imposed studio ban by Toho for similar reasons as Half Human's, but was finally released in the 1980s on VHS and laserdisc (with a few lines of reportedly racist dialogue removed from the film). [citation needed]
- 1969: Teruo Ishii's exploitation flick Horrors of Malformed Men was put under a studio ban by Toei, due to the film's offensive elements. With the film unavailable in any format in Japan, the only way to see it is through the occasional screening and the 2007 USA DVD release.[citation needed]
- 1974: Toho placed another one of its films (Prophecies of Nostradamus, an apocalyptic disaster film) under a ban, after a group of hibakusha (nuclear radiation survivors) saw the film and were offended by sequences showing a research party being attacked by radioactive cannibals and a pair of horribly deformed post-apocalyptic mutants fighting over a worm. After airing the film uncut on television in 1980, Toho withdrew the film from circulation entirely. It attempted to release the film on VHS in the late 1980s but was stopped due to protests. The only way to see the film is through the film's US version, The Last Days of Planet Earth, or through a grey market copy of the uncut version with the time code at the top of the screen. [citation needed]
Kazakhstan
- 2005: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan Since Borat takes a satirical view of Kazakh culture and government, the Kazakh government requested the regional distributor, Gemini Films, not to release the film, a decision Gemini complied with. [citation needed]
Kuwait
- 1984: Cannibal Holocaust [citation needed]
- 1999: South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut [citation needed]
- 1999: Three Kings [citation needed]
- 2004: Fahrenheit 9/11[36]
- 2005: The 40-Year-Old Virgin [citation needed]
- 2007: The Kingdom [citation needed]
Lebanon
- 2007: Persepolis was initially banned in Lebanon after some clerics found it to be "offensive to Iran and Islam." The ban was later revoked after an outcry in Lebanese intellectual and political circles.[37]
- 2008: You Don't Mess with the Zohan [citation needed]
- 2009: Waltz with Bashir [citation needed]
Malaysia
Morocco
- 1984: Cannibal Holocaust [citation needed]
- 1995: Showgirls [citation needed]
- 2004: Team America: World Police [citation needed]
The Netherlands
- 1932: Scram On its initial cinematic release in the Netherlands this Laurel & Hardy film was banned by Christian moral watchdogs, who claimed that the scene where the duo sat on a bed with a woman to whom they weren't married was "indecent". Today the film is not banned.[38]
- 2010: Maladolescenza On 25 March 2010 the Dutch court of Alkmaar has classified several scenes in the movie being child pornography,[39] which is illegal in the Netherlands. That means that possession, distribution, viewing and knowingly gaining access to the movie is not allowed.[40]
New Zealand
- 1973 - Last Tango in Paris[3]
- 1980 - Cannibal Holocaust[41] (also refused release in 2006)
- 1981 - Mad Max[42] (VHS release was later approved[43])
- 2004 - Puni Puni Poemy[44]
- 2005 - Bumfights: Cause for Concern,[45] Bumfights 2: Bumlife[46]
- 2007 - Hostel: Part II[47] (excisions recommended but not initially made; later released on DVD in April 2008 with offending material cut)
- 2011 - I Spit on Your Grave,[48] Megan Is Missing[49]
Nigeria
- 2009 - District 9. Banned due to accusations of being xenophobic and showing racism towards Nigerians.[50]
North Korea
- 2009: 2012. Banned because the year 2012 coincides with Kim Il Sung's 100th birthday. The year had also been designated "the year for opening the grand gates to becoming a rising superpower."[51]
Norway
| Year | Name | Reason | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964–1971 | 491 | Banned due to homosexual themes; a censored version was later released. | [52] |
| 1974 - ? | The Texas Chain Saw Massacre | No longer banned | [3] |
| 1977–2003 | Suspiria | Unknown (ban lifted) | [citation needed] |
| 1980–2008 | Friday the 13th | Banned due to high-impact violence and extreme cruelty/torture; a censored version is later released. | [citation needed] |
| 1979–1980 | Monty Python's Life of Brian | Banned due to offensive jokes to religious people (ban later lifted). | [3] |
| 1984–2005 | Cannibal Holocaust | Banned due to high-impact violence and animal cruelty; a censored version was later released. | [citation needed] |
| 1990–2003 | Robocop 2 | Banned due to high-impact violence. | [citation needed] |
| 1998 | Kite | Banned due to high-impact violence, cruelty and child pornography; a censored version was later released. | [citation needed] |
| 2009 | Ichi the Killer | Banned due to high-impact violence and cruelty. | [citation needed] |
| 2011 | A Serbian Film | Banned due to sexual representation of children and extreme violence. | [citation needed] |
Oman
- 1979: Monty Python's Life of Brian [citation needed]
- 2004: Saw [citation needed]
- 2006: Basic Instinct 2 [citation needed]
Philippines
- 1977: Hubad na Bayani:[53] Depiction of human-rights abuses during the martial-law era
- 1988: The Last Temptation of Christ (film)
- 1994: Natural Born Killers Banned for extreme violence.
- 2000: Toro/Live Show:[54] Banned for explicit sexual content
Poland
- 1982-1989: Interrogation (1982) (Przesluchanie) [citation needed], a prison film depicting the corrupt interrogation tactics of the Stalinist regime in post-World War II Poland. The film has gained attention for being one of the most controversial (but important) Polish films ever made.
- 1982-1987: Blind Chance, like many of Kieslowski's films, was banned for politically sensitive themes. [citation needed]
- 1997: Witajcie w życiu (Welcome to the Life), a documentary film by Henryk Dederko about Amway in Poland, was banned after the Polish office of the Amway Corporation obtained an injunction against the film; they claimed it was libelous. [citation needed]
Portugal
- 1970: Catch-22 was banned until 1974 for the scene showing Capt. Yossarian naked in a tree. [citation needed]
- 1972: Last Tango in Paris was banned for its strong sexual content (unbanned in 1974).[3]
Russia
- 2006: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan Banned as "offensive"[55] (possibly because of Russia's close relationship with Kazakhstan).
Samoa
- 2006: The Da Vinci Code (see Censorship in Samoa for details)
- 2009: Milk (see Censorship in Samoa for details)
- 2009: National Lampoon's Van Wilder: Freshman Year
- 2009: The Cell 2
Saudi Arabia
- 1994: True Lies
- 2007: The Kingdom[56]
Singapore
- 1971: A Clockwork Orange was banned for over 30 years, before an attempt at release was made in 2006. However, the ban was not lifted when the submission for a M18 rating was rejected.[3] A Clockwork Orange was premiered on 28 October 2011, as part of the Perspectives Film Festival. The film was shown uncut with an R21 rating.[57]
- 1973: The Exorcist[3]
- 1973: Last Tango in Paris[3]
- 1974: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was prohibited from release on the island since the 1970s.[3]
- 1979: Monty Python's Life of Brian contains "inappropriate" religious content, which led the film to be banned. [citation needed]
- 1980: Cannibal Holocaust was banned outright for its extreme violence. [citation needed]
- 1981: The Evil Dead has been banned since its release in 1981; authorities disallowed it for "excessive graphic violence and gore". [citation needed]
- 1986: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 was categorised as banned by the authority. No submission for re-rating was ever made. [citation needed]
- 1988: The Last Temptation of Christ was never allowed to be screened or released in video formats to the public, for its controversial religious content. [citation needed]
- 1995: Lie Down with Dogs was banned for strong sexuality. [citation needed]
- 1998: A Night on the Water was banned for strong sexuality.[58]
- 1999: The film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut shared the same fate with its banned television series. [citation needed]
- 2001: Zoolander[59]
- 2003: 15 was initially banned, and the Singapore board of censors later ruled that the film should be rated; R(A) it made 27 cuts to the film. [citation needed]
- 2004: A Dirty Shame was banned for its crude humour and sexuality. [citation needed]
- 2004: Formula 17 was banned because it "portrayed homosexuality as normal, a natural progression of society."[60]
- 2005: Hostel was banned for extreme-impact violence, high-impact gore, cruelty and racism. [citation needed]
- 2005: Singapore Rebel was banned for being a political film, which is not allowed in Singapore. In 2009 the film was reviewed by the Political Films Consultative Committee (PFCC) and unbanned, with an M18 rating.[61]
- 2006: Shortbus was banned for its explicit sexual content. [citation needed]
- 2006: The film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan was banned for extreme nudity during the fight in the hotel scene. It was cut off[clarification needed] during its screening. [citation needed]
- 2007: Zahari's 17 Years was banned because, according to the Government of Singapore, it is "against public interests".[62]
- 2010: Dr Lim Hock Siew was banned due to similar reasons for the film Zahari's 17 Years[63]
Solomon Islands
- 2006: The Da Vinci Code. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare stated that the film "undermines the very roots of Christianity in Solomon Islands."[64]
South Africa
- 1978: Up in Smoke was banned because the South African censor board feared it might inspire youth to take up marijuana smoking. [citation needed]
- 1979: Monty Python's Life of Brian was banned because of offensive jokes about religion. [citation needed]
- 1980: Cruising was banned because of homosexual themes. [citation needed]
- 1984: Cannibal Holocaust was seized by customs (specific year is unknown at this time). It was given an XX rating, which prevented it from being sold in the country. It is now rated 18 for a cut version (the uncut version is still banned). [citation needed]
- 1987: Cry Freedom was seized by customs upon its initial release; film was later circulated after 1994 when Nelson Mandela was elected president.
- 1990: Henry & June [citation needed]
- 1991: Whore[citation needed]
- 1995: Showgirls[citation needed]
- 1999: Family Guy
Soviet Union
- 1967: Komissar Re-released in the late 1980s, winning nine awards (including the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival) [citation needed]
- 1971: Proverka na dorogakh released in 1986[65]
South Korea
- 1925-1992: The Battleship Potemkin [citation needed]
- 1971: A Clockwork Orange[3]
- 1973: Last Tango in Paris[3]
- 1973: Three Days of the Condor [citation needed]
- During President Park Chung-hee's regime, the import of Apocalypse Now was on hold because of its anti-war theme.[66]
- 1975-1981: South Korean director Kim Ki-young's Ban Geum-ryeon, banned for six years, was released with 40 minutes cut.[67]
- 1996: Scream [citation needed]
Spain
- 1932: Las Hurdes[25]
- 1939-1976: The Battleship Potemkin was banned. [citation needed]
- 1940-1976: The Great Dictator was banned for its portrayal of Fascism. [citation needed]
- 1957-1986: Paths of Glory was banned by General Francisco Franco's dictatorship for its anti-military message. It was released in 1986, 11 years after Franco's death. [citation needed]
- 1972: Last Tango in Paris was banned. [citation needed]
- 2009: Saw VI was rated X and thus banned from regular, non-adult cinemas.[68][69]
- 2010: A Serbian Film[70]
Sri Lanka
- 1984-2007: Cannibal Holocaust [citation needed]
- 1999: South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut The television show South Park is banned outright. [citation needed]
- 2006: The Da Vinci Code. Banned by presidential order of Mahinda Rajapakse; the decision was made after his wife (a converted Catholic) influenced him to do so.[71]
- 2006: Aksharaya (Letter of Fire) was banned for dealing with issues of incest, murder, and rape.[72]
Sweden
| Year | Name | Reason | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1922–1972 | Nosferatu | Banned due to high impact scary violence and cruelty. A censored version was later released. | [citation needed] |
| 1968 | Django | Banned due to high impact violence and cruelty. | [citation needed] |
| 1974–2001 | The Texas Chain Saw Massacre | Banned due to high gore violence and cruelty. | [3] |
| 1981–2005 | Mad Max | Banned due to high impact violence and cruelty. | [citation needed] |
| 1981 | The Burning | Banned due to high impact scary violence and cruelty for the VHS market. | |
| 1983 | Hell of the living dead | [73]
Released uncut on DVD in the mid-2000s |
[74] |
| 1984–2005 | Tenebre | High impact scary violence. Re-released in a uncut version in 2005 | [75] |
| 1984–1999 | Cannibal Holocaust | High impact violence and animal cruelty. A censored version has since been classified "15". However, bootleg copies for the uncut version are available and since the beginning of the 2000s it has been legal uncut in Sweden. | [citation needed] |
| 1985 | Return of the living dead | Although status remains unclear(?) the first two sequels have been been released on DVD | [76] |
| 1997 | Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation | High impact scary violence and cruelty. Later released on DVD by Sony pictures | [77][78] |
Thailand
- 1946: Anna and the King of Siam for its Orientalist depiction of Thai culture. [citation needed]
- 1956: The King and I [citation needed]
- 1977: Tongpan, unbanned[citation needed]
- 1999: Anna and the King[79]
- 2007: All the Boys Love Mandy Lane[80]
- 2007: Halloween[80]
- 2008: Frontier(s)[81]
- 2008: Funny Games[80]
- 2009: Zack and Miri Make a Porno was banned by the Ministry of Culture due to sexual content (showing how to make their own pornographic video; teens may try to mimic).[82]
- 2010: Saw VI[83]
Trinidad and Tobago
- 1956: The King & I [citation needed]
- 1980: The Gods Must Be Crazy [citation needed]
- 1983: Scarface [citation needed]
- 1999: Anna and the King [citation needed]
- 1999: Third World Cop [citation needed]
Tunisia
- 2007: 300[citation needed]
Turkey
- 1922-2006: Nosferatu was banned due to its portrayal of extreme blood and gore.[citation needed]
- 1972-2000: Pink Flamingos was banned for extreme nudity.[citation needed]
- 1984: Cannibal Holocaust was banned due to the killing of animals.[citation needed]
Ukraine
- Hostel (2006)[84]
- Hostel: Part II (2007)[85]
- Land of the Dead (2006)[86]
- Bruno (2009)[87]
- Saw VI (2009)[88]
- My iz budushchego 2 (We Are from the Future 2) (2010)[89]
United Arab Emirates
- 2006-2009: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan [citation needed] The reason is unknown; the ban was lifted in 2009. It was not released in cinemas, but on DVD.
- 2008: You Don't Mess with the Zohan [citation needed]; Jewish/Mossad themes.
- 2009: Bruno [citation needed] Banned for its homosexual themes.
- 2010: Lamhaa. It was banned because of its "objectionable content"; it did not receive a clearance certificate from the UAE Censors Board and was pulled from all UAE cinemas. This is the first Bollywood film to be banned in the UAE.[90]
United Kingdom
United States
Vietnam
- 1985: Rambo: First Blood Part II[91]
- 1986: Platoon
- 1995: Xich lo (Cyclo)[92]
- We Were Soldiers (as of 2002)[93]
- Green Dragon (as of 2002)[93]
Yugoslavia
- 1952: Ciguli Miguli - banned for its satire of socialist bureaucracy. Issued a license for public showing only in 1977.[94]
- 1970: Plastični Isus (Plastic Jesus) - for its satire of society. It was shown on Belgrade television in 1990.
- 1971: W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism - banned in Yugoslavia for 16 years.[95]
See also
References
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- ^ "China bans time travel on TV and at the cinema". Metro.co.uk. 2011-04-15. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
- ^ Barboza, David (2011-04-12). "Making TV Safer: Chinese Censors Crack Down on Time Travel". The New York Times.
- ^ a b http://www.film.com/movies/whats-the-big-deal-battleship-potemkin-1925
- ^ Milne, Tom (1986). "Commentary". Godard on Godard: Critical Writings by Jean-Luc Godard. Da Capo Press. p. 267. ISBN 0306802597.
- ^ Milne, Tom (1998). "Jean-Luc Godard and Vivre sa vie". Jean-Luc Godard: Interviews (Interviews With Filmmakers Series). University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 1578060818.
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- ^ "'Anti-Semitic' Turkish Blockbuster Denied Release in Germany". Spiegel Online. 26 January 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-09.
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{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "LEBANON: Iran revolution film 'Persepolis' unbanned", Los Angeles Times, March 28, 2008
- ^ Thomas Leeflang: Laurel & Hardy Compleet
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- ^ http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/telecomwet-en-regelgeving/vraag-en-antwoord/wat-doet-de-overheid-om-kinderporno-op-internet-tegen-te-gaan.html
- ^ "Cannibal Holocaust, OFLC decision". Office of Film and Literature Classification, New Zealand. Archived from the original on 2008-05-07. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
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- ^ "Mad Max, VHS, OFLC decision". Office of Film and Literature Classification, New Zealand. Archived from the original on 2008-05-07. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
- ^ "Puni Puni Poemy, OFLC decision". Office of Film and Literature Classification, New Zealand. Archived from the original on 2007-10-17. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
- ^ "Bumfights: Cause for Concern, OFLC decision". Office of Film and Literature Classification, New Zealand. Archived from the original on 2008-05-07. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
- ^ "Bumfights 2: Bumlife, OFLC decision". Office of Film and Literature Classification, New Zealand. Archived from the original on 2008-05-07. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
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- ^ NISHIMURA, DAISUKE (26 March 2010). "Watching '2012' a no-no in N. Korea". Asahi.com. The Asahi Shimbun Company. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
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- ^ Pacific Islands Report Retrieved 2011-03-14.
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- ^ Kim Ik-sang (김익상) (June 2, 1998) (in Korean) 열여섯살 소년의 꿈 (A dream of 16 years old boy) Cine 21
- ^ "A Korean master: Kim Ki-Young retrospective at the French 'Cinematheque'". koreasociety.org. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
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{{cite web}}: External link in|work= - ^ The Independent. London. 2010-11-19 http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/a-serbian-film-is-this-the-nastiest-film-ever-made-2137781.html.
{{cite news}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ Asian Human Rights Commission Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- ^ Dias, Wije (2006-05-30). "Sri Lankan government bans local film Aksharaya (Letter of Fire)". World Socialist Web Site. Retrieved 2007-03-03.
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{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "Hell of the living dead" (in Swedish). Sweden: Njutafilms.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ Atlantic Tenebrae DVD "Tenebre" (in Swedish). Sweden: Atlantic film.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "Return of the living dead" (in Swedish). Sweden: Statens biografbyrås.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "Texas chainsaw massacre: the next generation" (in Swedish). Sweden: Statens biografbyrås. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "Texas chainsaw massacre: the next generation" (in Swedish). Sweden: Moviezine.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "Anna and the King's Thai ban". BBC News. 1999-12-21. Retrieved 2010-02-05.
- ^ a b c Pakamard Jaichalard (2009-08-06). "Reeling in films". Daily Xpress (The nation). Retrieved 2010-02-05.
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- ^ "วธ.แบนหนังมะกัน Zack and Miri Make a Porno ชี้เนื้อหาสอนเยาวชนทำหนังโป๊". Manager Online. 2009-04-21. Retrieved 2009-04-27. Template:Th icon
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- ^ «В Україні заборонено ще один фільм – "Гостел" Ілая Рота» — Кіноголо.ua
- ^ «Нацкомісія із захисту моралі заборонила поширення фільму Хостел 2» — Корреспондент.net
- ^ "Заборона прокату в Україні фільму "Країна мерців": думки фахівців" - Кіноголо.ua
- ^ «Time: Будь ласка, ніякого сексу. Україна заборонила Бруно» — Корреспондент.net
- ^ «Фільми жахів "Пила" та "Хостел" викликали обурення в урядовому комітеті з питань гуманітарної та соціальної політики.» — ТСН.ua
- ^ «Російський фільм про УПА заборонили в українському прокаті» — ТСН.ua
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- ^ "WR, Sex, and the Art of Radical Juxtaposition". Retrieved January 9, 2012.