It's time for Captain Alex's Movie Blogfest! For the participant list you can go here. I did this one the first time Alex hosted it and actually did two lists which you can find here and here. So as not to be repetitious I've decided to keep in line with my theme of controversy on Mondays and post some of my favorite films that might or might not involve some controversy, with a few thrown in that will provide a clue about my Tossing It Out A to Z Theme.
Top Ten Controversial Films:
Birth of a Nation (1915) -- At over 3 hours in length, this silent film might prove tedious for those who don't appreciate old movies. I've watched it in it's entirety three times. Charged with racism and historical twisting, this film has been debated for nearly one hundred years. Sophisticated for its time, I find the film to be a fascinating document of film making history as well as a perspective on the way a controversial time of U.S. was dealt with on film. Many of the roles of blacks were played by white actors in make-up. Is that controversial?
 |
| poster for Citizen Kane (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Citizen Kane (1941) -- Greatest film ever made? Precursor to modern film making? Dated, over-hyped bore? If one knows film history it's easy to see the signifcance of this film.
Pulp Fiction (1994) -- The "Citizen Kane" of this generation? Another wacky mess from Quentin Tarantino? The first time I saw this in the theater I hated it. The second time I saw it in a theater it made more sense and I loved it. I've watched it several times since and it's one of my favorite movies.
The Passion of the Christ (2004) -- One of the top grossing films in history, this one created quite a stir when it came out. No other Jesus film matches the graphic reality of "The Passion". Some people hate this film. Of course there are some people who are not too fond of Jesus or His story.
![Cover of "Easy Rider [Region 2]"](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vMFKdLPM_f6_WNNCxBMLD-N8VGZbsA-6J9i0a9TOKyxZCkUUNkb1l5Ut2y0mQEVfLFj3D3fIQ3qozX1ThFcIPMkNaxeirkIEKEi4upsWUZ7cuWAkBfBYItECuxBj3rUgc=s0-d) |
| Cover of Easy Rider [Region 2] |
Memento (2000) -- What? This is one of those movies I had to watch more than once. Is it genius or just a gimmick?
Midnight in Paris (2011) -- Is it time travel or literary fantasy? Oscar worthy? Woody's best?
Thirteen Conversations About One Thing (2001) -- Where's the controversy in this one? Well, I saw it and you probably didn't. This is a film that I watched three times in succession. There aren't many films where I've done that. I just liked the philosophical study of the questions and the situations. I think it's a nice film that's interesting to ponder.
The Human Centipede (2009) -- With a concept that is pretty disgusting, I won't even bother describing what this movie is about. If you're really curious click the link to read more. I was actually surprised how well they pulled this one off. They not only made a sequel, which I have not seen, but number 3 is coming soon. Watch this if you absolutely have to see how they do this, but keep it away from the kids. Definitely not for the squeamish.
Gone with the Wind (1939) -- Is it terrific epic film making or dumb romantic schlock? Big controversy because Clark Gable as Rhett Butler said "damn". Damn? Ah, the good old days.
What do you think? Which ones have you seen? Do you think any of these are controversial for any reason and why?
