10 Banned Movies That Shocked The World

Many countries have government-appointed or private commissions to censor and rate productions for film. While it is common for movies to be edited to fall into certain rating classifications, this list includes the films that have been explicitly prohibited from public screening. Here is the list of films that have been or are banned in Country. This list includes titles that were refused a rating by the censor board initially or permanently.

A Serbian Film

Banned in Brazil, New Zealand, Norway, Spain and Kuwait. Banned by the government due to “objectionable content” like offensive depictions of sexual violence, pedophilia, extreme violence, necrophilia and other content that is offensive and abhorrent. violation of criminal law sections 204a and 382 which deal with the sexual representation of children and extreme violence.

Child 44

On 15 April 2015, the Russian film distributor Central Partnership announced that the film would be withdrawn from cinemas in Russia, although some media stated that screening of the film was blocked by the Russian Ministry of Culture. The decision was made following the press screening the day before. The Ministry of Culture and the Central Partnership issued a joint press release stating that the screening of the film before the 70th anniversary of the Victory Day was unacceptable. The Ministry of Culture claimed that it received several questions on the film’s contents, primarily concerning “distortion of historical facts, peculiar treatment of events before, during and after the Great Patriotic War and images and characters of Soviet people of that era”. Russian minister of culture Vladimir Medinsky welcomed the decision, but stressed that it was made solely by the Central Partnership. However, in his personal statement Medinsky complained that the film depicts Russians as “physically and morally base sub-humans”, and compared the depiction of Soviet Union in the film with J. R. R. Tolkien’s Mordor, and wished that such films should be screened neither before the 70th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, nor any other time. However, he also stated that the film would be available in Russia on DVD and online. As a result of the decision the film was also withdrawn from cinemas in Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, while release of the film has been postponed until October in Georgia.

The Interview

The government of North Korea believes that the U.S. film ‘The Interview’, about the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, represents “dangerous filmmaking, which justifies and encourages terrorism,” according to a statement made by the North Korean embassy in Russia.

Saw 3D

Tiergarten AG has noted that several scenes in the movie violate the violence act §131 StGB. Thereby the movie is banned in Germany. Private copies are still legal to own and personal use is not punishable, however any public show of the movie is highly prohibited and punishable act. There is a censored “Keine Jugendfreigabe or No youth admitted” version, but it has all the violent scenes cut out. Retailing this copy is still legal, since “KJ” rated movies cannot be indexed or banned.

I Spit on Your Grave (1978)

This horror film was banned due to its scenes of graphic violence and lengthy depictions of gang rape. In 2010, the movie was released uncut on DVD and Blu-ray and the ban was renewed by forbidding retailers to sell it.

Cannibal Holocaust

Banned in Iceland due to very high impact violence and offensive depictions of both human and animal cruelty. Still banned. This horror film was banned in New Zealand due to its extremely violent content and actual on-screen killings of animals. Banned in Singapore outright for its extreme violence. Banned in Norway due to explicit violence and depictions of animal cruelty. Passed uncut after 2005 with an 18 (adults only) rating.

Ichi The Killer

Banned in Norway due to high impact violence and cruelty. In January 2009, The Norwegian Media Authority classified the film as “Rejected” and banned the film outright in Norway after the government learned of an incident at the Stockholm Film Festival where two people both vomited and fainted while watching the film. The film remains strictly prohibited in Norway.

The Da Vinci Code

Banned in Samoa. Outright after church leaders watching a pre-release showing filed a complaint with film censors. Banned in Solomon Islands. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare stated that the film “undermines the very roots of Christianity in Solomon Islands.”

Hostel

Banned in Ukraine because of promoting eastern European countries as buyers for people who capture and torture people for money. Owning the movie in private is still legal.

Evil Dead

The movie was banned in Ukraine due to high level violence and blood, sexual and gore.