Throughout its more than 70-year history, the Cannes Film Festival has seen its fair share of scandalous films, showcasing how cinema can leave a mark not only through brilliant storytelling and performances but also through controversies and dramas that arise from it.
The Cannes Film Festival has always been the epitome of glamour, politics, and scandal. Besides the stars who strive to stand out with expensive and revealing dresses, the event often becomes a platform for political statements. But beyond all this, Cannes is where avant-garde, documentary, and artistic films, created by renowned directors and screenwriters, are first showcased. Many of the films they present at the festival evoke conflicting emotions among the audience.
“La Dolce Vita”
1960, directed by Federico Fellini
In 1960, at Cannes, the film by the legendary Italian director was presented, and today it is considered the pinnacle of Fellini’s career, the apex of his mastery. However, in that distant ’60s, he faced a storm of criticism, especially from the Church, which saw improper treatment of religion in the film. Conservative Catholics were particularly offended by the opening scene of the film, where a helicopter carries a statue of Christ over Rome, evoking awe and joy from the spectators below. The film was banned from screening, despite receiving the “Golden Palm.”
The Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, condemned the film in an article titled “La Schifosa Vita” (“The Disgusting Life”). But such infamy only increased the ratings of the film, making it one of the most successful in the director’s filmography.
“Taxi Driver”
1976, directed by Martin Scorsese
The main role in the film was played by the young actor Robert De Niro at that time. He embodied the role of a sociopathic Vietnam War veteran who slowly descends into madness while working as a taxi driver in New York City and commits a series of murders.
The film provoked protest from the president of the Cannes jury, playwright Tennessee Williams, who accused the film’s creators of glorifying violence because the crimes of the main character in the film are not directly condemned, and the ending allows for various interpretations.
In the United States, the film was also refused release due to its excessive violence. To obtain a theatrical release certificate, Scorsese had to convert one of the scenes to black and white: in this version, the blood was not as visually striking. After this, the film’s premiere did take place.
“Irreversible”
2002, directed by Gaspar Noé
This is a heavy drama film in which former spouses Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel simultaneously starred. On the day of the premiere, about 200 people left the audience hall, and another 20 felt unwell. The viewers couldn’t bear the cruelty depicted by the director and the realistic performance by Bellucci.
The film’s narrative unfolds in reverse chronological order and tells the story of how one man seeks revenge on the person who raped his girlfriend.
“Parasite”
2019, directed by Bong Joon-ho
South Korean director Bong Joon-ho is not only a winner of the Cannes Film Festival but also an Oscar triumph. That year, the film took home four statuettes: “Best Original Screenplay,” “Best Director,” “Best Foreign Language Film,” and “Best Picture.” A brilliant and utterly surrealistic film about how a poor family infiltrates the lives of a wealthy family and the catastrophes that ensue. Its director, Bong Joon-ho, is the most internationally acclaimed South Korean director: a captivating storyteller, a master of satire, a man with a rare sense of humor, and, by the way, one of Quentin Tarantino’s favorite directors.