Theme: Censorship Controversies

Censorship Controversies occur with films that so flaunt good taste or cross taboo lines that they run afoul of censors in some countries. One should be aware that every country has their own form of censorship and they vary greatly from region to region – the USA, for instance, will cut any nudity on public broadcast tv networks, something that is perfectly permissible and free-to-air in many other countries, and this sits at contrast to India where depiction of kissing is forbidden. Other countries will forbid any Western films or even cinema itself. Censorship standards also change over time with the loosening of social mores.

In general, the themes that court the greatest outrage in Western cinema are those that depict frank sexuality or nudity on screen. Up until the 1980s, almost any mention of homosexuality was regarded as taboo in Hollywood but this has gained widespread acceptance today. However, anything depicting topics like Necrophilia, bestiality or the sexual use of minors still is taboo, as is the depiction of genitalia in mainstream films.

Violence can also regarded as a taboo topic however what is cut and what is not varies widely without any seeming consistency. Usually more graphic examples or torture or realistic scenes of bloodshed attract attention. So too does the topic of Cannibalism.

The most influential act of censorship was the Hays Code established in the USA in 1934, which until the 1960s dictated what acts could be seen on screen including couples not being seen in the same bed, the types of action a hero or woman could be seen doing, any type of sexual activity or reference to homosexuality, among other things. Another notorious piece of censorship was the Video Nasties during the UK in 1984, which banned assorted works for their claimed violent content.