The rules of censorship are different in the different parts of the world. This means that many movies that are performing very well in one part of the world can end up getting banned on the other side of the world. Even the cult classics from the most popular director can get banned for the most unbelievable reasons. Here are some of the best movies from the list.
A Clockwork Orange – United Kingdom
There is no doubt that A Clockwork Orange is a remarkable dark fantasy from Stanley Kubrik, one of the most prominent directors from world cinema. The movie has some of the most gruesome ultra-violent scenes that pushed boundaries and during its UK release, there were rumors that the movie is banned by the censors. Believing the rumors, Kubrick decides to pull the movie back from screens. Meanwhile, some reports say that there were death threats for both the director and his family and that is the main reason why the movie remained off British screens till the director’s demise in 1999.
The Wolf of Wall Street – Kenya
Martin Scorsese doesn’t hold back in his heavy-hitting, controversial, and most entertaining tale from the 80s, The Wolf of Wall Street. The movie is so iconic and gave us one of the most brilliant performances from Leonardo Di Caprio. The movie is strictly adult content and portrays what money and power can do to the corruptible. However, what was not expected, was the movie to get banned in almost all the nations in Africa. There is no exact reason to justify the ban. But, we do know that it started in Kenya, and shockingly, the rest of Africa followed.
Sex and the City 2 – Vietnam
Western culture has always had its conflicts with the east and other conservative society of the world. This conflict mostly finds its battleground in the movies of Hollywood and the western themes that it project. For the Vietnamese, it was the popular sequel Sex and the City 2 that created a direct conflict with the cultural values of the nation and its people. One scene in the movie, taking place in Abu Dhabi, also was also controversial as it was deemed to be anti-Muslim by some nations.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno- Thailand
The movie may not be the most popular one when compared with other movies on the list. However, the proactive title did not strike well with the Thailand government. Even though the movie is actually a rather tame affair starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks, the Ministry of Culture in Thailand thought differently. It was the 2008s and the use of mobile phones was getting popular in the nation. The government department thought that the comedy movie can influence the teen and they will be copying the main plot to make adult movies of their own.
The Da Vinci Code- Solomon Islands
When Dan Brown’s globe-trotting, best-selling thriller was decided to make into a movie, we were expecting outbursts from Christian religious groups. The movie’s release was nothing short of what was expected. Even though it sparked controversies all over the world, the most damned was the then Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, Manasseh Sogavare. The minister believes that the film ‘undermines the very roots of Christianity’ and deserves to be outlawed from his homeland.
2012- North Korea
According to the Mayan calendar proclamation, 2012 is the year in which the world would come to an end. This popular claim was the inspiration for the movie 2021. However, what the filmmakers didn’t know was that the former leader of North Korea, Kim Il Sung had his 100th birthday in the year and the North Korean government thought that a movie about the world ending can put their former leader in a bad light. So, they officially banned the movie.
Barney’s Great Adventure- Malaysia
How can anyone ban a movie with an adorable purple dinosaur who sings and dances with little kids?! Yes!! They banned everyone’s favorite dinosaur. The government of Malaysia, however, found the kid’s character, his catchy tunes, and his infectious voice too offensive for the children to watch. Why?! Only they know.
Zoolander- Singapore
This Ben Stiller comedy had everything that a comedy movie ever wanted. What can possibly get this movie banned?! Apparently, the government of Singapore had spotted something that offended their people. In the movie, the simpleton male model is brainwashed to assassinate the Malaysian Prime Minister. Singapore, the neighboring nation, finds this offensive and banned the movie.
Shrek 2- Israel
You might be wondering how a movie like Shrek 2 ended up on the list of banned movies. In the Hebrew dubbed version of the movie, there was a specific joke that didn’t go well. The scene poked fun of the local singer David D’Or’s high singing voice and the artist decided to take legal action against the movie. Rather than censoring the scene, they banned the entire movie.
Funny Girl- Egypt
Funny Girl is a 1960s romantic musical comedy that has Egyptian Muslim lead Omar Sharif falling in love with Jewish actress Barbara Streisand. During the time of the movie’s release, the actress was a vocal supporter of Israel and it was during this time the two countries were taking severe military actions against each other. Thus, Egypt decided to ban the movie to voice their disapproval.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End- China
Since China is the largest population in the world, getting movies to release in China is one of the biggest tasks Hollywood studios face now. Considering the fact that the Chinese government is too strong with their censorship rules and only a limited number of movies are allowed to get released in-country, studios are in an even tougher situation. In Pirates of the Caribbean, most of Chow Yun-Fat’s screen time was trimmed down from the version shown in China. The actor played the role of a Singaporean pirate and the Chinese government came to the conclusion that the character put Chinese people in a bad light.
Fifty Shades of Grey- Cambodia
We all know that this movie had it coming. With its insane romance, explicit sex scenes, and use of violence during sex, the movie got heavily censored and trimmed down in almost all parts of the world. However in Cambodia, things were taken to much higher measures. The nation considered the sexual scenes to be too extreme for the Khmer society. Well, the entire movie is pretty much just that. What more reason do you need to get banned.
