Religion is controversial in its raw form, but when people tinker with the beliefs of religious groups for the purposes of entertainment, things definitely heat up. Some of the films on this list have caused riots, and some have even resulted in deaths. Hardly a great example of religious tolerance. Here are the 10 most controversial religious films ever made. This list contains a competition – further details at the bottom of the list.
The exorcist is really one of the best horror films ever made – it continues to scare and enthrall new viewers to this day. But at the time of release, while many saw great merit in the movie, others were not so happy. Some critical responses were: “a chunk of elegant occultist claptrap” “[A] practically impossible film to sit through” “it establishes a new low for grotesque special effects…”, “The Exorcist succeeds on one level as an effectively excruciating entertainment, but on another, deeper level it is a thoroughly evil film, and [N]othing more than a religious porn film”. Some preachers – like Billy Graham, felt the movie itself was satanic.
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While the majority of the assaults on this dreadful film were due to bad acting, bad scripting, and a lame story, it can not be excluded from this list because it ties in to the Scientology mythology about the origin of humans on earth. This is a piece of scientology propaganda and it is not surprising that it was such a failure as a film. The biggest criticism of the film was the fact that people were not willing to open their wallets for it. John Travolta, for the record, says he’d love to make a “Battlefield” sequel. We can only hope that never happens!
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This film was highly controversial due to the manner in which it dealt with issues close to Catholic’s hearts. While Catholics consider stigmata to be a sign of holiness, this film has an atheist hairdresser experience stigmata in a manner in which she appears to be demonically possessed. In addition, the other main character, a Jesuit Priest, discovers a connection between the stigmata and one of the Gnostic Gospels (4th century religious writings condemned by the Catholic Church). The priest uncovers a plot within the vatican to keep the gospels “truth” concealed.
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This film is a satire of the Catholic Church and Catholic belief, which caused organized protests and much controversy in many countries. Although there was no opposition to the film while the actual filming and pre-production was taking place, the following months of post-production and publicity were plagued with controversy over a perceived anti-Christian message in the film. Over time, the director (Kevin Smith) received over 30 thousand pieces of hate mail. Catholic groups around the world staged protests, and Smith received several death threats. Perhaps to head off controversy, the film’s title sequence contained a disclaimer, which included the line “Even God has a sense of humor–just look at the platypus.”
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This film caused controversy by showing aspects of Hinduism in a negative light. The day before filming of Water was due to begin, the crew was informed that there were complications with their location permits for filming. The following day, they learned that 2,000 protesters had stormed the ghats, destroying and burning the main film set and throwing the remnants into the Ganges in protest of what ultimately were revealed to be false accusations regarding the subject matter of the film. The resulting tensions and economic setbacks led to several years of struggle as Mehta was eventually forced to film Water in Sri Lanka, rather than in India. Finally Mehta was able to make the film, but with a new cast and under a false title (River Moon) in 2003. “Water” was nominated for a 2007 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
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The Life of Brian, is a 1979 comedy film written, directed and largely performed by the Monty Python comedy team. It tells the story of Brian Cohen (played by Graham Chapman), a young Jewish man born in the same era and location as Jesus Christ, who is mistaken for the Messiah. Protests against the film were organized based on its perceived blasphemy. On its initial release in the UK, the film was banned by several town councils, some of which had no cinemas within their boundaries, or had not even seen the film for themselves. In New York, screenings were picketed by both rabbis and nuns while the film was banned outright in some American states. It was also banned for eight years in the Republic of Ireland and for a year in Norway (it was marketed in Sweden as “The film so funny that it was banned in Norway”). One of the most controversial scenes was the film’s ending: Brian’s crucifixion. Many Christian protestors said that it was mocking Jesus’s suffering by turning it into a “Jolly Boys Outing”.
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This film based on the final days of the life of Jesus cause controversy on two counts: many Jews were angered by it claiming it was anti-semitic (due to the depiction of the treatment of Jesus at the hands of Jews in the film) and from anti-Catholic protesters who were angered that the film did not rely solely on the Bible for its plot. Asked by Bill O’Reilly if his movie would “upset Jews,” Gibson responded, “It’s not meant to. I think it’s meant to just tell the truth. I want to be as truthful as possible.” Accusations of anti-Semitism were fueled by news reports that Mel Gibson’s father, Hutton Gibson, denied the Holocaust. After Frank Rich of the New York Times wrote against the unreleased film and called Gibson’s publicist a “Holocaust denier defender” Gibson was overheard by The New Yorker telling his publicist, “I want to kill him. I want his intestines on a stick. I want to kill his dog.”
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Ron Howard’s “The Da Vinci Code,” based on the best-seller by Dan Brown, places the Catholic Church at the center of a (fictional) conspiracy to cover up the truth about Jesus–that he was married to Mary Magdalene and the father of a child whose descendants have been protected from the murderous Church ever since. What’s more, this denigration of Mary Magdalene’s “rightful” place as Jesus’ wife is portrayed as part of a larger Church conspiracy to stamp out devotion to the divine feminine, which was at the heart of early Christian worship. In the months leading up to the film’s 2006 release, most Christian organizations refrained from calling for an outright boycott, instead using the film to spark discussion about Jesus and to challenge the story’s claims. Despite poor reviews, the film took in a reported $758 million worldwide, making it one of the highest grossing of 2006.
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Submission is a 10-minute film in English directed by Theo van Gogh and written by Ayaan Hirsi Ali (a former Tweede Kamer member for the Dutch People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy); it was shown on the Dutch public broadcasting network (VPRO) on August 29, 2004. The film’s title is a direct translation of the word “Islam”. The film tells the story of four fictional characters played by a single actress wearing a veil, but clad in a see-through chador, her naked body painted with verses from the Koran. The characters are Muslim women who have been abused in various ways. On November 2, 2004, Theo van Gogh was assassinated in public by Mohammed Bouyeri, a Dutch Muslim of Moroccan descent. A letter, stabbed through and affixed to the body by a dagger, linked the murder to Van Gogh’s film and his views regarding Islam. It was addressed to Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and called for jihad against unbelievers. Following the murder of Van Gogh, tens of thousands gathered in the center of Amsterdam to mourn Van Gogh’s death. There were fire-bombings of mosques and Muslim schools, and counterattacks against Christian churches. I am pleased to be able to present the entire movie here on the site – it is embedded from youtube above. It is interesting to note that Amazon does not stock this movie.
The Last Temptation of Christ is a film adaptation of the controversial 1951 novel of the same name by Nikos Kazantzakis. Like the novel, the film depicts the life of Jesus Christ, and its central thesis is that Jesus, while free from sin, was still subject to every form of temptation that humans face, including fear, doubt, depression, reluctance and lust. This results in the book and film depicting Christ being tempted by imagining himself engaged in sexual activities, a notion that has caused outrage from some Christians. Protests against the movie from religious communities began before the film had even finished production. The studio was expecting a backlash due to the controversies revolving around any media treatment of Christ (see dramatic portrayals of Jesus Christ), but the protests accompanying Last Temptation were unprecedented. Major religious leaders in the United States blasted the film in fiery sermons, and condemned its subject matter as pornographic. On October 22, 1988, a French christian fundamentalist group launched molotov cocktails inside the Parisian Saint Michel movie theater to protest against the film. This attack injured thirteen people, four of whom were severely burned. The film is still not available from Blockbuster Video and some libraries. In some countries, including Mexico and Chile, the film was banned for several years. It continues to be prohibited in the Philippines, Singapore, and South Africa.
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Notable omissions: The Pope Must Die(t), The Crime of Father Amaro, The Birth of a Nation, Priest, The Message, Agnes of God, Hail Mary
This article is licensed under the GFDL because it contains quotations from Wikipedia.
I can only see 9 and 10!
same! ah well, i thought the exorcist was hilarious… especially the bit where she walks down the stairs on all fours
oh goddamn
There are only two, apparently. lol
Save your ‘OMG FIRST!!!!11!!!2′ crap Gyula, your comments will just be deleted.
Last 2 Out Of 10 Most Controversial Religious Movies
Oh, and the Exorcist scene where the girl goes down the stairs on all fours, wasn’t actually in the original film, but added later in the re release. None the less, it’s a great scene.
and LOL @ “John Travolta, for the record, says he’d love to make a “Battlefield” sequel. We can only hope that never happens!”
god that was a terrible movie.
John Travolta with tentacle dread locks didn’t even interest me when I was 13.
I bet The last Temptation of Christ and The Passion Of the Christ is on the list
I am going to predict right now (having only seen the first two items) that the comments on this list are going to be heated and people are going to argue about:
A) Religion
B) The rankings
C) The authors of the books that any of these movies are based on
D) History
And I predict more than one person is going to insult Tom Cruise AND Mel Gibson (‘cos I also predict that The Passion of Christ or whatever that movie was called will be on this list).
#7. Kihoshi, yeah i only ever saw the movie about 2 years ago… i watched that scene over and over and couldn’t stop laughing.
oh god i think there might be something wrong with me.
Sarahenity, I wasn’t born for the original, but it’s my father’s favorite movie, so I saw it during my horror movie phase. Then I saw the remake.
Sorry, not remake, re release, excuse me, please.
Working on a fix
11. Tempyra – i’d say you’d be spot on
Tempyra: Yes!
I can’t see any items at all on the list but I don’t need to to be sure you’re right.
I see nothing, not even dead people.
“Religion is controversial in its raw form, but when people ti”
that was my favorite part
By definition, aren’t all religious films controversial?
the topic itself, as noted, is one of the most controversial on earth. so it makes perfect sense that any movies based on that subject would be as well.
Fixed! Sorry about that. I am having internet issues.
Oh – re the exorcist – my favorite horror movie of all time – the original is better than the remake – the remake included stuff for shock value – the first was more subtle – if you can call masturbating with a crucifix subtle
Awesome list. Stigmata was actually a superb film and raised a lot of questions in the religious circles. I was particularly tickled by the fact that the priest in Stigmata became the Devil in End of Days.
The Passion of Christ is a must see. Really moving and artistically done so you can almst feel the pain Jesus went through.
Also i think you should look more into Indian films. Most of the films released in India create controversy. Recently a hindi movie called Singh Is King generated a lot of ire saying that it portrayed the Sikh community in a bad light. You will find no shortage of controversies in Indian films.
atulajith: I agree completely with your comment!
submission absolutely chilled me to the bone
I’ve only seen the DaVinci Code and Life of Brian out of those. The DaVinci code was meh (the book was better), Life of Brian was hilarious! I’d like to see Stigmata though.
jamie – maybe i should check out the original exorcist then! the shock value was what i found humorous
This was an awesome list! I loved most of these movies. Gotta pick on the weirdness of all religions…..The ones I haven’t seen I will be soon!
The fact that this list is not ‘Christian-centric’ is commendable in the extreme (not that I adhere to any religion) – however, I believe that ‘The Devils’ (directed by Ken Russell, starring Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave) is a notable omission from this list (having said that, it doesn’t even make the list of ‘notable omissions’!). It tells the story of Urbain Grandier, a priest who (according to the film) was falsely accused of witchcraft in 17th-century France. (For more information see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devils_%28film%29)
Admittedly, I only saw it for the first time last Sunday (it was part of a great double feature with ‘The Exorcist’), but I can’t get it out of my head, the images, the unique set design (by Derek Jarman), the brillant performances (Oliver Reed considered it his best performance, and I [not being totally simpatico with Reed's output] am inclined to agree) – it’s the very definition of ‘over-the-top’, while being totally engrossing at the same time (the more I watched, the more I was drawn into the spectacle).
Alas, I cannot go out and purchase said film (and if I could I would in a heartbeat, maybe even quicker, it’s that good) – the following is a great article (by the critic Ken Hanke) about the film, the censorship issues surrounding it, and why Warner Bros is so reluctant to release the film: http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2007/cranky_hankes_screening_room_lets_all_go_to_the_devils/
Reading over what I’ve written, I probably haven’t made that good a case (indeed, any case at all) as to why this film deserves a place in the Top 10 Most Controversial Religious Movies list – trust me, when and if you watch it, you will know.
Keep up the great work – I always make an effort to stop by the website at least once a day, and when I do, I’m rarely disaapointed by what’s offered!
The best to you all!
ZOMG…I’m 30th!
My mother blames the fact that she was reading The Exorcist while she was pregnant with me for my problems with organized religion.
I always thought that Last Temptation was intended as a complement to Jesus. He saw everything that Satan was offering him, yet he still chose to go to the cross. Of course, “religious” folks (I’m talking militant fundies here) usually protest things about which they refuse to fairly evaluate.
Notice that you didn’t include that Jesus video that was sent out enmass here in the States about 10-years ago by some fundie group. I got 3 in the mail in one week. At one point there were so many in my tiny, rural post office lobby’s trash can that I saw a young child using them like blocks while his mother sorted through her mail. (She tossed a tape down to the boy!)
There should be “Message”.
Great list. I’ve seen most of these and would like to see the rest. I find all things related to religion fascinating even though I have no religion. I especially love religion-inspired art.
11. Tempyra – Those were my thoughts, you beat me to it LOL
I dreamt about Kevin Smith last night. He made out with my mum.
There’s a great vid on YouTube of Mr Smith picketing the cinema release of Dogma, too.
JFrater – “If this list reaches 300 comments” I can easily see 300! If I write some provoking comments about Islam/Hinduism/Christianity/Scientology and the comments reach 400 will you send me that cool bag so I can use it for my groceries?
Out of those, I’ve only seen two haha >_
Wow, a movie list that includes more than one movie that I’ve seen.
Dogma was hilarious. One of my fav Kevin Smith movies. The Passion of the Christ was emotionally intense and I’m not sure if I could watch it again. I can’t say I am shocked by the reactions some people have to movies like these. Saddened but not shocked.
Oh yeah, great list Jamie! Thanks for including the clips, especially the entire film of Submission. I look forward to watching it later this evening.
Fascinating list. I love religious art, even though I am not a religious person.
I’m also not really a Kevin Smith fan, but I loved Dogma… thought it was hilarious.
It seems that most of these movies are directed at Christians/Catholics why is that? A short mini clip on Islam and a guy dies? Why are there not more full length movies directed at thought provoking topic concerning Islam and the so called holy war? Surely that would be well received at the box offices? People have the right to have open minds and make their own choices right? If there are such movies out there I am certainly not aware of them. If there are not why is that? Is it perhaps because people are too fearful of the Muslim fundamentalists?
Whatever the reason, whatever the religion, whoever the nation, it’s always a minority that love violence and love to fight about things. I think most people are generally peace loving and just want to be left alone to live their own lives with their own choices.
Nice list, seen 4 of ‘em. “The Golden Compass”/”Chronicles of Narnia” would have been nice honourable mentions- they don’t particularly rank up with those ten, and it’s a bit of a stretch to call either one a religious film, but I think the controversy comes from them both being aimed at kids, y’know?
Accusations of indoctrination and such.
It seems silly, but people felt strongly. Good list!
Stewart:
I suppose there are more Christian/Catholic films than Islamic and other Middle Eastern religions because us in the West have more liberty? I dunno.
Stewart- Maybe it’s because Christianity is the largest religion. More people can relate to it, and understand movies about it. (not that they can’t understand movies about other religions or anything)
People write what they know about.
Excellent list Jamie.
Thank you for providing us with the link to Submission. Excellent and disturbing. I recommend that everyone take the necessary 10 minutes to see what van Gogh died for.
I have seen all these films except the Mel Gibson’s Passion, which I will continue to avoid. I am reduced to a puddle of emotion watching Armageddon for the umpteenth time; I can’t even imagine what damage to my psyche watching a crucifixion would precipitate. Even the characters in South Park were disturbed and horrified; Stan called it a snuff film.
Water is a Canadian Film and a must see. It deserves all the awards it has received; beautiful and haunting, it’s understated condemnation is unforgettable.
I agree with Randallphobia, I thought Last Temptation of Christ portrayed Jesus in an excellent light. Highlighted his humanity, the part of Jesus I believe in and venerate. As an added bonus Willem Defoe was awesome.
Dogma is my favorite Kevin Smith film and Monty Python is always welcome. Again great list.
…And maybe because many us know more about Western religions than Eastern ones.
I can remember watching all but three (Water, The Last Temptation, Submission).
The film I do remember watching with my mom a while ago was something about the three children who claimed to have seen Our Lady of Fatima. Not sure if there were any controversies with that film, but figured it’d be worth noting.
@stewart: I guess it’s the nature of the western film industry that the west is more often than not what’s focused on. There have been a ton of British indie films about Islam in the last few years (mostly how it’s adherents find identities in post 9/11 UK rather than attacks on the religion)- but indigenous films can’t really compete against Hollywood CGI-fests, so we don’t seem to see many unless we go looking for them.
That’s probably a factor. Extremists is certainly one too.
jfrater: good list. Would you consider “The Omen” a religious film? It freaked me out when I first saw it as a kid and realized that people were dying and murdering to protect the anti-christ. Also, the Exorcist is a great film. However, I still remember seeing part three where the demon is in the hospital and takes over that little old lady’s body and she is crawling on the ceiling. To this day, I always check above me in any hospital.
The best part is how people get so outraged before actually viewing the films.
I’ve seen a handful of these filmes, But would like to remind the general public, that these are nothing more than films. Entertainment. You don’t have to watch them, nor sit through them.
I personally, am a conservative christian. I know it isn’t a popular world view, but I don’t go out and bonk people on the head that disagree with me. Even if they have made a movie portraying me beliefs as silly or backward.
Let movies be. I don’t have to watch them, nor like them, But I sure am not about to go out and kill someone for making them, nor burn their sets. It just isn’t right.
But as for the list, Huzzah! Another good one for listverse.
I haven’t seen The Exorcist for years. It really disturbed me. All I can remember is a statue of the the Virgin Mary in a church, with three giant spikes coming out of it. Horrific when you’re 8 and went to a C of E school.
Honestly, I think the film “Dogma” heavily influenced my current opinion on Catholicism; it’s super awesome and full of power! Like a mecha!! The scene with Bartleby (sp?) in the armour was just… ahh so neat.
Water was brilliant, Life of Brian is my favourite comedy and Temptation of Christ is on top of my ‘must-see’ list.
First of all, great list Jamie.
About Life of Brian, it seems that in Wales the 1979 ban is still in place.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/07/21/bid-to-lift-ban-on-monty-python-s-life-of-brian-91466-21374987/
And on bbc news seven days later:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/7530542.stm
Seems it will not be lifted tomorrow.
One should think that after 30 years people can see the movie for what it is, a typical Pyton product, but no.
And maybe you should put Last Temptation by Kazantzakis as a must read on your other list.
This list is VERY
This list is VERY inclusive of many of the world’s main religions, and un-biased. I love it when people can actually remain impartial and present a subject with indifference.
I have to say, I definitely agree with Egg on all counts.
Life of Brian is fantastic; I can see why it’d have been considered a bit much at the time though.
“So funny it was banned in Norway” hahaha
It’s just a shame these movies are biased towards christianity/catholism. It’d be interesting to see a film considered controversial for another religion. Any suggestions?
If it weren’t for the bloody sarcasm I may have seen Submission as a worthwhile movie. Maybe they should have used an actual Muslim woman for the voice instead of that actress.
Don’t know what happened to my previous post. Maybe it’s been eaten by the horrible internet monster.
In brief it said
Very nice list Jamie.
You should all go to google and type Life of Brian and Wales.
Seems the 1979 ban still is not lifted.
And Jamie, I think you should put Kazantzakis on your must read list, with the Amazon link. Definitely a masterpiece
Here’s a Jesus movie based on the missing gospel, and was quite controversial in production, especially since the actor portraying Jesus looked nothing like the classic biblical images.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1328488403361728526
Enjoy!