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'Vile' movie banned in several countries due to graphic unsimulated sex scenes
Films are often banned for political reasons or for containing graphic, controversial content.
One title, however, managed to be banned in four countries for a particularly provocative reason: its inclusion of unsimulated sex scenes.
While other films have faced censorship for similar content, this one drew even greater outrage because the act takes place between the main character and her on-screen son.
That film is Pink Flamingos, directed by John Waters — a filmmaker whose face many would likely recognise (even if they couldn’t exactly remember where they recognise him from).
Released in 1972, the movie follows drag performer Divine, who proudly lives under the self-proclaimed title of “the filthiest person alive.”
Her bizarre and grotesque lifestyle is challenged when two criminals, envious of her notoriety, set out to dethrone her as the reigning figure of shock and depravity.
The film’s scenes are designed to shock. Divine is shown eating dog excrement on camera (an act that was entirely real) alongside staged murders and the now-infamous unsimulated sex act with her on-screen son.
Although the actors were not related in real life, the explicit portrayal of incest pushed boundaries far beyond most cinematic taboos. The British Board of Film Classification warns that the movie features “a man’s semen seen in close-up detail” and “a focus on a man’s dilating anus, in close-up detail,” underscoring its extreme nature.
Upon release, Pink Flamingos was banned outright in Switzerland and Australia, and faced partial bans in Canada and Norway.
Critics at the time were scathing. Variety called it “one of the most vile, stupid and repulsive films ever made.” Celebrated critic Roger Ebert, speaking at a 25th anniversary screening, said (per Far Out Magazine): “With any luck at all that means I won’t have to see it again for another 25 years. If I haven’t retired by then, I will.”
Waters, known for embracing controversy, used the negative press to his advantage, incorporating Variety’s damning quote into the film’s promotional material.
Over time, despite its graphic and disturbing content, Pink Flamingos developed a cult following, appreciated by some for its shock value, dark humour, and unapologetic defiance of cinematic norms.
Viewer reactions remain divided. One reviewer on IMDb summed it up as “outrageously sick, disgusting and grotesque”, but also very funny.
The film’s notoriety has kept it largely inaccessible in some countries. In the UK, it is not available on major streaming services, and physical copies are scarce. Many editions are region-locked to the United States, leaving determined viewers to hunt for the expensive Criterion Collection 4K restoration, which can cost upwards of $30.
Even decades later, Pink Flamingos retains its place in cinema history as one of the most controversial films ever made; a work that some see as art, others as obscenity, and many as both.