© NL Beeld

'Oppenheimer' (2023) -

Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer' isn't banned, but it is being censored in a strange new way. An intimate moment in the film showing Florence Pugh topless has been altered in several countries including India and in the Middle East using CGI to cover her body with a computer-generated black dress. Some places have strict censorship mandates regarding nudity, and the film's scenes were censored to secure a release in those countries, Variety reports. It's a strange new world of censorship, but at least people in those countries still got to see the film. 

© Getty Images

'Barbie' (2023) -

Greta Gerwig's 'Barbie' movie was the biggest cinematic event of last year, and given that the subject is a children's doll popular around the world, you'd think it wouldn't rustle too many feathers. However, there is one scene in the movie that features a controversial map. Vietnam is seen on the map with a 'nine dash line' denoting a disputed area in the South China Sea to which China has made territorial claims, despite the fact that Vietnam has sovereignty. A United Nations tribunal ruled against the validity of the ‘nine dash line' back in 2016, but China refused to acknowledge the decision. Director General of the Vietnam Cinema Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Vi Kien Thanh revealed the decision to ban the 'Barbie' movie on this basis on July 1, 2023. The decision was reached by Vietnam's National Film Evaluation Council. 

© NL Beeld

'India: The Modi Question' (2023) -

Despite Elon Musk's self-proclaimed stance as a "free speech absolutist," Twitter still bowed to India's request to delete all links to a BBC documentary critical of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The doc investigates the “persistent allegations” against Modi of encouraging religious-based violence against Muslims, particularly looking at the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat where Modi, in his role as chief minister at the time, allegedly enabled the deaths of 1,000 Muslims. Modi’s government said it ordered social media platforms to censor posts about the doc, which it calls “hostile propaganda," and journalists and free speech advocates are pointing out how hypocritical the move is for Musk after Twitter complied. "First I’ve heard," Musk wrote in response to a question about the censorship. "It is not possible for me to fix every aspect of Twitter worldwide overnight, while still running Tesla and SpaceX, among other things."

© Getty Images

'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore' (2022) -

'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore' officially confirmed for the first time in the 'Harry Potter' franchise that beloved Hogwarts professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) is gay and had a romantic relationship with the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen), but viewers in China won't see it. Warner Bros. confirmed that it removed some dialogue referring to the characters' romantic past—including the lines “I was in love with you” and “the summer Gellert and I fell in love”—to appease the Chinese government. 

“As a studio, we’re committed to safeguarding the integrity of every film we release, and that extends to circumstances that necessitate making nuanced cuts in order to respond sensitively to a variety of in-market factors,” a Warner Bros. spokesperson said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “In the case of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, a six-second cut was requested and Warner Bros. accepted those changes to comply with local requirements but the spirit of the film remains intact. We want audiences everywhere in the world to see and enjoy this film, and it’s important to us that Chinese audiences have the opportunity to experience it as well, even with these minor edits.”

© Getty Images

'Death On The Nile' (2022) -

Israeli actress Gal Gadot has been involved in multiple controversies related to her home country. She served her mandatory two-year military service in the Israeli army, as all citizens must do, and previously faced backlash for expressing her support for Israel in the Israel-Palestine conflict. She starred in the 2022 Agatha Christie movie 'Death On The Nile,' alongside a multitude of other stars including Kenneth Branagh, Annette Bening, and Armie Hammer. (It was filmed prior to his misconduct allegations.) Her mere presence was enough for some Middle Eastern countries to ban the film. Lebanon and Kuwait rejected its release due to her involvement. 

© NL Beeld

'Fight Club' (1999) -

More than two decades after its original release, the 1999 cult classic 'Fight Club' was given a rewrite for audiences in China. The Chinese streaming platform Tencent Video released a version with the violent ending removed. Instead, a title card appears at the end of the film offering an alternative conclusion: "The police rapidly figured out the whole plan and arrested all criminals, successfully preventing the bomb from exploding. After the trial, Tyler was sent to lunatic asylum [sic] receiving psychological treatment. He was discharged from the hospital in 2012." The movie's original message of anarchy and rebellion against societal norms is somewhat dampened by this new outcome! 

© NL Beeld

'West Side Story' (2021) -

Steven Spielberg's film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s classic musical 'West Side Story' was swiftly banned in at least two countries, which reportedly didn't screen the remake due to it featuring a transgender character played by nonbinary actor Iris Menas. According to The Wrap, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have not granted the live-action film a release certificate.

© BrunoPress

'Eternals' (2021) -

It is not uncommon for Saudi Arabia to censor and ban films on the basis of LGBTQ+ inclusion, similar to the way they blocked the release of Marvel’s 'Eternals,' which features a gay superhero. (Phastos, played by Brian Tyree Henry.) Not only was the film banned in some countries, but censors in other Middle Eastern nations—Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates—have also reportedly requested cuts to the film, though Walt Disney and 20th Century Studios decided not to oblige. 

© NL Beeld

'Splash' (1984) -

'Splash' will be viewed censored anywhere in the world it's seen through Disney Plus, the entertainment company's streaming service. How exactly? In scenes where Daryl Hannah's character's rear was on display, you'll now see it covered up or blurred.

© NL Beeld

'Onward' (2020) -

Pixar's animated film 'Onward' (2020) was censored by Russian distributors for just one word. The film introduces a minor character, a cyclops named Specter, voiced by Lena Waithe. Specter says the line, “My girlfriend’s daughter got me pulling my hair out.” Even with this tiny part, she made history as Disney’s first openly lesbian character. Russian audiences, however, only heard “My partner’s daughter,” as distributors censored out Specter’s preferences.

© Shutterstock/Getty Images

'Booksmart' (2019) - The 2019 film directed by Olivia Wilde hit the news for the censorship its lesbian storyline received when being shown on Delta Airlines flights. But after Wilde objected, Delta backed down.

© Getty Images

'Rocketman' (2019) -

Like with 'Booksmart,' this 2019 film was also edited by Delta Airlines, as well as being censored by Russia for its depictions of gay relations.

© NL Beeld

'Dirty Harry' (1971) -

This 1971 film starring Clint Eastwood in the title role was banned in Finland, for violence and concerns regarding the depictions of mental health within the film.

© NL Beeld

'Fahrenheit 9/11' (2004) - The 2004 Michael Moore documentary was banned in Kuwait. The reasons for this were that the film criticized the Iraq War and was also insulting to the Saudi royal family.

© NL Beeld

'The Wolf of Wall Street' (2013) -

This 2013 Martin Scorsese film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie. It was banned in both Uganda and Kenya for its graphic depictions of adult content and substance use.

© NL Beeld

'The Life of Brian' (1979) - This 1993 Steven Spielberg film was banned in Indonesia for being perceived as too empathetic to Jewish people. The movie was dismissed as Zionist propaganda.

© Getty Images

'*** and the City 2' (2010) -

The 2010 film sequel starring Sarah Jessica Parker was banned in the United Arab Emirates. The reason given was that of "a conflict of cultural values."

© Getty Images

'Wonder Woman' (2017) -

This enormously successful 2017 film has been banned in Tunisia, Algeria, Qatar, and Lebanon due to the fact that star Gal Gadot is Israeli and has served in the country's armed forces.

© NL Beeld

'The Last Temptation of Christ' (1988) - The 1988 Martin Scorsese film was banned in Israel, the Philippines, and Singapore, among others, for its content being perceived as blasphemous.

© NL Beeld

'The Last House on the Left' (1972) -

This 1972 film, which was Wes Craven's first movie, was banned in the UK for 30 years until 2002, when it was finally released uncut. It was originally banned over its graphic scenes of torture and sadism.

© NL Beeld

'Hostel' (2005) - This 2005 Eli Roth film caused quite a stir on its release due to its extremely graphic violence. What's more, it was banned in the Ukraine due to a perceived negative portrayal of Eastern Europe.

© NL Beeld

'Schindler's List' (1993) -

This 1993 Steven Spielberg film was banned in Indonesia for being perceived as too empathetic to Jewish people. The movie was dismissed as Zionist propaganda.

© NL Beeld

'The Great Dictator' (1940) -

This 1940 Charlie Chaplin film was banned in Germany for ridiculing the country's regime. The film wasn't publicly shown in West Germany until 1958.

© NL Beeld

'Borat' (2006) -

The 2006 film starring Sacha Baron Cohen caused great offense for portraying Kazakhstan (where it was initially banned) as completely backwards. The film was also banned in Russia for offensiveness.

© NL Beeld

'Last Tango in Paris' (1972) - This 1972 Bernardo Bertolucci film was banned in countries like Argentina, Portugal, and Singapore due to its graphic nature. Many of these bans were later lifted.

© NL Beeld

'Natural Born Killers' (1994) - This 1994 Oliver Stone film was extremely controversial upon its release. It was banned completely in Ireland for fear of 'copycat' behavior from its audience.

© NL Beeld

'Logan' (2017) -

This 2017 Marvel movie starring Hugh Jackman was the first Western film to incorporate China's new law: a parental warning regarding the content. The film was also heavily cut by the censors—over 14 minutes of the movie was edited out to tone down its violent content.

© NL Beeld

'A Clockwork Orange' (1971) -

Stanley Kubrick's 1971 classic was never actually banned or even censored in the UK, contrary to popular belief. It was instead withdrawn by the director. It was, however, banned in Ireland over its highly controversial content, including scenes of assault and extreme violence.

© NL Beeld

'Zoolander' (2001) -

The 2001 Ben Stiller-directed and starring comedy was banned in Malaysia due to its perceived negative portrayal of the country. It was also banned in Iran for promoting gay rights.

© NL Beeld

'Goldfinger' (1964) -

The 1964 film was banned in Israel for a period of time when it was discovered that the actor Gert Fröbe had been a member of the infamous German party in his younger days.

© NL Beeld

'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' (1990) - This 1990 film wasn't banned, but was censored in the UK for the use of nunchaku, which the head of the censor board disapproved of in a film aimed at young people.

© Getty Images

'The Da Vinci Code' (2006) - Tom Hanks' 2006 movie was banned in many countries, including Jordan, the Philippines and Lebanon. These countries considered the content to be blasphemy.

© NL Beeld

'Paths of Glory' (1957) - Stanley Kubrick's 1957 war film was banned in Switzerland for its negative depiction of the army. The ban was subsequently lifted in 1970.

© NL Beeld

'Beauty and the Beast' (2017) - This 2017 film has been banned outright in Iran, released for adults only in Russia, and released in a cut version in Malaysia. This is all due to it being perceived as "gay propaganda."

© NL Beeld

'The Simpsons Movie' (2007) - The 2007 movie of the long-running and hugely successful TV show was banned in Myanmar. The reason for the ban was that two colors were simply banned from films shown there: yellow and red.

© NL Beeld

'Back to the Future' (1985) - The hit 1985 film, directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Michael J. Fox, was banned in China for its representation of time travel.

© NL Beeld

'Anna and the King' (1999) - This 1999 remake of 'The King and I' starring Jodie Foster was banned in Thailand. The film censors believed that it was insulting to the monarch portrayed.

© NL Beeld

'La Dolce Vita' (1960) -

Federico Fellini's 1960 classic film was objected to by the Catholic Church in Italy and banned outright in Spain. Only after Francisco Franco's death was the ban lifted, in 1975. What was the big deal? The film was perceived as being blasphemous and overly erotic, especially with its portrayal of gay characters.

© NL Beeld

Claire Danes -

No, this isn't a mistake! The Philippines issued a ban on "all films starring Claire Danes" after she made critical comments about the city of Manila.

See also: Horror movies based on chilling real-life events

© NL Beeld