While “safe” superhero films and family-friendly animated films often achieve blockbuster status due to market hits, some of the films below have sought success by offending their viewers. So, what are these films and why do they cause so much controversy? Here from mamienecavale.wordpress.com, 3 of the most successful controversial films of all time.
1.Basic Instinct (1992)
Basic Instinct became the ninth-largest domestic box office in 1992, and, of course, the most controversial. The film was made by two of Hollywood’s most famous provocateurs, director Paul Verhoeven and screenwriter Joe Eszterhas.
Apart from critics who were not impressed with the film, Sharon Stone’s slick performance in Basic Instinct is remembered for one of her controversial scenes, namely the “opening” of her crossed legs. It’s hard to imagine an A-list actress doing such a scene today, especially since she did it in 1992.
However, all this controversy paid off. The Basic Instinct generates US $ 117 million domestically and US $ 352 million worldwide on the just US $ 49 million budget. Through this film, Sharon Stone proves that presenting sexual content is a promising commodity, not only in America but throughout the world.
2.The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Initially, the studio did not want to take the risk of making a film that recounted the last hours of Jesus Christ, especially considering that Mel Gibson wanted to make the film in Aramaic and Latin. Reporting from the Hollywood Reporter, Gibson even paid nearly 30 million US dollars from his wallet to continue this project.
Before its release, the film immediately became a “lightning rod” for the controversy centered around violent scenes of violence and alleged anti-Semitism. The critical response was so bad that the film only received a score of 49 percent from Rotten Tomatoes, even though moviegoers gave it a score of 80 percent.
But despite all the controversy, Gibson’s gambling paid off at the opening of the Passion of the Christ, which managed to gain 83 million US dollars during its first week. The film ended up generating US $ 370 million domestically and the US $ 611 million worldwide.
3.The Da Vinci Code (2006)
Tom Hanks and Ron Howard are probably two of the nicest people in Hollywood. But the two created serious controversy when they made a big-screen adaptation of one of the most controversial (and successful) novels of modern times: The Da Vinci Code.
The story in The Da Vinci Code itself has been largely debunked by scholars and the Catholic Church, one of which is the claim that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene. Yet all this controversy helped the novel The Da Vinci Code become an international bestseller.
The controversy surrounding the film, which was released in 2006, was almost the same as the novel that had been released 3 years earlier. Many have argued that the film is historically inaccurate and anti-Catholic.
Even critics gave Rotten Tomatoes a 25 percent score, and less impressed moviegoers only gave viewers a score of 57 percent. Despite this, the film grossed US $ 77 million in its first weekend, and ended up generating US $ 217 million in dollar domestically and US $ 758 million worldwide.
So, those were the 3 most successful controversial films of all time. The films above are proof that criticism and controversy of work is not a barrier to success.