Movies That Got Boos, Walkouts, From ‘Taxi Driver’ to ‘Neon Demon’
A man being bludgeoned to death by a fire extinguisher in the Gaspar Noe’s 2002 Irreversible.
Two children being murdered by a sniper.
An un-simulated oral sex scene (to complete ejaculation in close-up) between Chloe Sevigny and Vincent Gallo in he 2003 The Brown Bunny.
Nicole Kidman literally standing above and peeing on Zac Efron’s jellyfish sting–in real time–in The Paperboy.
All of these movie scenes share something in common: They led to boos and walkouts from critics and audience members at the Cannes Film Festival.
Getting booed at Cannes has almost become sort of a ritual, a right of passage for many of the best filmmakers in the world, from Martin Scorsese to David Lynch, Sofia Coppola, Terrence Malick, Oliver Assayas and David Cronenberg.
Then, there are likes of Lars von Trier and Gaspar Noé, two filmmakers who court controversy and boos whenever they show a new film.
Even films that have won Cannes’ prestigious Palme d’Or are not immune to audience jeers (see “Wild at Heart” and more below).
Here are the some of the controversial films in the festival’s history.
Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” won the Palme d’Or after eliciting boos from several critics (a minority, I might add).
However, the movie’s many more supporters (including me) pushed back with counter-applause, but it was a shocking way for the movie to debut.
A coming-of-age story, set in 1950s Texas, the movie stars Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain, bth in top form. Then tale juxtaposes the intimate family story with the expansiveness of the cosmos, when Malick breaks from the main story to depict the creation of the world.
The Paperboy (2012)
Lee Daniels’ The Paperboy was one of the more divisive Palme d’Or contenders at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.
The pulpy Florida crime drama stars Matthew McCounaghey as a reporter investigating a murder involving a death row inmate.
Daniels shows full hot-and-sweaty trash, including one scene in which Nicole Kidman (miscast) simulates peeing on Zac Efron after his character gets stung by a jellyfish.
Some critics called “The Paperboy” fearless, while others derided it as campy filth.
The film’s sleaziness caught Cannes by surprise, leading audience members to jeer at the film during its premiere.
Holy Motors (2012)
Leos Carax’s Holy Motors is cited by some critics as one of the best movies of the 21st century, but it premiered at the 2012 Cannes Fest to divisive response.
The elusive and enigmatic drama stars Denis Lavant, Carax’ regular, as an actor, who dresses up in different costumes and takes on different skins while traveling throughout London.
I was there:
Its first screening was greeted by boos drowned out by cheers, followed later by volleys of ecstatic and furious tweets.
Periodically the silence in the theater was broken by laughs and gasps, triggered by glimpse of full-frontal nudity or sudden burst of frenzied violence.
By now, Cannes audiences have become accustomed to those sorts reactions, triggered over the years by provocateurs like Lars von Trier and Gaspar Noé.
