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 “The Tree of Life,” “Wild at Heart” and more below).
Here are the some of the most controversial films in the festival’s history.
Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” won the Palme d’Or after eliciting some boos from critics.
The many supporters of the movie (including me) pushed back with counter-applause, but it was a shocking way for the movie to debut.”
The booing at the end of today’s ‘Tree of Life’ screening was an ugly, animalistic thing that may explain why Malick doesn’t do press.
The Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain-starring film tells a coming-of-age story in 1950s Texas and juxtaposes the intimate family story with the expansiveness of the cosmos, as 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 ridiculed Palme d’Or contenders at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.
The pulpy and dirty Florida crime drama stars Matthew McCounaghey as a reporter investigating a murder involving a death row inmate.
Daniels goes full hot-and-sweaty trash, memorably 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 screening.
Holy Motors (2012)
Leos Carax’s Holy Motors is cited by critics as one of the best movies of the 21st century, but it premiered at Cannes in 2012 to a divisive response.
The elusive and enigmatic drama stars Denis Lavant as a man who is an actor. The man dresses up in different costumes and takes on different skins as he travels throughout London.
I was there:
Its first screening was greeted by boos drowned out by cheers, by volleys of ecstatic and furious tweets.
Periodically the silence in the theater was broken by laughs and gasps, triggered by extended glimpse of full-frontal nudity or a sudden burst of frenzied violence.
But Cannes audiences are used to those sorts of triggers, often the signature of provocateurs like Lars von Trier and Gaspar Noé.
