Most SHOCKING films?

Question

I'm about to start teaching a unit on "shocking" film. I have no doubt the kids will come up with loads of ideas about what makes a film shocking, and movies that were shocking. What shocked you in a movie, and why?
(Please don't JUST go for horror - for some people, the daeth of Bambi's mom was shocking. Get creative!!)

Don't worry guys, it's A-level film studies, they're all aged 18!

Answer 1

i think the most shocking could be The devils Rejects...it really pushed the limits of vulgarity and the way people can be so remorseless about others, loved it

Answer 2

I know you asked for us not to go just for horror but my film is kind of horror mixed with suspense, and it is most definitely shocking. It's a film called "Don't Look Now", made in 1973 starring Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie,and it's one of the most bizarre, scary and shocking films I've ever seen. It's about a young couple who's daughter drowns so they move to Venice from England to escape their grief. However, the husband starts to see a small person in a red raincoat running round the alleys of Venice, and he thinks its his daughter because his daughter died wearing a red raincoat and also because a psychic told his wife that their daughter was ok and she was with them. If you've ever seen The Sixth Sense and you think it was original you are wrong because this is where that film got it's shocking twist from. Anyway, the wife returns to England to visit their son who still lives there, but the same day she leaves, the husband see's her at a funeral in Venice and is confused why she is still here. In the meantime a serial killer has been murdering people all over Venice and bodies keep getting pulled out of the canals. The husband gets more and more confused and starts to see the little person in the red raincoat again. He chases the red-raincoat figure through the alleys and finally catches up with it. He is sure it is his daughter and asks her to turn around. When she turns around it turns out it is a hideous old dwarf, who is in fact the serial killer, and she kills Donald Sutherland, cutting his throat with a meat-cleaver. It turns out that the funeral he saw was his own one, and he was looking into the future because his wife had come back from England to bury him. He didn't know he was psychic so he didn't understand that he was having a vision of the future. "Don't Look Now" is really shocking and it would be great for teaching a class about shocking movies, HOWEVER, if you are teaching younger kids, say under 16, you should be aware that it contains an extremely graphic sex-scene. It's so explicit that a lot of people thought it was real because Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie were having a relationship while they were makimg the film. The violence isn't too bad though, it's just one gory scene but its very brief.

Answer 3

What makes a film shocking are the things you don't see. Anyone can use blood and guts, but the true masters of the genre are capable of instilling fear in their own right. Some examples would be Night of the Living Dead- it's in black and white and questions the governmental resources of biological terrorism- some think this film is about cannabalism, that's half true.. being " shocked " means different things to anyone who appreciates the world of entertainment- movies and music.
War of the worlds was considered shocking because it was a time in history where there was no televison- this is before the movie, which is somewhat different than when Orson Wells gave that infamous story- people throught it was true and jumped out of windows. The movie on the other hand is about cold war propaganda and made a statement about russia and the fear americans had at that given time. My mom tells me all the time what good it didn't do to stay underneath a desk when the whistles went off. Good question hun!

Answer 4

Japanese horror films are pretty shocking, the tale of two sisters is supposed to be pretty shocking, but to be honest i do think that SAW 1,2 and 3 are very good. Its a new genre of horror thats really thought provoking, is there really a justification for jigsaws motives. Its important to remeber that this man feels like he is carrying out redemption for all lifes evils, he's a dying man and does not view his actions as murderous, but as "playing a game" "teaching a lesson" this will provoke ideas on real life murders and the murderers motives. But from a litearary sense, SAW took the shock factor and totally blew it apart. Can we really feel sorry for the heroin addict, the bigot, the adulterer, the corrupt cop? Its alo an interesting modern day concept that we are becoming desensitised by such violent acts of man and that many of us feel that we need more to shock us than before. Also does he have a right to teach people lessons, do we feel hope for the vicitm that they will change or will he prove what he already knows, there may be no real salvation, but death, for any one......

Answer 5

Shooting Dogs - Shocked me for several reasons, The main one being its true! How did this happen? Why did nobody in the world do anything? The suffering of the people was the most shocking thing I have ever seen! I thought about the events of the film for days! Lets Pray nothing like this happens again..and thats why this film is my answer for this question. Hollywood Horror is a pastime! The true shocker is reality!

Answer 6

I've heard about "old boy" (Alex Joe's answer), it's been highly recommended by friends.
Depends on shocking - who saw the end of "Usual Suspects" coming (I know I went "No Way!").
The first "Nightmare on Elm Street" was a new idea.
The original "Cape Fear" is the best psychological thriller I've ever seen.
But I've never watched "Arachnaphobia" - as I hate spiders I'd find this film shocking (even though it's supposed to be crap).
Star Wars was the most shocking/stunning film of it's time (1977) due to special effects.

No short answer, maybe pick a particular shock (sex, gore, psychological) and then do a lecture on each.

The biggest "media" shock was on radio, first broadcast of "war of the worlds" put all of america into panic. national guard out the whole lot; don't know of anything so big on film.

Answer 7

I've just answered someone else's question about the worst film I've ever seen and the answer is also the most shocking film I've ever seen.

Eraserhead (1977) a film by David Lynch.

The film is supposed to be so cleverly twisted and artistic but it's rubbish and the mutant baby is disturbing and the film's pervading dark noir style is oddly punctuated by a suprising musical sequence that made me laugh out loud, but I don't think they meant for it to be funny.

What's shocking about the film is how the mutant baby exists and how the main character reacts to it and then finally watching what the main character does to the baby at the end of the film - it made me sick.

This film is very disturbing. I laughed. I cried. I shuddered and I gagged.

Answer 8

Bastard out of Carolina - even the book was shocking. To think that her mom's boyfriend was molesting her was bad, but the idea that the mom knew about it and still when it came to taking sides chose the boyfriend was very disturbing.

Pulp Fiction- which of course is an obvious choice. The entire movie was like a train wreck. It was horrifying but you just can't turn away.

But I think one that would be truly interesting to children is The War starring a young Elijah Wood and Kevin Costner. That movie covers so much. The challenges of a man returning to his family after being in Vietnam, the family is dirt poor and have to basically scratch up their meals, The young black girl, who is a friend of Costner's daughter being treated badly by the new bigoted teacher and revealing that she is molested by her uncle and paid for it, the idea of dealing with town bullies that are illiterate, live in a garbage dump, raised by a man who doesn't care what they do, and yet Costner makes Wood see that because of who they are and what they are going through, they lash out at others to make people feel their pain. And last but not least, how Costner who made it through the war, dealing with his flashbacks and nightmares, becomes a hero by saving a black man's life and ends up dying.

Even if you don't show this film to your class, it's worth watching for yourself.

Answer 9

This wouldn't work for most kids, but I had a friend in college who was shocked at the end of "The Empire Strikes Back" when it was revealed that Darth Vader is Luke's father.

I think it's shocking (as long the filmmakers don't make it too obvious) when a good guy turns out to be a bad guy, or vice versa. For example, when James Cromwell in "L.A. Confidential" shoots Kevin Spacey; and when Kevin Spacey turns out to be Kaiser Soze at the end of "The Usual Suspects."

Then there's every movie M. Night Shyamalan has ever made. Both "The SIxth Sense" and "Unbreakable" had very shocking endings.

Answer 10

The most SHOCKING film would have to be
"American History X"
"Last House on the left" (to think that it really happened. )
"Roots"
"The Color Purple" (the one with Whoppi Goldberg)
"Strange land" was out there a little crazy and
"The Clock Work Orange"
I think what make a movie shocking is that the facts of the movies like it could or did really happen, that always creeps me out. Or movies about slavery and stuff like that always shocks me because people really did that kind of stuff. Also movies about cults or Satan worshipers to think that kind of stuff happens.

Or even the Faces of Death those are real things that happen and its the most shocking thing Ive ever seen in my life I watch it with my hands over my mouth in surprise

Answer 11

The most shocking film I have seen in my lifetime has to be "The Exorcist". I cannot think of another movie that had such a profound effect. The way special effects captured the essence of spiritual evil really caught people off-guard and caused a lot of self examination. It really did shock you into questioning your own religious beliefs. I remember people talking about the movie everywhere I went and for quite awhile after.