Since the 1960s, it seems that movies have broken pretty much every taboo worth breaking.
Physically, the outside and inside of all kinds of human (and other) bodies have been explored in all kinds of sexual and/or violent activity.
Socially, every perversion, foible or weirdness has been examined.
Politically, every strata has been represented, misrepresented, exploited, exposed, hidden, sublimated and subverted.
Mentally, every personality type has been explored, dissected, exploded, adjusted, swapped and abused.
Sexually, everything from homosexuality to coporophilia, foot fetishism, incest, beastiality, furry fandom, sadomasochism, and even heterosexuality has been pronged.
Racism, sexism, ageism, sizeism, and every other kind of ism has been mocked, celebrated and ignored.
In fact, Takashi Miike and Jess Franco have each busted all of these taboos. Sometimes in a single movie. (mmmmm, Visitor Q, yummy.)
So... What taboos remain unchallenged? Any at all?
Where has cinema dared to never go?
Anyone?
Posted by joey at May 30, 2006 5:03 PMHas a movie ever shown someone eating shit? I would never want to watch that (I'm sure it would make me sick), but it's one of the first thigns I thought of that I didn't really see on your list...
Posted by: Jon at June 6, 2006 3:20 AMHi Jon! Yes, I've seen that movie. It's called Pink Flamingoes. A dog shits, and a 300-pound man dressed as a woman eats it, licks his/her lips, and smiles. All in one shot. It's beautiful.
In Salo or the 120 Days of Sodom people eat human shit, but it's faked - it's really fudge.
Posted by: Joey at June 6, 2006 10:03 AMon screen killing of children is pretty rare. Dogville I think is the most recent example.....
Posted by: samm at June 7, 2006 11:44 PM
We propose that all film schools be blown up and all boring films never be made again. We propose that a sense of humour is an essential element discarded by the doddering academics and further, that any film which doesn’t shock isn’t worth looking at. All values must be challenged. Nothing is sacred. Everything must be questioned and reassessed in order to free our minds from the faith of tradition.Intellectual growth demands that risks be taken and changes occur in political, sexual and aesthetic alignments no matter who disapproves. We propose to go beyond all limits set or prescribed by taste, morality or any other traditional value system shackling the minds of men. We pass beyond and go over boundaries of millimeters, screens and projectors to a state of expanded cinema.
We violate the command and law that we bore audiences to death in rituals of circumlocution and propose to break all the taboos of our age by sinning as much as possible. There will be blood, shame, pain and ecstasy, the likes of which no one has yet imagined. None shall emerge unscathed.
http://greylodge.org/gpc/?p=493
Posted by: billy at June 14, 2006 1:10 AMBilly: Those are pretty big words for the director of Geek Maggot Bingo (Nick Zedd).
The Beth B and Richard Kern movies in that link are worth checking out.
Posted by: Joey at June 14, 2006 11:07 AM