Cannes Film Festival 2022: discomfort, nausea… These films that disgusted the Croisette

No, the Cannes Film Festival is not all about glitter and stars. While this great celebration of international cinema often only leaves the memory of magnificent moments, between wild applause at the end of the screenings, unforgettable stair climbs, prestigious outfits and upscale evenings, we must not forget that some films have significantly shocked public opinion. As the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival draws to a close, back to the feature films that have not been unanimous… or in the wrong direction.

Between very touchy film aesthetics, questionable artistic choices, scandalous political subjects, unacceptable positions, several films have been shouted down by critics since the launch of the Cannes Film Festival. The first one who caused a scandal is called “Night and Fog”, by Alain Resnais. Released in 1957, only 32 minutes were enough for the control commission to demand censorship of this feature film dealing with the Second World War. It must be said that the director did not hesitate to trivialize the extermination of the Jews by the Nazis. Three years later, in 1960, it was the turn of “The good life” by Federico Fellini from suffering criticism. The reason ? A film considered vulgar and decadent, without any intellectual interest which will have earned the Italian director to be… spit in the face.

Last year, the diffusion of Titanium caused a horde of nausea and discomfort

Comes the year 1987 with the famous film “Under Satan’s Sun”, by Maurice Pialat. The latter received the Palme d’Or under the intense whistling of the assembly because the film, dealing with a country abbot plagued by doubts, was considered boring and pretentious. “If you don’t love me, I also tell you that I don’t love you either”, had claimed the French director. Logically, the work “Crash” by David Cronenberg was also shouted down at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival. During the screening, many spectators left the room, judging the film far too vulgar and violent.

More recently, two other productions have not won unanimous support: “Antichrist” by Lars Von Trier and “Titanium” by Julia Ducournau. The first, in 2009, was only pornography, violence, neurosis and decried religion. Whistled during the screening reserved for the press, in particular for her genital mutilation scene, the film still earned Charlotte Gainsbourg the prize for Best Actress. The second, presented last year (2021), shocked by its violence, its radicalism and its breathtaking body horror. No, the Cannes Film Festival is definitely not all glitter.

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