The 10 Most Controversial Movie Directors of All Time

Controversy has always been a huge part of cinema. In some cases, directors will often push boundaries on purpose and challenge societal norms, in order to spark lasting discussions. In others, filmmakers lead dark lives out of the limelight, which leaves an indelible mark on all of their projects. Whether these are allegations of sexual assault, abuse, or racism, many innocent people have fallen victim to the self-interests of Hollywood's most powerful. So, here are 10 directors who are known for their controversial careers.

10Stanley Kubrick

Warner Bros.

Throughout his career, Stanley Kubrick attracted controversies in various ways. Kubrick was stated to be a perfectionist by many, and because of this, he wasn't afraid of going to great lengths to get that perfect shot. In fact, he broke a world record on the set of The Shining, after it took 127 takes to get Wendy's swipe at Jack with a baseball bat right.

Wendy's actress, Shelley Duvall, lost a lot of skin on her hands from how long she had to hold the bat, and was heavily dehydrated. Kubrick also pushed his team to ignore Duvall and her needs, leading her to become severely emotionally scarred from her time filming The Shining.

9Lars von Trier

Trust Nordisk

During several points in his career, Lars von Trier has shown that he loves attention. In 2011, he provoked the Cannes Film Festival by jokingly claiming to be a Nazi, and that he 'understands' Hitler. His comments led him to be banned from the festival for around seven years, after which he was invited back to showcase his film, The House That Jack Built. On top of his tone-deaf humor, Von Trier's filmography has also contained harmful depictions of misogyny, child murder, and sexual assault.

Additionally, Von Trier has a reputation for the mistreatment of his lead actresses. Bjork, who worked with Von Trier on Dancer in the Dark, stated that Von Trier "needs a female to provide his work soul. And he envies and hates them for it. So he has to destroy them during the filming. And hide the evidence." Nicole Kidman also had a hard time with Von Trier while shooting Dogville and attempted to quit the production numerous times, though she has since stated the pair are still good friends.

8Ruggero Deodato

United Artists

The late Italian director, Ruggero Deodato, is best known for his extremely controversial movie, Cannibal Holocaust. At the time it was made, the cannibal sub-genre was huge in Italian exploitation films. The film was shot as a mockumentary in the Amazon Rainforest, following a crew who set out to study the area's cannibalistic tribes.

Deodato received backlash and was charged for the film's depiction of animal cruelty, in which real animals were killed on camera. The film's gore and violence felt so real, that Deodato was arrested on suspicion of murder, and forced to prove that the fake documentary crew were alive and well.

7Alfred Hitchcock

Universal-International Pictures

While considered to be one of the greatest directors of all time, Alfred Hitchcock still faced many controversies. He has been subject to many sexual misconduct allegations, primarily involving The Birds actress, Tippi Hedren. The actress' granddaughter, Dakota Johnson, has claimed that Hitchcock mistreated her because she didn't want to sleep with him.

This led to the inhumane conditions she was subjected to while filming The Birds, resulting in physical injuries. When Hedren started shooting Marnie with Hitchcock, she claimed he would touch her inappropriately, and threatened to ruin her career when she wanted to leave her contract with him.

RELATED:Directors Who Were Murdered Or Imprisoned For Their Films

6Bernardo Bertolucci

United Artists

The most scrutinized part of Bernardo Bertolucci's career is his treatment of Maria Schneider on the set of The Last Tango in Paris. First and foremost, the film features an incredibly lengthy and graphic sexual assault scene, involving the use of butter as a lubricant. The scene is heavily violent, aiming to be as disturbing as possible to shock viewers. Schneider stated in an interview with the Daily Mail that the scene hadn't been in the original script, and it wasn't until the day before filming that Bertolucci told her about it.

Throughout the disgusting sequence, it's clear to see that the emotions displayed by Schneider's character aren't fake. While the on-screen sexual assault wasn't real, Schneider has stated that she still felt sexually violated by her co-star, Marlon Brando, and Bertolucci. This appeared to be the sadistic intent of the director, who stated that he "wanted Maria to feel, not to act." This has led to a huge discussion on what allows men in Hollywood to abuse their stars for the sake of 'authentic' cinema.

5Larry Clark

Shining Excalibur Films

Larry Clark has pushed boundaries throughout his filmmaking career through his grotesque depictions of sex and violence. His debut movie, Kids, features children engaging in underage sex, sexual assault, and drug abuse. While his works attempt to explore the peer-pressure that teens face as well as their sexualities, his films ultimately come across as heavily exploitative.

Some have argued that his work is raw and authentic, but predominantly, Clark is accused of glamorizing a lot of the issues his films highlight. This has led to people describing his films as child pornography, with Clark making each of his films more controversial with each release.

4Bryan Singer

TriStar Film Distributors International

Bryan Singer is most heavily renowned for his work on The Usual Suspects and the X-Men movies, which garnered him critical acclaim. However, various allegations of sexual abuse have surfaced, both on-screen and off. Singer first received a lawsuit in 1997, where he was accused of asking minors to shower naked in a scene for Apt Pupil. At the time, it wasn't clear whether the case was dismissed or settled out of court, but as the years went by, more troubling claims came to light.

In 2014, 2017, and 2019, Singer faced numerous allegations and lawsuits. All of Singer's accusations involve minors, which Singer declared was a result of homophobia from the press. Additionally, author Bret Easton Ellis has claimed that two of his partners attended underage sex parties hosted by Singer. As a result, Singer was removed as a director from Bohemian Rhapsody, as well as numerous other projects that the director was attached to.

3D.W. Griffith

David W. Griffith Corp.

Considered as the father of modern cinema, D.W. Griffith brought in-depth narrative storytelling and editing to cinema. While his innovations are heavily admired, his techniques were unfortunately displayed through the abhorrent film, The Birth of a Nation. Considered to be the most racist film ever made, Griffith's legacy will be forever tied to this hateful work. Griffith used his talents to perpetuate harmful ideologies, taking a positive approach towards lynching, and that the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) will 'save' America.

The film was a direct retaliation to the results of the Civil War, with Griffith arguing through its narrative that he didn't believe black people should be given rights. He emphasizes this through his use of harmful stereotypes, and heroic portrayal of the KKK. As a result, violence against the black community started occurring across various cities in the US, leading to numerous protests. While heinous, Griffith's work is a great opportunity to examine to moral responsibilities that are inherent to storytelling.

RELATED:10 Directors Who Broke The Law To Make Great Movies

2Woody Allen

Sony Pictures Classics

Despite his many controversies, Woody Allen doesn't seem like a director Hollywood are ready to let go of just yet. Allen's allegations of sexual misconduct go all the way back to the 1980s, when he began a relationship with actress, Mia Farrow. After 12 years together, Farrow discovered nude photographs taken of her adoptive daughter, Soon-Yi Previn, by Allen. At the time, the filmmaker was in his 50s, whereas Previn was in her early 20s.

Following this shocking discovery, the pair's adopted child, Dylan, claimed that Allen had molested her at a young age. While witnesses declare truth to Dylan's claims, Allen has vehemently denied them. Not long before, Previn and Allen confirmed their romantic relationship, which led to a lot of media scrutiny thrown at Allen. Despite the accusations and his immoral behavior, Allen has still freely made films in Hollywood, although his reputation remains undeniably tarnished.

1Roman Polanski

Paramount Pictures

Roman Polanski is known for his films such as The Pianist and Rosemary's Baby, as well as his marriage to Sharon Tate. While several high powers in Hollywood have used their positions to abuse others, Roman Polanski's is easily the most famous case of this. In 1977, Polanski was charged with drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl named Samantha Gailey. She first encountered the director when her mother asked him to take pictures of her, an experience which Gailey claimed made her incredibly uncomfortable.

The abuse took place following a second shoot together at Jack Nicholson's home while the actor was away. As a result, Polanski pleaded guilty to his lesser charges, in order for his more serious ones to be dismissed. After learning he was likely to be convicted of his crimes, Polanski fled to France, avoiding extradition to the US. He has never been held accountable for his crimes, with numerous people in the film industry signing the infamous Polanski petition to see him freed. Polanski has also faced other sexual assault accusations from Charlotte Lewis, Renate Langer and Valentine Monnier.