The 1970s were a fantastic time for filmmaking, although of the manycontroversial moviesreleased during this era, audiences occasionally missed the overarching point. This was the decade of the New Hollywood movement, which meant filmmakers were given increased artistic control, and movies became more personal, socially relevant, and layered. This allowed for thought-provoking and iconic releases byall-time great directorslike Martin Scorsese and Stanley Kubrick, although it also meant audiences had more opportunity to misinterpret the films.
While it’s true that all cinema is subjective and viewers can take whatever meaning they like from a movie, many of thebest movies of the 1970shad deep layers of messaging that don’t always get brought up in general discussions around the films. Whether it’s a social critique that’s mistaken for a satire of something else or controversies that clearly don’t consider the point the film was trying to make,controversial movies don’t always get the credit they deserve.
10The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Directed by Tobe Hooper
It’s understandable that audiences of the 1970s had a visceral reaction toThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre, as this trailblazing slasher pushed the horror genre beyond anything that had previously been seen. However, behind the excessive gore and deranged chainsaw-wielding murder, there were deep layers of meaning for those who chose to unpack what it had to say.Beyond the villainous characterization of Leatherface lay a fascinating critique of economics, societal decay, and the horror of abandoned people in America.
It’s no accident that the Sawyer family that Leatherface came from were victims of the economic collapse and decline for rural communities seen in post-Vietnam War America. The deranged mentality of Leatherface was not formed in a vacuum, and the excessive violence enacted against young people far more privileged than him signaled the way the United States population had become increasingly fractured throughout the 20th century. With its weapon,The Texas Chain Saw Massacreequates people to cattle, to be rounded up and slaughtered, metaphorically, of course.
9Dirty Harry (1971)
Directed by Don Siegel
The vigilante justice of Inspector Harry Callahan has been viewed as a celebration of a righteous avenger who chooses to take down the crooks by any means necessary, yet this misses the point ofDirty Harryentirely. While Harry can be viewed as a typical antihero,Dirty Harrygoes much deeper and acts as a critique of the entire law enforcement system that he’s a part of. With a shoot first, ask questions later mentality, Callahan’s biggest issue was not with the criminals themselves but with the bureaucratic red tape that consistently stood in the way of him doing his job.
Dirty Harrywas not a movie about criminals getting away with murder but an exploration of a legal system that does not know how to handle crime properly. Callahan must ignore the law in his pursuit of a criminal named Scorpio, who wasbased on the real-life Zodiac Killer, because this crook understands the law and knows how to bend it to his will.Dirty Harrywas a movie about policing itself and a world where justice is not black and white.
8Blazing Saddles (1974)
Directed by Mel Brooks
While many people have uttered the common phrase “you could never make Blazing Saddles today,” this fails to understand what this Western comedy was trying to achieve even back in 1974. While looking back onBlazing Saddlesthrough a contemporary lens, a lot of the racial humor and edgy, offensive comedy may appear jarring; the truth was it was pushing these boundaries for a reason.Blazing Saddleswas shocking even back thenbecause its mission was to force audiences to confront their own biases and truly reflect on the depictions of race in Hollywood.
WhileBlazing Saddleshad plenty of racial humor, the joke was on the racists and not the other way around, as every bigoted character in the film was portrayed as a total idiot.Blazing Saddlessatirized the whitewashing of Westerns in Hollywood and exposed how the genre traditionally ignored the complex issues of discrimination in America. As a critique of performative progressiveness and buried prejudices,Blazing Saddles’humor was anti-racist, and this was the aspect of the film that went over many viewers' heads.
7I Spit On Your Grave (1978)
Directed by Meir Zarchi
The revenge horrorI Spit on Your Gravewas hugely controversial upon release and majorly divided film critics to the point thatRoger Ebertdescribed it as “a vile bag of garbage.” While the guttural reaction many had to this film was understandable, as it depicted a violent sexual assault against a woman and her ruthless revenge against them, instead of being viewed as exploitative trash, it can be read as a nuanced exploration of the cyclical nature of violence.
Camille Keaton gave an extraordinary performance as Jennifer Hills inI Spit on Your Grave,and while many might see her revenge as her enacting a power fantasy and a moment of female empowerment, the truth is her revenge does not bring healing or satisfaction. Instead,I Spit on Your Graveshowcased how violence only leads to more violence. As a grueling, upsetting, and deeply uncomfortable portrayal of non-stop killing,I Spit on Your Gravewas a relentless depiction of the destructive and cyclical impact of misogyny and male violence.
6Pink Flamingos (1972)
Directed by John Waters
The trailblazing countercultural filmmaker John Waters has been consistently misunderstood throughout his fascinating and unique career, withPink Flamingosbeing perhaps his most divisive film. As part of Waters’Trash Trilogy, which also includedFemale TroubleandDesperate Living, many dismiss this movie as gross for the sake of grossness. With the drag queen Divine playing a character self-dubbed “the filthiest person alive,”Pink Flamingosintentionally pushed audiences outside of their comfort zonein order to dismantle the conservative viewpoints of 1970s suburbanites.
Pink Flamingoswas a grotesque critique of fame culture, as competing factions try to become the “filthiest.” This was a hilarious metaphor for the desire for fame and recognition. InPink Flamingos,the characters crave recognition, and they don’t care that it’s for something that would widely be considered a disgrace. As youth culture has become increasingly focused on how they present themselves on social media and gaining recognition through influencer culture,Pink Flamingoshas only become more relevant.
5Monty Python’s Life Of Brian (1979)
Directed by Terry Jones
Upon release,Monty Python’s Life of Brianwas immediately met with outrage, accusations of blasphemy, and even bans in multiple countries. This visceral reaction proves that those who were opposed to the film failed to even give it a fair shot and recognize that rather than being an attack on Christianity, the film was a satire on fanaticism in general. The way thatBrian’s life aligned with Jesus Christwas a hilarious way of addressing those who mindlessly follow others while misinterpreting their actions.
Rather than taking aim at those with deeply held religious faiths,Life of Brianinstead targeted bureaucracy, groupthink, and human foolishness. From hilarious lines like “only the true Messiah denies his divinity” to worshipping a dropped sandal as a “holy relic,” the ridiculousness at the heart of this film was in the absurd way that humans organize around beliefs. The truth was thatLife of Brianhad far more to say about the social and political issues facing everyday people in the 1970s than anything to do with biblical times.
4Rollerball (1975)
Directed by Norman Jewison
The sci-fi movieRollerballdepicted a future where corporations have replaced countries and an ultraviolent sport has become the recreation activity of the world. While to manyRollerballlooked like yet another dystopian movie that deconstructed the pitfalls of glorifying violence, the film was actually a chilling takedown of corporate power and how individualism can be eroded through spectacle.
The gladiatorial sport at the heart ofRollerballshowcased a sport where corporations pushed its citizens to conform, and Jonathan E.’s (James Caan) defiance showcased that, to those in power, individuals don’t matter. With this,Rollerballshowed how corporate control can be even more destructive than government oppression, as its invisibility allowed it to propagate unchecked. As a chilling warning not just about the future of sports but also about allowing increased corporate control in all aspects of life, this was a satire with a point to make.
3Network (1976)
Directed by Sidney Lumet
When taken at face value, Sidney Lumet’sNetworkappeared to be a critique of television sensationalism and how modern media values entertainment over truly informative content. However, this was just a surface-level analysis,and the real point ofNetworkgoes much further to deconstruct the entire system of capitalism itself. While audiences remember Peter Finch as the longtime news anchor Howard Beale’s' seething “I’m mad as hell” speech, it was the aftereffects that have had a much deeper satirical point to make.
Networkbegan with Beale in a state of turmoil after being fired from his anchor job due to a decline in ratings, and rather than go away quietly, he decides to use his last news report to go on an angry tirade against the entire system. This moment of genuineness saved his job, as it caused a spike in ratings, although the results were that his critique of modern media was then commodified for commercial gain.Networkshowcased how those who rail against the system can simply be taken in by it to become just another cog in the machine.
2A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick’s AClockwork Orangewas hugely controversial when it was first released, as its graphic violence and depraved content led to it being banned in several countries. However, the violence at the heart of this Anthony Burgess adaptation was not simply meant to shock viewers but instead to encourage them to question state oppression and unchecked sadistic impulses. While the leader of a gang of “droogs,” Alex DeLarge’s sharp wit and appreciation of classical music may have come across as cool, it’s important not to get caught up in the stylized violence.
A Clockwork Orangeshowcased the absolute extreme of two sides of the same coin. In the beginning, Alex was a menace to society, only for him to be subjected to shocking levels of torture on behalf of society. The message ofA Clockwork Orangehighlighted that totalitarianism was just as depraved as criminality, and it was hypocritical for citizens to accept one while bemoaning the other.A Clockwork Orangeforced viewers to confront their own bias and the inhumane way official systems treat people, with lawbreaking not being enough of a justification to literally destroy someone psychologically.
1Taxi Driver (1976)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
The biggest mistake many viewers make when watching Martin Scorsese’s 1970s classicTaxi Driveris to perceive Travis Bickle as anything close to a heroic figure. WhileRobert De Niro gave an exceptional performanceas a man who was rightfully disillusioned by the societal erosion he witnessed every night driving his taxi, how Travis enacted his vigilante justice in a murderous rampage were the actions of a deeply unstable man. Rather than being a hero who got “scum off the streets,” Travis embodied the natural endpoint of isolation, toxic masculinity, and violent delusion.
While iconic moments, such as the “you talkin’ to me” scene or a mohawked Travis gunning down pimps and johns to save a child prostitute, feel like the actions of a badass action hero, within the grounded reality ofTaxi Driver, they were truly tragic. The dreamlike ending appeared to hail Travis as a redeemed hero beloved by society, yet the actual result was a violent outburst similar to the same kind of depravity he was riling against. By trying to save the day, Travis just added to the litany of crime and murder that had overtaken his city.
