Cheryl Tiegs and Chloë Sevigny star in the controversial film from director Vincent Gallo.
Movies often get branded as ‘controversial,’ yet few stir up as much uproar as this particular film did.
Forget the debates over whether the new “Lion King” should be called live-action—this movie sparked intense reactions.
It led to a film critic being insulted as a ‘fat pig’ and the director facing boos at his own premiere.
This controversy mainly stemmed from a scene where the director, who also starred in the film, had his co-star perform real oral sex on him, making it the film’s most notorious moment.
The movie in question is “The Brown Bunny,” directed by and starring Vincent Gallo, a filmmaker known for creating divisive films.
It tells the story of a motorcycle racer, played by Gallo himself, who journeys across America.
He meets various women along the way, trying to distract himself from his lingering feelings for his true love, Daisy, portrayed by Chloë Sevigny.
When it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival, the reactions were as divided as they could get.
Supporters from Gallo’s circle claimed the film was met with a 10-minute standing ovation.
Gallo and Sevigny.Sony
In contrast, other attendees reported that boos filled the air whenever Gallo’s name appeared onscreen.
Roger Ebert, a legendary film critic, was particularly critical, labeling it the ‘worst’ film ever shown at Cannes.
This criticism led to a highly publicized feud between Gallo and Ebert, with Gallo sharply calling Ebert a ‘fat pig with the physique of a slave trader’.
Ebert countered with his trademark wit, saying watching a colonoscopy would be more enjoyable than “The Brown Bunny.”
He acknowledged his weight issue humorously, noting, ‘one day [he] will be thin, and [Gallo] will still be the director of The Brown Bunny.’
The conflict cooled down somewhat when Ebert reviewed a re-edited version of the film more positively, giving it three out of four stars.
The film’s most talked-about scene involves Sevigny’s character performing an unsimulated blowjob act on Gallo’s character.
Sony
Here’s a spoiler, though: the scene turns out to be just a vision—it never really happened in the story because Daisy had actually overdosed years before.
So, while it was depicted in the film, it technically didn’t occur within the film’s narrative but did happen in reality.
It was also revealed that Sevigny wasn’t the first choice for the role. Jennifer Jason Leigh was initially offered the part but declined, citing her relationship status at the time.
While actors often manage kissing scenes without much drama, one can imagine that this particular scene might have been a tougher pill for a partner to swallow.
