Depictions of sex, sexual liberation, violence, murder, lust and lust for power were the red flags leading to adult ratings on these remarkable films. The Academy did not shy away from awarding excellence in filmmaking where it was deserved. Coppola, Bertolucci and Tarantino are directors who took risks and told their stories with unforgettable clarity and creativity. Last Tango in Paris earned Bertolucci andBrando individual Oscar nominations. Pulp Fiction was nominated for 7 Oscars including Best Picture and won an Oscar for Best Original Screen Play.

Last Tango in Paris, (Ultimo tango a Parigi), 1972, originally rated X in 1973; edited version rated R in 1981; edited version rated X in 1982; rating symbol changed to NC-17 in 1997 for some explicit sexual content. Bernardo Bertolucci shocked the world with this explicit portrait of an older man (Marlon Brando) who seeks a clandestine affair with a young French woman (Maria Schneider). Considered a work of art, this movie pushed the conventional boundaries by depicting this relationship that is based soley on sex.

The Godfather Part III, 1990; edited version rated R for violence and language. This is the worst of the Godfather trilogy directed by Francis Ford Coppola but the story would not be complete without it. Mafia don Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) tries to legitimize his family empire, which has been built on crime and violence. It is a masterpiece that brings the saga of the Corleone family to its conclusion in the late 1970’s. This series of movies lifted a veil of secrecy that had obscured a version of the world of the Mafia and created a fascinating revelation of these riveting characters.

Henry & June, 1990 (first title to be rated NC-17 was the first feature released with the revised NC-17 rating instead of an X-rating. It is based on truth and stars Uma Thurman as Henry Miller’s wife who is bisexual, Henry Miller’s (Fred Ward) friend Richard (Kevin Spacey) and Anais Nin (Maria de Medeiros). This movie explores the very liberal sexual orientations of these artists.