Banned for Children: Only 7 films were shown in the USSR with an adult rating of 18+

Unlike modern Russia, Soviet cinemas always gave priority to domestic films. This does not mean that foreign cinema did not reach Russian audiences, but the obstacles it faced would be confusing today. This also applies to the age classification.

It’s amazing what reasons led to the following seven films being labeled 18+ – for adults only:

If the abundance of alcohol, revealing outfits and jokes about the sexual theme of ‘Some Like It Hot’ could really confuse the Soviet distributors, then no modern Russian could explain the age rating of ‘Tootsie’. A friendly and educational comedy about finding yourself through someone else’s image was banned for children and teenagers. And all because of one dress-up scene.

It’s much clearer why young audiences couldn’t watch Marriage, Italian Style. The mere description of a story about an extramarital affair with an underage prostitute could outrage residents of the USSR concerned about chastity. At the same time, the film received recognition from both viewers and critics, who awarded Sophia Loren the Moscow Film Festival Prize for Best Actress.

As for the rest of the films on the list, they all brought to light controversial themes in one way or another – sex, fraud, addiction – that seemed dangerous to the untrained minds of the younger generation. If only the censors of the past knew what kind of cinema and in what volumes would be available to young viewers today.

Photo source: Compagnia Cinematografica Champion

Author: Vasilisa Mironova