As a film enthusiast who has spent countless hours watching and analyzing movies from various cultures and eras, I find it incredibly inspiring to see how contemporary female directors are pushing boundaries and challenging societal norms through their work. The story of Alix Diwan’s “Emmanuelle” is a perfect example of this trend, as she dares to explore female desire and pleasure in a way that subverts traditional male-dominated narratives.
2021’s Venice Film Festival featured an exceptionally high-profile and sensual selection of films. Apart from the scorching temperatures that affected attendees, the program was packed with movies carrying a strong sexual undertone. Notable examples include “Babygirl,” starring Nicole Kidman, and Luca Guadagnino’s “Queer” starring Daniel Craig. Meanwhile, Audrey Diwan’s “Emmanuelle” is making its debut at San Sebastian, while Alain Guiraudie’s “Misericordia,” which premiered at Cannes, is being shown at numerous major festivals this fall.
However, similar to the character portrayed by Kidman in “Babygirl,” who reacts strongly when something significant is involved, modern erotic films in 2024 no longer exist solely for entertainment purposes as they used to. Instead, they are crafted to challenge norms and dismantle stereotypes primarily focusing on female and LGBTQ+ characters.
The film “Babygirl,” helmed by Dutch director Halina Reijn (“Bodies Bodies Bodies”), explores the intricacies of female sexuality and consent, themes that resonate in our current post #MeToo era. Meanwhile, “Queer” featuring Craig and Drew Starkey, delves into traditional views about homosexuality, masculinity, and self-acceptance, challenging these perceptions.
Nicole Kidman, renowned for her captivating performances in films like “Eyes Wide Shut” and “The Paperboy,” which often tackled sexually charged themes, spoke at the Venice press conference for the movie. She mentioned that the director, Reijn, employed a unique “female gaze” approach, which inspired her to tell a story that was empowering for women. The narrative touches upon several subjects, including marriage, truth, power, and consent.
As a passionate movie enthusiast, I’d say, “In the captivating film ‘Babygirl,’ I found myself drawn to the protagonist, a powerful CEO whose immaculate professional life and family are turned upside down when she becomes entangled in a passionate affair with an intern, Harry Dickinson. This man, intriguingly, unearths her deepest desires.”
“Kidman stated at a press conference that the film, which is written and directed by Halina Reijn, feels uniquely powerful to her because it’s being handled by a woman. She added that this material resonated deeply with their shared intuitions and provided a sense of liberation.”
In an interview with EbMaster, Venice programmer Alberto Barbera highlights that the narrative of “Babygirl” reflects the cultural evolution and power imbalances between genders, which were triggered by the emergence of the #MeToo movement in 2007. As Barbera explains, a similar storyline involving a woman in a relationship with a much younger man within a professional setting would have had a drastically different outcome if it had been depicted 20-30 years ago. In such an earlier time, the female character would likely have faced consequences for her actions that could be considered punishments.
The film likewise explores infidelity, a theme often portrayed from a male perspective, stereotyping female characters as either virtuous or dangerously promiscuous, with iconic instances like the classic thriller “Fatal Attraction” starring Michael Douglas and Glen Close. In contrast to this pattern, it’s a younger man who poses a threat to the sanctified family in “Babygirl.”
In a different take inspired by William S Burroughs’ novel, the film “Queer” stars Craig as William Lee, an American living in 1950’s Mexico who develops feelings for a seemingly straight man, Drew Starkey. Through the story, Craig’s character acknowledges his past struggles with accepting homosexuality and hints at Eugene possibly suppressing his true feelings to fit societal norms. Unlike the subtle “Call Me By Your Name,” “Queer” includes some graphic sex scenes, with Craig and Starkey aiming to make these scenes as genuine and authentic as possible.
As a cinephile, I’ve noticed that filmmakers like Guadagnino have played a significant role in revitalizing the genre of erotic films with masterpieces such as “Call Me By Your Name” and “Challengers.” In recent years, there’s been a strong puritan influence, leading to intense debates about representation and what is or isn’t acceptable. However, Guadagnino argues that eroticism has never truly left the world of cinema. He believes that great films are inherently erotic at their core.
However, over time, erotic movies, once abundant in theaters during the 1990’s, have grown harder to find, particularly in Hollywood. This trend is largely due to the movie industry’s focus on profitability, as is often the case with such decisions.
Karina Longworth, a film expert and the host of “You Must Remember This” podcast, suggests that the explosion of erotic films in Hollywood during the 1980s and early 90s was an expression of ‘flattery through imitation’.
In the world of Hollywood, it’s often assumed that what has worked before will work again. Consequently, when films such as the 1987 hit ‘Fatal Attraction’ start to rake in profits, we tend to see a surge of similar movies over the next five to six years.
Following the release of Adrian Lyne’s “Fatal Attraction,” Michael Douglas found himself strongly linked to the thriller genre, leading to subsequent successful ventures such as Barry Levinson’s “Disclosure” and partnering with Sharon Stone in Paul Verhoeven’s blockbuster “Basic Instinct.” This film earned $352.9 million globally, making it the fourth-highest-grossing movie of 1992. However, not all of these projects reached similar heights in success.
Verhoeven’s sequel “Showgirls” is often described as a failed attempt to recreate the success of “Basic Instinct,” according to Longworth, who delved into adult-themed movies from the ’80s and ’90s in an entire series of her podcast.
“According to Longworth, ‘Showgirls’ and ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ both ended up losing a significant amount of money while also becoming instant punchlines. Before they were released, there was much speculation surrounding these movies, yet many people didn’t get a chance to view them until just before their release. The audience was let down due to the films being vastly different from what they had expected, which resulted in a lot of financial investment that wasn’t recouped.”
“She points out that when most actions revolve around earning money, it’s logical to avoid such situations. This is because reaching as many people as possible becomes crucial in these circumstances.”
Over the past three decades, an escalating amount of adult content online has diminished the chances for erotic films to thrive in theaters.
According to Longworth, there’s a feeling of separating these acts (sexual depictions) into specific areas, such as watching them privately at home or with your companion.
Even now, as streaming platforms create chances for additional earnings for adult-oriented films, distributors remain careful when purchasing movies featuring explicit sexual content, preferring traditional theatrical releases instead.
Distributors like Dylan Leiner at Sony Pictures Classics often believe that films are rarely adapted for theaters because audiences prefer to watch them at home. However, there are exceptions, such as Sam Taylor-Johnson’s “Fifty Shades of Grey,” which was based on a bestselling book and had a pre-existing fanbase. Leiner notes this. SPC did purchase Paul Verhoeven’s provocative thriller “Elle” from Cannes in 2017, and while it earned Isabelle Huppert an Oscar nomination along with numerous other accolades, its box office performance was modest (grossing approximately $12.4 million worldwide).
There’s also the assumption that erotic films aren’t made for a “collective experience,” a notion that Frederic Boyer, the artistic director of Les Arcs and Tribeca film festivals, refutes. Boyer says he showed Reijn’s subversive 2019 film “Instinct” starring Carice van Houten at Les Arcs Film Festival and it proved to be a highlight of the selection. “People really loved it and came out of the theater looking happy. It was a memorable screening,” Boyer says.
Apart from other factors, a significant challenge for directors in creating erotic films lies in the apprehension of portraying sexuality in an inappropriate manner or mismanaging sex scenes post the #MeToo movement.
Known for causing controversy, filmmaker Abdellatif Kechiche – who is straight – faced allegations regarding the handling of an explicit scene during the production of his lesbian romance film “Blue is the Warmest Color”. Actresses Lea Seydoux and Adele Exarchopoulos claimed that the 10-day long sex scene, which was largely improvised, was mishandled by Kechiche. Critics also accused him of employing a “male gaze” perspective.
Established male directors such as Verhoeven, von Trier, Noe, and others have not let obstacles prevent them from creating erotic films in Europe, with examples like “Elle,” “Benedetta,” “Nymphomaniac,” “Antichrist,” “Love,” and “Irreversible.” These movies premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. However, it appears that emerging filmmakers like Reijn, Diwan, Guadagnino, and Guiraudie are now taking the lead, producing films that resonate with a younger audience. Guiraudie’s most renowned work, “Stranger by the Lake,” stood out at Cannes in 2013 due to its explicit content and examination of queer desire. Guiraudie explains that the movie struck a chord because it touches on a universal aspect of intimate experiences. While it focuses on gay characters, the film is actually about desire and mortality, themes that affect everyone.
However, in an industry that’s largely male-dominated, female filmmakers innovatively exploring eroticism continue to encounter obstacles. Diwan, set to debut “Emmanuelle,” inspired by Emmanuelle Arsan’s renowned erotic novel, for the opening night of the San Sebastian Film Festival, encountered “hesitance” regarding this project.
The movie narrates the journey of a woman seeking a missing joy, and it was designed to delve into the theme of joy, as opposed to fulfilling a typical male fantasy, as earlier “Emmanuelle” films did.
Diwan expressed her desire to explore the concept of modern women, not as a youthful girl, but as a 35-year-old woman, delving into her journey. However, this approach was met with discomfort by certain individuals. She shared that she received warm encouragement from her producers and Pathe in France, yet there was an ongoing struggle within the industry. Diwan further mentioned the debate revolving around onscreen enjoyment and also the portrayal of a woman’s satisfaction.
Manlio Gomarasca, a film producer and editor-in-chief at Nocturno Cinema, explains that Diwan might have upset some people because prior to her project, all the ‘Emmanuelle’ films were directed by men for primarily male viewers. Consequently, they all portrayed a masculine perspective when depicting the sensuality and unrestrained sexuality of women.
Fundamentally, Diwan belongs to a contemporary group of female filmmakers who portray themes of sexuality, sensuality, and intimacy within the context of the #MeToo movement.
According to Gomarasca, films like “The Substance” directed by Coralie Fargeat and “The Balconettes” starring Noemie Merlant highlight an intriguing trend in contemporary French cinema: the peak of objectification of the female form is found predominantly in movies created by women. Moreover, these erotic films frequently incorporate a political message.
Despite worries about potential losses, some distributors are choosing to back daring new projects, especially when they involve well-respected directors and high-profile actors. For example, at the Venice Film Festival, A24 – the company releasing “Babygirl” on Christmas – acquired “Queer” before its world premiere.
Matteo Rovere, known for directing Netflix’s “Supersex” and presenting the movie “Diva Futura” at Venice in competition, expresses his confidence that the market can now accommodate these works.
In “Diva Futura,” Rovere describes how, as erotic films make a comeback, filmmakers are striving to keep their narratives engaging, their methods innovative, and their artistic expression ever-evolving – all while communicating with audiences in a completely novel way.
Guiraudie anticipates that the exploration of personal relationships in film may become more prevalent in mainstream movies, not only in European cinema but also in Hollywood. This is due to the fact that we reside in an era that is progressively focused on individualism and self-interest.
“According to Guiraudie, artists and the market both have fresh territories to delve into, and he questions whether mainstream cinema can sustain itself solely with Marvel productions. He suggests that there’s too much repetition and over-exploitation of remakes, sequels, and prequels in the industry. As a result, he believes the market should seek alternative sources of excitement. One such area could be eroticism,” (paraphrased from the original text)
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2024-09-06 11:18