Posted by lastlegs
(here)
I saw this movie Friday night. Until then I had never heard of the books etc. At my senior citizens center, fundamentalists dropped off written sermons of hell, fire, and damnation over this. The local paper had several letters demanding the closing of the local theater.
I told people I was going to see Jupiter Rising and I went. Prohibition always produces sold out theater and so it was. I am almost blind and have to sit way down front. Behind me were six women crunched down in their seats giggling the whole time. My take on them is they want to see if there is something they might have missed.
This is a movie where you will see what you want to see or are ready to see. I saw Last Tango in Paris at the same age and it had a much worse story. Same for the Story of O. But being young, the sex was titillating. What I personally liked about this movie is it made me remember what it felt to just feel the breathe of a beloved.
I liked the movie and I am going to buy the books. Everything else that follows will be considered spoilers.
I wasn't that impressed with guy as either a lover or an actor. I was impressed by the woman. She had a lot more courage at her age than I ever did.
She is totally and completely adult in negotiating this "contract" about what she is willing to do and why. Certainly, at 21 I did not know what a butt plug was and I don't think I could have asked to have someone explain it to me who wanted to use it on me.
The basic exploration theme of this movie is finding out who you are by what you are willing to do, who are you doing it with, and for what reasons. Doing sex is fundamentally expressing intimately who you are. These two people are intensely attracted to each other from the moment they meet. Both of them are uncomfortable about it. Both of them express it would not be a good thing but for different reasons. But the deep desire remains maybe because they both consider it forbidden.
When these two people speak to each other it is pretty direct and to the point. I was impressed by that and at that age could not have done it but then I did not have the internet to be exposed to so much. The average age of first watching porn in the US is 11. and I do not have a problem with that. less bad sex occurs when basic curiosity is fulfilled.
Addressing the criticisms I have read. Anna is not allowed to show an orgasm. I think she had multiple orgasms from the get go. Most porn orgasms are way over the top. She says to this guy, she has never had sex before because she never found anyone she wanted enough. Her relationships on the screen show men attracted to her and putting that out there and her caring about their feelings and still saying no. There are lots of things that occur that show she is not in it for the money. She specifically asks how many women before. She repeatedly asks him about why he is like this. He tells her he was a submissive with one of his mother 's friends for 6 years from the age of 15. She immediately says child abuse and he tells her what he thinks he got out of it. "It made him feel safe." That was the most incongruous statement in the movie. He also says his mother never knew. His mother referred to is his adoptive mother and his biological mother was an addict. So he claims and accepts himself as ****ed up and this is just who he is.
He is more seriously attracted to her when he finds out she is a virgin. Her innocence is both an attraction and repulsion. He is jealous, protective, and possessive. It comes across as love more than lust. She is not drop dead beautiful. She is a basic good girl who makes a decision to make love with this guy. The first go around is normal love making leaving him so exhausted that he does not keep his normal policy of not sleeping with a woman. She gets up invigorated and makes him breakfast. He comes across as amazed that now that he has "possessed" her, he is still aroused by her. He allows them doing some normal things that he considers bonuses.
She is always psychologically resistant to him. Attracted to him, wanting him, maybe even loving him but absolutely not willing to be subsumed by him. unlike every other S/M book,video etc. she asks him why do you want to hurt me, why do you need to hurt me to love me. He never has a reason except that is who he is.
She tells him several times that she is only willing to experience this to understand him. Finally, she says do your worst so I don't have to think about it but will know what it is. Nothing in the movie is really what I would consider violent only a from of ritual play acting that may amuse some people. Panning the play room was pretty interesting. There were lots of things I wish I had known about and could afford when I was in my 30s--tantra chair and couch, great bed, nice swing. My bias in favor of this movie is I love sex and I like imaginative sex and intensely physical sex. I am also very quiet which for me increases the intensity.
But for the record I could never do S/M. Tried it once and the minute he tied me, he who I loved I immediately hated. When he kissed me I bit him badly and we never did that again.
At the end of his doing his worst, she says is this what you wanted--seeing me like this in pain and humiliated. She says no thanks. Returns everything. They are both calm and extremely polite.
Their goodbyes are Anna and Christian, the elevator doors close and the movie ends.
What I saw was interesting and timely and gives me hope for the new generation. I will read the books to see what else I learn.
50 Shades of Grey – Pedophilia Hiding In Plain Sight
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