By Henry Corrigan (Guest Blogger)
If there is one thing I
have learned from all my years of watching too many movies, it is
this; Poorly executed sex scenes are like disappointing orgasms. All
of the essential components may be there, but no one walks away
happy.
Sex has been a guiding
influence on the life of cinema since the day it was born. From the
earliest kinetoscopes to today’s digital film, seduction, eroticism
and all forms of sexuality can be found. The world’s first moving
pictures were actually shorter than some of today’s YouTube videos.
But despite their brevity, they were no less powerful or scandalous.
In 1884, Eadweard
Muybridge’s “The Human Form in Motion” was meant to be a test
film. It showcased the human body as it performed certain menial
tasks, such as swinging a tennis racket or walking down stairs. Each
subject, both male and female, was filmed in the nude. One could ask
why nudity was necessary, but then one would have missed the point.
The earliest distinctly
erotic films took this idea a step further. They involved women,
usually clad in an elaborate costumes, dancing provocatively before
slowly stripping. But “A L’Ecu d’Or ou la Bonne Auberge” (I
will give a dollar to the first person who can help me pronounce
that), is described as the world’s oldest surviving hardcore
pornographic film. Created in 1908 in France, it has absolutely no
plot to speak of. It treated the original audience, most likely male
since films such as this were predominantly screened in brothels, to
the view of a woman pleasuring herself with a dildo, then later
engaging in a passionate threesome with another woman and a man.
The oldest surviving
American pornographic
film is titled “A Free Ride”. Created in 1915, the plot revolved
around a wealthy business man who, while on a drive through the
country, has sex with a pair of prostitutes by the side of the road.
The film was directed by A. Wise Guy, written by Will She and
photographed by Will B. Hard. (I am not in the least bit kidding
about this.)
Putting aside the gonzo
porn attitude for a moment, let’s focus instead on the key
difference between the two movies.
In “la Bonne Auberge”
the main character is a woman, firmly in control of her own
sexuality. She not only pleasures herself, but enters into a
threesome purely of her own volition. “A Free Ride” however,
focuses solely on the man’s pleasure and eschews any depiction of a
sexually assertive woman.
While neither film was
created with women in mind, this disparity does reveal a certain
cultural hesitancy when depicting female sexuality. Further evidence
can be found in the fact that the first female orgasm wasn’t
introduced to the silver screen until many years later.
“Ecstasy,” the big
screen debut of Hedy Lamarr in 1933, was no where near as graphic as
it could have been. In fact, though Ms. Lamarr was nude for a
significant portion of the film, when it came time for the pivotal
love scene, only her face was shown as her costar brought her to
earth shaking…well, the title kind of gives it away, doesn’t it?
Since “Ecstasy’s”
release, Hollywood’s decency boundaries have expanded to the point
where nudity is now practically considered the norm. It is truly the
rare actress whose film credits do not include being nude, or near to
it, in at least one film. Just as it is rare to find a major actress
who hasn’t taken a turn as the scream queen of a horror movie, or
the protagonist in a romantic comedy. But while nudity and sex may
have become common, the female orgasm is still capable of causing
controversy.
In 2010, “My Blue
Valentine” caused a stir, not so much due to its content, but
because of the Motion Picture Association’s reaction. In the weeks
before its premiere, the film was given an NC-17 rating from the
MPAA, which is basically the kiss of death in cinema. This meant that
no syndicated theater would screen the film, which killed any chance
the movie had at the box office. When the producers asked why, they
were told it was due to the graphic sex scenes, which included a
realistic depiction of a man giving a woman oral sex. At the time
this seemed strange since, that same year, several horror movies of
the torture-porn variety passed through the censors without any red
flags. It was only later, pressured by both the producers and cast,
that the MPAA lowered the rating.
“Blue Valentine” is
not the only sexually conscious film to cause a stir in recent years.
Others such as “Blue Is The Warmest Color,” “Black Swan” and
the soon to be released “Nymphomaniac Volume I,” all bear the
same markings. It is also no coincidence that this move towards
realistic sex scenes runs parallel with the rise of the strong female
main character.
Now more fully fleshed out
and believable female MC’s are capable of not only spearheading
their own films, but also blockbuster franchises. And along with this
rise has come a natural decrease in the audience’s ability to
accept Tab A into Slot B sex. Movies which depict a woman going from
kiss to orgasm in sixty seconds or less are now lambasted as
chauvinistic and blatantly sexist. Well rounded characters don’t
have unrealistic hanky panky.
There are those who say
that the attempt to depict sex more realistically on screen is proof
of a loss of morals in society as a whole. But in actuality, the
exact opposite is true. By heeding the wants and needs of women as well as men, cinema has shown not only a greater maturity and
respect, but also a solid business plan. It makes no sense to
alienate half of your potential customers by offering a product
which doesn’t appeal to them.
After all, while a sex
scene that turns a man on can be stimulating. But a scene which also
excites the woman sitting next to him is…well, honestly. Is there
anything better?
About the Author
Henry started writing erotica for the
same reason that gets most people into trouble; Because of a girl.
Several years ago he decided to turn his passion into a professional
career. By day, Henry is a full-time federal employee, and by night a
student working towards an MBA in healthcare. Whatever time he has left
over, is devoted to family and writing. His work has been featured at
everynighterotica.com and twice in the ERWA Gallery. He is currently at
work on two novels. Updates and randomness can be found on twitter,
@HenryCorrigan. More of his work can be found hanging in The Cave at
henrycorrigan.blogspot.com.
