Year: 1992 Rated R Genre: Detective, Murder Mystery, (Erotic, Psychological) Thriller Language: English Runtime: 2:08:00 Director: Paul Verhoeven ☆ Main Cast: Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, Jeanne Tripplehorn
Notable Mentions: Sharon Stone as Catherine Tramell
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I group this film with the Fatal Attraction, the Disclosure. Fatal Attraction was nominated for six Academy Awards at the 60th Oscars, while Basic Instinct was nominated for just two awards at the 65th Oscars. I thought Basic Instinct was far superior than Fatal Attraction. Sharon Stone was a standout. She was sexy. She was bad. Sharon Stone looked like Hong Kong actress, Joey Wang. Google Joey Wang, then picture Joey with blonde hair. That's Sharon Stone. I can't believe Sharon Stone was relatively unknown at the time. I read on Wikipedia that Michael Douglas was not happy with casting Sharon Stone, because of her lesser known status. In addition to acting her butt off, Sharon Stone showed her boobs and vulva in the film. The woman gave so much for just a half million payout, while Michael Douglas made a whopping $14 million. Women really do work more for less.
Not all nude and sex scenes are equal. Nude and sex scenes done right can enhance a film. On the other hand, meaningless nudity, sex scenes downgrade a film. In some films, it's so obvious that the director/ producer incorporated nude and sex scenes for shock value. Check out my film. It's got nudity and sex. It's edgy. For serious, mature adults only!
South Korean film, The Treacherous, is the worse offender of distasteful nudity. The entire film is sex. To the point the director may as well go make a porno. It was vile. Uncomfortable to watch. So many what the fuck scenes. There was a dramatic exchange between the King and his trusted advisor. The King was in distress. The Royal Consort walked in. The King ripped open her dress and began to suck on her breast, like a baby. Meanwhile, the trusted advisor knelt beside the king, crying. Like what the fuck was that scene? What purpose did the nudity serve? Okay. If that's recorded in history. Fine. But I don't think that's the case. A grown man, a King, sucking on a woman's breast in broad daylight. That's fetish. That's included for shock value. I can't reason otherwise.
There was another scene where two concubine candidates were in a pleasure giving contest. They had to give each other pleasure and the first person to reach orgasm loses. This even sounds like porn. Meanwhile, the King was painting them and the Royal Consort and the trusted advisor watched in the background, intensely. What was the expectation from the viewers? Should we be turned on? Should we root for the protagonist? Don't climax. Hold out for a little longer. Like that? Just utter ridiculousness. I can't believe that's a serious film. And above are just two examples of many.
Basic Instinct is a film where nudity is done right. That iconic, maybe infamous, scene in the interrogation room. Catherine Tramell flashed her vulva. That was not sex. That was a display of power. Power over that room. She got every man in that room, every man and woman in front of the TV screen wrapped around her fingers. Catherine Tramell knew exactly what she was doing. That was no accident. She didn't forget to wear underwear. She also didn't forget she wasn't wearing underwear. It was not planned. Neither was it spontaneous. It's who she is. A psychopath. A game maker. She's the main character. We're just her pawns. That brief nude scene is an example of nudity done right.
