Movies often distort our perceptions of sexuality. While porn is usually the target of these accusations, other movies may also contribute.
Skyfall’s shower scene (an impossibility without slip and lube stick in real life) to Ana de Armas’ full lips in Joy Ride are both instances where movies get sexuality wrong.
1. Quentin Tarantino
Tarantino has become famous for creating iconic films like Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Django Unchained and Inglourious Basterds – but rarely include romance or sexual scenes in his movies due to both their lack of relevance to his vision of cinema as well as their difficulty to shoot. Tarantino has commented on this decision by noting how such scenes don’t serve his vision and are cumbersome to filming.
He made these remarks during an interview with Diari ARA when asked why his movies do not include nude scenes or sexual content. In response to that question, he said „sex is not part of my vision of cinema,” adding „it can be hard to shoot”.
Tarantino would hardly qualify as a conservative; his films earn their R ratings due to violence, profanity and sexual references. Yet when asked why he doesn’t include any explicit sexual scenes in his movies because they wouldn’t add value, his answer seems honest enough.
He has created some unforgettable scenes with sexual tension in his films, such as Pulp Fiction when Vincent Vega takes Mia Wallace out for a night on the town and they dance closely together without actually touching on the dance floor, exuding an intense sexual attraction through their movements on the floor.
Unknown is whether or not he will introduce sexual scenes into future movies, but he is currently prepping his 10th and possibly final film, The Movie Critic, featuring Pauline Kael as a 1970s female movie critic. Production on this acclaimed work should begin this fall. No official synopsis has been provided but you should expect similar action-heist drama, spaghetti western and violent crime thriller elements like his previous acclaimed works have.
2. Gaspar Noe
Gaspar Noe is one of cinema’s enfant terribles, an artist known for creating bold avant-garde movies exploring sexuality, drugs and violence. Since his groundbreaking debut with I Stand Alone he has continued pushing boundaries through erotic visuals, sexualized scenes and fetishistic characters.
Love is Noe’s latest film; an engaging 3D flick that follows an American student living in Paris (Karl Glusman) while experiencing onscreen and real-life sexual encounters, including unsimulated sex scenes, cum shots and threesome encounters – yet this explicit content never feels pornographic!
Noe’s film succeeds because of his adept translation to images and cinematography by Benoit Debie. Debie’s choice of framing (e.g. close-ups of penis or body part) and editing (black blinks between scenes add an erotic atmosphere) are brilliant, not forgetting how Noe evokes emotions with his powerful translation of speech into images. Furthermore, its characters’ strong emotions as well as many scenes’ beautiful haziness add further layers.
Noe is well-known for creating striking visuals in his films. But in Vortex – his most mature movie yet – instead of depicting overt sexual provocations as in previous works, Vortex depicts the aging process with stunning realism and beauty.
Noe’s filmmaking is undeniably bold and innovative; however, not everything works perfectly. His amateur or non-actor cast often doesn’t live up to their potential; their dialogue is often pretentious or overwrought; there are some moments of comedy (such as when Murphy names his son after himself), but ultimately this film falls short of expectations. Noe is nevertheless one of our most intriguing filmmakers – hopefully we will continue seeing what surprises lie in store with future releases – check out more here!
3. Jean Genet
Jean Genet was a renowned French novelist and playwright as well as an essayist, poet, political activist, poet laureate and vagabond before turning his talent towards writing in 1986. Born in 1910 and dying 26 years later – known for themes of illusion and oppression found throughout his works – and having briefly taken part in theft before turning towards writing.
Many movies depict unrealistic sex scenes and are frequently accused of depicting pornographic material for doing so. Most depictions feature over-the-top grunting and moaning as opposed to communication during sex sessions – there’s rarely any talk of birth control, STI prevention, boundaries or sexual requests – along with no nonverbal communication like leading your partner’s hand into position or breathing heavier when they reach it.
Recent trends in movies show an increasing focus on authenticity when depicting sexual scenes, from American Honey’s unabashed sexuality to Booksmart’s awkward awkwardness; there has been an emphasis on portraying more natural, realistic sex scenes onscreen.
Sex Ed is an unconventional romantic comedy about an underemployed Education graduate who finds work at a bagel shop and discovers that his students lack fundamental knowledge of their bodies and sexual development, leading him to start a sex miseducation class in order to address this knowledge deficit. He is supported in his mission by both his roommate and her girlfriend’s sassy black landlady; both are fully supportive of him as he works to teach his students how to love themselves. Unfortunately, during the film one student’s parent becomes overprotective and must have „The Talk” with their son; another experiences first period panic which prompts him to call Ally for assistance. Regardless of these setbacks, classes continue successfully – even training other Sex Ed teachers from around the country!
4. Jens Jorgen Thorsen
Thorsen was an influential Danish director, actor and jazz musician whose works caused considerable controversies. His movies regularly challenged convention. His collaborations with Jorgen Nash as part of the Situationist International Movement as well as his avant garde paintings featuring nude women were part of that movement; additionally he belonged to Papa Bue’s Viking Jazz Band.
Quiet Days in Clichy was an adaptation of Henry Miller’s novel that caused an uproar upon its initial release. Critics decried its portrayal of Jesus in a sexually explicit manner, leading to protests and ultimately prompting resignations of board members at Danish Film Institute.
movie sex scenes often fail to portray realistic communication between partners, with over-the-top grunting and moaning being the norm, along with no discussion of birth control, STI prevention, boundaries or desires being discussed between partners. Nonverbal communication such as subtly guiding one partner’s hand toward its target or breathing more heavily when that hand achieves its aim is also often absent – another major oversight.
Films often depict unrealistic sex depictions; yet some of them can still be quite hot! Looking for something entertaining yet provocative for your date night or sexy drama? Take a look at these movies that challenge our perception of what sex should look like!
5. Lars von Trier
Lars von Trier is one of cinema’s most contentious directors. The Danish enfant terrible helped pioneer the Dogme movement during the 1990s and his work is often met with either admiration or revulsion from audiences alike. His movies can often be hard to interpret – for instance, last year’s Blue Is the Warmest Color featured sex scenes which were sexually explicit while remaining humorous at once.
Nymphomaniac, however, is something different altogether. At two hours long and featuring Charlotte Gainsbourg as Joe (a sexual addict), her tale as told to Seligman (Stellan Skarsgard) is both tragic, provocative and wild – as well as full of graphic sex imagery.
Pre-release buzz surrounding this movie proved unfounded, however. While its two volumes contain plenty of nudity and graphic sex, the experience wasn’t nearly as fetishistic as some had predicted – it often features dark humor to lighten its contentious themes.
Nymphomaniac does not lack technical finesse, however. Von Trier uses various filmmaking techniques to accentuate its surreal, dream-like atmosphere – including different aspect ratios, black and white photography and an onscreen text that illustrates metaphors – while his cast excels. Unfortunately, however, the film never quite comes together cohesively – Volume I frequently shortchanges drama and characters for bizarre sidetracks about Eastern and Western churches; Volume II never fully expands upon these thematic associations or wraps Gainsbourg’s story into an satisfying conclusion.