Role of Sex in Current Films and Representation

[filmsforever]

It is interesting to see how the main stream portrayal of sex has changed. The role it plays and the way the rules change.

 

[Bob Kessler]

Controversial subject.

In my opinion most of the time it is gratuitous T&A, the producers encouraging the audience to hope for a look at a major star in the buff.

In some films it is essential to the plot. The first feature on which I did sound design (Johnny Montana) had a lot of full frontal sex scenes, but it was a gritty portrayal of a mans degeneration into the world of paid sex partners. The film earned the Soundpost Award, Best Production Award, Best Feature Award at the 2006 Moondance International Film Festival and the Silver Spotlight Award for Best Debut Feature at the 2006 Australian International Film Festival.

I could go on with a list of other films that had gratuitous sex scenes, and others where it was needed to advance the story, but 90% of the time it is not really needed.

 

[filmsforever]

Required

Required

I think sex is important. I think that the way we deal with it is the key to how acceptable and effective the message is. Boy meets Girl, Boy meets Boy? Girl Meets Girl, Boy and Girl Meet Boy or Girl... It happens to be there in every story on some level. It might not mean copulation scenes but it is there.

 

[humptydude04]

As I've heard it said, all things are related to sex and death. If you think about it, everything relates back to sex (or tangentially related gender roles) because filmmakers create the personalities of their characters to match their image of the characters' gender. For example, a man writing dialog for a woman may seem innocent enough, but it will most likely be colored with the writer's perception of women and their behavior.

As all of you were saying, though, I agree that on-screen sex is rarely as important to the story as major motion pictures tend to make it.