Film Review: Fifty Shades of Grey

Official Promo image, Universal Pictures
Official Promo image, Universal Pictures

by John Gish…

A cultural bomb is going off daily at the Regal Cinema here. The just released “Fifty Shades of Grey” will forever change the sexual mores of America.  It’s a provocative, erotic drama of a hot, young couple embarking on what is known as a consensual, dominant-submissive sexual relationship, which is nothing new to hip metrosexuals, who survived the 60’s and the AIDS pandemic. I would not recommend it to be viewed by teen-agers.

The stars were thankfully unknown to me, lending an almost documentary effect to the intense drama: Dakota Johnson as Anastasia, a graduating college English major (of course) and Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey, the instigating alpha-male, who’s a 30 something business mogul. They literally held the packed house – riveted in their seats without a snicker – in palpitating bondage to the couple’s unfolding journey into a world which is barely mentioned in polite society.  I’m sure there’s going to be a rush on our local and other kink shops all over the country.

Based on E.L. James recent best-selling novel of the same name, it was directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson on a screenplay by Kelly Marcel.  In the long run I hope it earns more money than “American Sniper”, which is pure, murderous violence masquerading as patriotism.  The active-passive milieu in Fifty Shades is based on total, mutual consent to sexual pleasure. There were no victims or casualties. This should in no way to be confused with pornography which usually stresses sexual relations in a predator-victim scenario.  Rape is a crime and not an agreement.

What keeps the movie together is whether Anastasia will sign a binding (sic) contract with Christian to submit to his every wish, which he says is his pleasure. He says he adores her and only wants to giver her pleasure, which he does in abundance and to her own amazement.  Yet, being an honest college grad, she finds it repugnant to literally sign away her freedom.  Normal people sign away their freedom when they marry.

I know that I and most of the audience were hoping she’d sign it – for her own pleasure. Perhaps the signing of the contract will be the subject matter of the sequel already in the works. Or, maybe she’ll reverse the roles?  “Fifty Shade of Grey” opens up a new vistas of – or dimensions to – private, mature, ecstatic human interactions. The audience seemed visibly enthralled by what I think is an ethical break-through for sexual civil liberties.   Couples leaving the theater were not the same as those I saw entering it. They seemed genuinely closer and more intimate. While the camera-person did not dwell on the couple’s nudity per se, he knew how to capture the actors’ ecstasy with breath-taking results. The film reveals porno as distorted, cruel male view of human sexuality. Also, it makes  the film industry’s heretofore sexy love stories seem silly and contrived, rather than an intense, psychological drama about mutual commitment and satisfaction.

Safeword: Yellow.

Very truly yours,

John N. Gish Jr.

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3 thoughts on “Film Review: Fifty Shades of Grey

  1. A complex, fascinating review–even liked the asides. I’d thought this was a silly movie, all about the man’s being rich and gorgeous, making it mild lady-porn.

    But I hope you’re accurate, John, because, based on your review, I’m going to see it.

  2. My reply just got tossed into cyber space, so I’ll try again. I enjoyed your review, John, and your clear and concise statements, especially in clarifying that unlike porn, which is a victim dominated scenario, there are no victims in Fifty Shades of Grey, and there was no crime, such as rape. I haven’t decided whether to see the movie – probably will wait for it to come to HBO, if I do – but I did not see your review as “trash” and from the trailers I’ve seen of the movie, it also looks artfully produced. Thank you, as always, for your thoughtful comments!

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