Your best video yet. Well edited, well presented, and your commentary is engrossing and really hits the nail on the film and the erotic sub-genre. 9 1/2 weeks was the film that launched this sub genre onto mainstream Hollywood of the era, which is ironic because the film, in the US, was reportedly a box office flop and only found its audience on home video. I really like how the film addresses the pitfalls of this kind of relationship. The sexuality is heightened, the pleasure is more enjoyable, but the humility, love and respect is deteriorating…which pretty much condemns the relationship to oblivion. 9 1/2 Weeks showed this, just like Adrian Lyne’s favourite film (Last Tango in Paris) did over a decade before. Also, 9 1/2 Weeks can almost be seen as the reality check on romance in Hollywood movies in general, glossy romances such as Pretty Woman, Notting Hill etc. portray love and romance as a developing but sweet confection, and then goes in for the kill with a portrayal of love as obsessive and full blown. As much as we all wish for a perfect romance like this, it will, most likely, not only ever happen but will end in tears. The montage which is accompanied by Bryan Ferry’s Slave To Love is IMO an example of this, it all looks so light hearted, comedic and cute, but darker minds are at play and just when the montage ends, we see John feeding Elizabeth, who is a slave, but certainly not to love. And let’s not get started on the food feeding scene, yes it looks suggestive and naughty, but seriously after consuming such a mixture of foods, anyone with a weak bowl would be running to the bathroom and spending the night elsewhere. However, the glossy visuals, the minimalist design, the beautiful Jack Nitsche score, do not compensate for the pacing. I last saw 9 1/2 Weeks last year, after having not seen it in well over 20 years and I really found the film to be overlong and slow. As much as I like to gaze at a few of the scenes, the set piece between John and Elizabeth together in the leaky alleyway is an 80s aesthetic staple that makes me want to break in a pair Levi’s, the film overstays its welcome and frustration settles in for me. Whether Lyne did this purposely to frustrate the audience is debatable. Watching the film is like gazing into a time capsule and The erotic thriller (i,e, the mainstream Hollywood variety, certainly not films starring Shannon’s Tweed and Whirley) will follow suit and IMO is a genre that is very much tied to the star system of yesteryear. It was the public image and public personalities of said stars that sold the product. Basic Instinct, Sliver, Indecent Proposal, The Last Seduction, The Scarlett Letter, Color of The Night and Jade to name a few were all released within a three year period, and all had diverse stars such as Michael Douglas, Demi Moore and Bruce Willis to push the curiosity, whilst stars such as Sharon Stone and Linda Fiorentino (WTH happened to her?) had their careers kick started due to the genre... and some ruined (David Caruso in Jade) And when the star system began to ever so slowly decline, the erotic thriller genre was the first to go. Not to mention the internet certainly killed off the curiosity. In fact, the genre staggered for quite a while and with downtime, and then it wasn’t until 1999 with the release of Eyes Wide Shut that the curtain went down on the genre. Eyes whilst being sold as an erotic thriller with the It Hollywood couple of the time, is very much the deconstruction of the genre and added brilliantly a psychological angle (dreams vs fantasy vs reality) Not to mention it was the last erotic thriller of the period to have such a big scale release, (the film was released in the summer) In The Cut starring Meg Ryan came along a few years later, but it disappeared soon after. Anyhow, carry on with the great work. Your videos are fantastic👍
Great comment as always and good catch on all the films referenced. Not to mention the two Shannons. Overall it was an interesting film to revisit not perfect by any stretch but almost an art house film by Hollywood standards. I think the bravest move of Lyne’s part was not injecting a subplot into the film, there is no adultery, getting caught or film noir style murder or revenge plot like Unfaithful. Sex scenes aside, the film has substance the pacing is a bit all over the place but it was quite common in 80s movies to have meandering plots as it was before the studio execs started consuming screenwriting books and I guess people had the attention span and interest back then before the instant gratification the internet would bring (rewinding tapes instilled patience, but also explains why this movie was so popular on video too).
9 1/2 Weeks is alot more going for it than given credit for. Critics and fans only ever talk about the sex scenes. Especially when the break up of John & Elizabeth is due to their differing ideas of love. Especially when Johns idea of love is rooted in possession with the demand of unconditional surrender. And by the time he's proven wrong it's too little too late. Liz was done here.
I think it’s such an interesting and unique film. It’s visual approach is really effective at drawing us into the world of the characters which ultimately makes it stay with you once the film ends. Beyond the sensationalism, I hope over time 9 1/2 Weeks gains the appreciation it deserves.
@@MovieBirthdays The grainy cinematography does the film wonders. Elizabeth fell in love and lost herself. Then fell out of love and found herself. John lost possession then lost himself as a result.
@@Senate300 very nicely put, I wonder if John finds anything else. I was struck by how grainy the photography actually is, I remember thinking how slick the visuals were, but again revisiting the movie, it’s very gritty and realistic, almost a documentary feel to parts of it which I think adds even more to the intimacy. Most impressive of all is how Adrian Lyne balances the two styles, the film moves effortlessly between the stylish sex scenes and the naturalistic dialogue scenes.
@@MovieBirthdays Also depicted sex scenes in TV & Cinema with nudity are looked down on by most Cinephile's & critics alike as a product of the male gaze but fail to take into account that female Cinephile's that might be equally titillated but in a different manor. Sex is often scene as a distraction from the overall story rather than a contributor to it in terms of character development or decline.
Thanks a lot. Well spotted, that was there for the eagle eyed. Strangely, Duchovny continued to film his intro links for the Red Shoe Diaries TV series even at the height of his X files fame. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Thanks, I thought I would throw in a little surprise - it's a bit a of a gem and quite a unique movie. Somehow it turned into a bit of a mini epic. Glad you enjoyed it.
Your best video yet. Well edited, well presented, and your commentary is engrossing and really hits the nail on the film and the erotic sub-genre.
9 1/2 weeks was the film that launched this sub genre onto mainstream Hollywood of the era, which is ironic because the film, in the US, was reportedly a box office flop and only found its audience on home video. I really like how the film addresses the pitfalls of this kind of relationship. The sexuality is heightened, the pleasure is more enjoyable, but the humility, love and respect is deteriorating…which pretty much condemns the relationship to oblivion. 9 1/2 Weeks showed this, just like Adrian Lyne’s favourite film (Last Tango in Paris) did over a decade before.
Also, 9 1/2 Weeks can almost be seen as the reality check on romance in Hollywood movies in general, glossy romances such as Pretty Woman, Notting Hill etc. portray love and romance as a developing but sweet confection, and then goes in for the kill with a portrayal of love as obsessive and full blown. As much as we all wish for a perfect romance like this, it will, most likely, not only ever happen but will end in tears. The montage which is accompanied by Bryan Ferry’s Slave To Love is IMO an example of this, it all looks so light hearted, comedic and cute, but darker minds are at play and just when the montage ends, we see John feeding Elizabeth, who is a slave, but certainly not to love. And let’s not get started on the food feeding scene, yes it looks suggestive and naughty, but seriously after consuming such a mixture of foods, anyone with a weak bowl would be running to the bathroom and spending the night elsewhere.
However, the glossy visuals, the minimalist design, the beautiful Jack Nitsche score, do not compensate for the pacing. I last saw 9 1/2 Weeks last year, after having not seen it in well over 20 years and I really found the film to be overlong and slow. As much as I like to gaze at a few of the scenes, the set piece between John and Elizabeth together in the leaky alleyway is an 80s aesthetic staple that makes me want to break in a pair Levi’s, the film overstays its welcome and frustration settles in for me. Whether Lyne did this purposely to frustrate the audience is debatable.
Watching the film is like gazing into a time capsule and The erotic thriller (i,e, the mainstream Hollywood variety, certainly not films starring Shannon’s Tweed and Whirley) will follow suit and IMO is a genre that is very much tied to the star system of yesteryear. It was the public image and public personalities of said stars that sold the product. Basic Instinct, Sliver, Indecent Proposal, The Last Seduction, The Scarlett Letter, Color of The Night and Jade to name a few were all released within a three year period, and all had diverse stars such as Michael Douglas, Demi Moore and Bruce Willis to push the curiosity, whilst stars such as Sharon Stone and Linda Fiorentino (WTH happened to her?) had their careers kick started due to the genre... and some ruined (David Caruso in Jade) And when the star system began to ever so slowly decline, the erotic thriller genre was the first to go. Not to mention the internet certainly killed off the curiosity. In fact, the genre staggered for quite a while and with downtime, and then it wasn’t until 1999 with the release of Eyes Wide Shut that the curtain went down on the genre. Eyes whilst being sold as an erotic thriller with the It Hollywood couple of the time, is very much the deconstruction of the genre and added brilliantly a psychological angle (dreams vs fantasy vs reality) Not to mention it was the last erotic thriller of the period to have such a big scale release, (the film was released in the summer) In The Cut starring Meg Ryan came along a few years later, but it disappeared soon after.
Anyhow, carry on with the great work. Your videos are fantastic👍
Great comment as always and good catch on all the films referenced. Not to mention the two Shannons.
Overall it was an interesting film to revisit not perfect by any stretch but almost an art house film by Hollywood standards. I think the bravest move of Lyne’s part was not injecting a subplot into the film, there is no adultery, getting caught or film noir style murder or revenge plot like Unfaithful.
Sex scenes aside, the film has substance the pacing is a bit all over the place but it was quite common in 80s movies to have meandering plots as it was before the studio execs started consuming screenwriting books and I guess people had the attention span and interest back then before the instant gratification the internet would bring (rewinding tapes instilled patience, but also explains why this movie was so popular on video too).
9 1/2 Weeks is alot more going for it than given credit for. Critics and fans only ever talk about the sex scenes. Especially when the break up of John & Elizabeth is due to their differing ideas of love. Especially when Johns idea of love is rooted in possession with the demand of unconditional surrender. And by the time he's proven wrong it's too little too late. Liz was done here.
I think it’s such an interesting and unique film. It’s visual approach is really effective at drawing us into the world of the characters which ultimately makes it stay with you once the film ends. Beyond the sensationalism, I hope over time 9 1/2 Weeks gains the appreciation it deserves.
@@MovieBirthdays The grainy cinematography does the film wonders. Elizabeth fell in love and lost herself. Then fell out of love and found herself. John lost possession then lost himself as a result.
@@Senate300 very nicely put, I wonder if John finds anything else. I was struck by how grainy the photography actually is, I remember thinking how slick the visuals were, but again revisiting the movie, it’s very gritty and realistic, almost a documentary feel to parts of it which I think adds even more to the intimacy. Most impressive of all is how Adrian Lyne balances the two styles, the film moves effortlessly between the stylish sex scenes and the naturalistic dialogue scenes.
Well said👍
@@MovieBirthdays Also depicted sex scenes in TV & Cinema with nudity are looked down on by most Cinephile's & critics alike as a product of the male gaze but fail to take into account that female Cinephile's that might be equally titillated but in a different manor. Sex is often scene as a distraction from the overall story rather than a contributor to it in terms of character development or decline.
Expertly done. Bonus marks for the shot of a young Duchovny in Red Shoe Diaries.
Thanks a lot. Well spotted, that was there for the eagle eyed. Strangely, Duchovny continued to film his intro links for the Red Shoe Diaries TV series even at the height of his X files fame. Glad you enjoyed the video.
What is the name of the song that starts at the Slave to Love part of the analysis?
Outstanding review.
Thanks a lot, thanks also for subscribing - appreciate the support. 👍
This is the movie retrospective I never knew I needed in my life! Really enjoyed it and the slightly longer video flew by!
Thanks, I thought I would throw in a little surprise - it's a bit a of a gem and quite a unique movie. Somehow it turned into a bit of a mini epic. Glad you enjoyed it.
What's the synthwave song that starts around the 13th minute?
I’ll post the link here tomorrow.