RATED X

US, 2000, 110 minutes, Colour.
Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Terry O'Quinn.
Directed by Emilio Estevez.

Rated X is the story of the pornography film directors, the Mitchell brothers, Jim and Artie. The film was made for American television, the Showtime Channel, so, in some ways it is more reticent than it might have been, had it been made for the big screen. The film can be seen in conjunction with Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights, the acclaimed look at Californian pornography film-making in the '70s and '80s.

Martin Sheen's two sons, Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen, have worked together before in such films as Men at Work. They work particularly well here together, under Emilio Estevez’s direction. They put more energy into their performances than their real-life counterparts might have deserved.

The film shows the young boys and their background, the domination by their father, who urged them on to a philosophy of winning at all costs. Jimmy, the older, always protected Artie. As they grew up and became involved in film production and moved into pornography, they made a number of films including Behind the Green Door, which gave pornographic films some kind of legitimacy in distribution during the 1970s. They owned their own theatre in the San Francisco area.

The film, however, shows their deterioration, their drug addiction, Artie's instability in his marriages, Jimmy always protecting his brother, even to finally shooting him and serving time for voluntary manslaughter.

The film is a quick glimpse into the world of San Francisco in the '60s to the '90s, and a sad story about wasted lives.

1. The impact of the film? Biography of pornographers? Setting them in American society of their period? A commentary and critique of their lives?

2. The San Francisco and New York settings? The re-creation of the '60s, '70s and '80s? The musical score and songs?

3. The screenplay's stance towards the Mitchell brothers, observing them as people, their rise and fall, their moral and amoral attitudes, their film-making, film distribution, clashes between themselves and fraternal rivalry, the protectiveness of the older brother, the influence of their father, the clashes with the Mafia? The court cases, Artie's final deterioration and Jim's shooting him? Commentary, approval, disapproval, critique?

4. The title and the focus on pornographic films? Their place in American society up to the '60s? The proliferation, the theatres, the audience, the changing moral attitudes? The police and arrests, court cases, defence of civil liberties and free speech? The hung juries? The exasperation of the police? The transition from small films to feature films and the Mitchell brothers becoming celebrities, Marilyn Chambers as a star? The move to live sex show clubs? The film's comment on the world of pornography, people using it, moral attitudes, proliferation in a more permissive age?

5. The two brothers when young, Artie being punished, Jimmy defending him and taking responsibility? Their father punishing Artie, his taking his two sons with the gun to threaten a debtor? His continued philosophy of life, win at all costs, even use violence? His continued approval of his sons' careers, going to the premieres, following their success? Their mother, bewildered, accepting anything that her husband and sons told her? Their father's death and its impact on the two brothers?

6. Their career, Jimmy and his student film of the protest, The Hippies? The film lecturer labelling it pornography and claiming that it was merely a device to distract, was childish? The move to buy the studio, the first films, his friends, the actors? The successes? Artie's visit and Jim inviting him to be a partner? Their work together? The buying of the cinema, refurbishing it?

7. Jim Mitchell in himself, ambitions, love for his brother, father and mother, for Adrienne? His care of his brother, the fiasco of the direction of Behind the Green Door and his taking over? The cocaine addiction, the drinking? Nervousness at premieres? Making further films, Sodom and Gomorrah? The clash with the Mafia, confronting the Mafia chief? Arrested, in court, Artie forgetting to bring the bail? The clashes between the two, friendships? Jim deciding to dry out, going to his sister-in-law's? Taking responsibility for Artie, banning him from the club, the final phone call, shooting him?

8. Artie, the spoilt younger brother, always being let off, defended by Jim? His conscientious objection to Vietnam, going to Germany, joining with Jim? Their work together, the high life, drugs and drink, women? His meeting Meredith, his marrying her, their daughter? Her exasperation and leaving him? His affairs, meeting Karen on the set, marrying her, the children? His paranoia about her tennis lessons and the coach, her leaving him? Forbidding him to see the children? His growing mental imbalance, almost drowning with the boys at the beach, Jim considering committing him? The final raging phone calls? His being shot?

9. The women, Meredith and her Cape Cod background, attracted by the brothers, marrying Artie, the family, supporting him? Finally unable to stay? Her continued support of Jim, especially in his getting clean? Karen, on the set, flirting, Artie and his dramatic proposal? The children, her final exasperation and forbidding him to see the children?

10. The lawyer, the court cases, the defence of freedom of speech? Jim seeing the lawyer finally to forbid Artie the club?

11. The actors, Marilyn Chambers coming, her audition, performance, becoming a celebrity? The auditions? The girls, the actors?

12. The father, his influence on his sons, the mother's lack of influence?

13. A satisfying glimpse of sleazy subject, sleazy characters? Perspective?