9 ½ WEEKS
US, 1986, 104 minutes, Colour.
Mickey Rourke, Kim Bassinger, Margaret Whitton, Karen Young, Christine Baranski.
Directed by Adrian Lyne.
9 ½ Weeks is a film about sexual obsession. It was co-written and produced by Zalman King (writer and director of Two Moon Junction). It is based on a novel by Elizabeth Mc Neill - about two young people, up and coming in their careers of business and art galleries, in contemporary New York. It is a film of the '80s. The couple are glamorous, chance encounter, infatuation, sexual passion with the touch of sadism. The man is dominant, smiling yet cruel, the woman is submissive yet wanting to be independent.
While the theme is interesting, the film has a long length and is often tedious to watch. Critics were quite merciless towards the film - commenting on the attractiveness of the couple, the lack of passion in their affair, their inability to articulate their communication with each other. While some of this is true, it is not the full picture. Mickey Rourke is the man, Kim Basinger is the woman. Direction is by Adrian Lyne, who was to go on to fame with Fatal Attraction. With a background in commercials and music video, the film is a highly stylised and artificial presentation of life in New York, using the quick and stylistic impressions of television.
1. Impact of the film? People, affair, sexuality, mutual dominance and submission? The reputation of the film, the validity of criticisms?
2. A New York story, yuppies, careers, apartments, relationships, sexuality?
3. New York City as location, the work places, the markets and streets, the interiors? Authentic atmosphere? Songs and musical score?
4. Adrian Lyne and his television background, video style? The contrivance of lighting, camera shots and compositions, design, sound? The realism and lack of realism of the style of the film?
5. The introduction to Elizabeth, the art gallery, her roommate, the market, the buying of the fish? The encounters with John?
6. The introduction to John, wandering, smiling, charm, a touch of the smug? The emergence of the violence with the touch of the vicious? At work?
7. The relationship in nine and a half weeks? The attraction between the two, their company, the sexual attraction, friendship, their talking together, invitations to apartments, initial awkwardness, the development of the friendship, the development of the sensual encounter, the sexuality? The touch of bondage, the blindfold, the rough treatment? The passionate affair? The places for their encounters, apartments, elevators, rooves, etc? The link with sequences of eating? Clothes, getting undressed? The sensuality of the bodies? Elizabeth and her striptease routine for John? The clock at the top of the building? The credibility of the affair, the development of the relationship, psychologically, physically, sensually?
8. The effect of the affair on each of the two, love and lust, emotional relationship? The interspersing of the sequences with seeing each of them at work, with their friends, doing business? Elizabeth's visit to John's work, his secretary? Elizabeth and her friends at the gallery, their advice?
9. The decline of the affair, the effect on each, Elizabeth moving away? Their futures?
10. A valid exploration of relationships in contemporary society? With the contemporary permissive style?
