Have you ever watched a sex scene where the couple doesn’t touch? Although I do not recommend this movie, I find the main “sex scene” in 40 Days and 40 Nights very interesting. This movie is entirely about sex (or the act of trying NOT to have it), yet the three main sex scenes are so varied and unusual, it makes this movie very intriguing. The main character, Matt Sullivan (Josh Hartnett) vowed to give up sex for Lent (giving off Christian values, yet in a very un-Christian setting and without the normal “rules” of Lent) and ends of meeting Erica (Shannyn Sossamon) at a laundry mat, and of course, falls in love.
This first sex scene is of Matt getting it on with a girl while he envisions the ceiling collapsing around him because of his unresolved issues of an ex-girlfriend (and the reason for his sex-strike). We are apparently supposed to feel bad for the poor stud that can have sex with whoever he wants, whenever he wants, because it’s simply tearing him up inside.The second sex scene I find interesting (SPOILER ALERT) is at the end of the movie when his ex-girlfriend tries to rig the office-pool going on and ties Matt to the bed to rape him. It is interesting that in this rape scene Matt is forced into nonconsensual sex, but the depiction involves no negative consequences for the rapist, and makes the victim appear to be at fault. She wins the money and leaves him there for Erica to find. Nice girl, eh?
The last scene I want to explore is the most interesting (watch scene here), and possibly the only one in the movie with actual human emotion (and somewhat decent acting). Since Matt has sworn off any sexual contact (including kissing), him and Erica use a flower to express the way they feel about each other. Clothes come off, which you think would make it harder for Matt NOT to sleep with her, but instead of focusing on his needs, he focuses on hers (a nice change from most movies). Petals fall, and the sensation of Matt blowing the petals across her, apparently makes her orgasm (yea, not very believable, but makes for a highly sexual scene without sex).
This is a very interesting notion in mainstream media, because this is one of the very few sex scenes that contains no kissing, no touching, (and no awkward/fake grinding) yet appears very sensual. Can we even call this a “sex” scene if there is no actual sex taking place? What then, are the elements needed to create a sex scene, and where did those notions come from? …Any thoughts?
5 comments:
I was hoping Erica would turn to Matt at the end and say "Oh shit, I'm allergic to Orchids."
Shannyn Sossamon named her son Audio Science.
wtf?
For that, she should have been allergic to orchids. She deserves it.
To answer your question you pose at the end of this post, a scene can definitely be a sex scene without the actual act of sex.
...Just try watching this movie with your Mother.
Haha, I was actually going to be getting into the "awkwardly placed" sex scenes when they come out of nowhere and you are mysteriously thirsty and have to go to the kitchen to "get a drink" because there is nothing worse than watching sex scenes with your parents..
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