The only thing worse than a woman undergoing emotional and physical abuse onscreen is listening to a gaggle of middle-aged mothers and wives “ooh” and giggle along.
Based on the British erotic romance novel “50 Shades of Grey,” the movie adaptation came out this Valentine’s Day weekend. Regardless of the fact that the movie as a whole was a colossal disaster, it made $81.7 million in the box office over the weekend.
“50 Shades” follows Anastasia Steele, a virginal, college senior and soon-to-be graduate at Washington State University, who conducts an interview with the billionaire, entrepreneur Christian Grey because her roommate, Kate, has the flu and needed this interview for the student newspaper.
As one might imagine, Christian Grey starts to pursue her like prey. He shows up at the hardware store where she works to buy rope and tape (yes, subtle), picks her up drunk from a club and eventually prompts her with a sex slave-esque contract where he takes her to his “red room of pain” for her to be the submissive to his dominant, rather than any sort of dinner or movie date.
Romantic, right? Wrong.
“50 Shades” covers all of the classic signs of domestic abuse: Isolation — he removes Ana from family and friends, including showing up to her family gathering without permission during the only time she visits her mother; emotional numbness — the contract prohibits Ana from touching Christian in a nonsexual way, including sleeping in separate beds; controlling behavior — his contract includes everything from what Ana can eat to what she’s allowed to say; and so on.
Yet, this story is deemed OK because Grey is portrayed as a sexy billionaire and he can’t help it because he’s “fifty shades of f---ed up.”
Aside from the twisted messages spewed throughout the film, the way the story was portrayed onscreen was embarrassing. For a film that’s labeled as “romance/drama,” no two characters will ever have romantic chemistry this bad. While the sex scenes are meant to be steamy, they’re truly uncomfortable to watch — but not because of the soft-core porn aspect.
Quotes like “I don’t make love, I f--- hard” are just in bad taste. There’s nothing sexy about that kind of dialogue. Low budget pornos have more believable lines than that, and the robotic give and take between Ana and Christian doesn’t remotely cover the emotional spectrum needed to make this storyline plausible.
During the sex scenes, she’s not Anastasia — she’s Dakota Johnson, an actress visually uncomfortable and concerned with the job she signed a contract to do. In an interview that’s been circling the web, Johnson admitted filming this movie was “emotionally taxing.”
Throughout the film, there are only a few scenes that actually take place in this “red room,” and they are uncomfortable to watch.
There’s nothing wrong with kink, but that’s not what “50 Shades” represents — it’s watching a sociopathic man whip an uncomfortable and confused woman with leather tools, and somehow it is supposed to be sexy. She writhes in pain and ends up in tears at one point, making these not only uncomfortable, but also difficult to sit through.
The actual BDSM community has rejected and distanced itself from “50 Shades of Grey.” In an article by The Guardian, BDSM members described it as “very dangerous” and “an instruction manual for a psychopath.”
“50 Shades” is a horrifying portrayal of a deeply troubled relationship — it glorifies a controlling, abusive man’s treatment of a woman who is left tormented by the end of the movie. The most disturbing aspect of this film is that there are now women fantasizing about men like this, when they should be running far, far away.
Aside from the fact that “50 Shades of Grey” is a shame to talented moviemakers everywhere, the emotional and sexual abuse showcased in this movie makes it a disgrace and a terrible influence on audiences.
According to the CDC, 20 people per minute in the U.S. become victims to physical violence by an intimate partner. Domestic violence is a fundamental issue that is alive and well today, and the last thing society needs is a blockbuster film that disguises, showcases and glorifies it.
Out of respect for women that have fallen victim to men like Christian Grey and are now either living in fear or are dead, please do not waste your money on this movie.