No lasting Power (9.1/2 Weeks (DVD))

Member Name: fooyoo

Product:	9.1/2 Weeks (DVD)
Date:	07/02/04 (167 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Boosted careers

Disadvantages: Not as watchable as you would think

When it was released, '9 1/2 Weeks' caused a lot of controversy, and was one of the most talked about films of 1986. Watching it now feels a little voyeuristic, but it can no longer claim to have the shock value it has 18 years ago, and I am sure the makers of film would never make that claim, as they know viewers have become a lot more broad minded. It was a ground breaking film in many ways, and it certainly paved the way to successful careers for the two stars Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke. The success was short lived for Rourke, but without this film I doubt he would have been famous for as long as he was.

Basinger plays art dealer Elizabeth, who has a chance meeting with the mysterious John, played by Rourke. The early stages of their relationship involve John wooing Elizabeth, and luring her into a comfort zone which Elizabeth finds irresistible. When he has Elizabeth at his beck and call, he starts to challenge her boundaries, by persuading her to undress and involve in sexual activity in places that she has not considered before. She allows herself to be blindfolded, and then led into an unknown situation which turns out to be the now legendary, and regularly spoofed scene where John feeds Elizabeth different types of food, where the only light is that from the open fridge.

Elizabeth becomes hooked on the feelings that John arouses in her, and slowly starts to distance herself from her friends as he demands more and more of her time and attention. Eventually, he is all she has in her life, and he takes advantage of her vulnerability by forcing her to submit to him and degrade herself by allowing herself to be ordered around. Their previously passionate lovemaking starts to take a sinister turn, and the line between consensual sex and rape becomes blurred, because it is not initially clear whether or not Elizabeth enjoys the danger rather than being afraid of it. Eventually Elizabeth realises that this relationship is not as health
y as it should be and she is forced to make some difficult decisions.

The film has a pretty poor plot, and it attempts to to make soft porn more acceptable by adding some background to the characters. It tries to get into the minds of Elizabeth and John, but they end up nothing more than flat two dimensional characters as their actions don't sit well with the kind of people they are portrayed as. The interaction and attraction between the two was explained as nothing other than animal attraction, but in reality, it was not even that, as it ends up looking too staged and ultimately completely cheesy. In my opinion, Zalman King produced the film with the idea that the content would be more important than the performances, and after watching the film again recently, I believe that strongly. He seems to be a one trick pony, as he went on to produce copycat films, 'Wild Orchid' and 'Two Moon Junction. The sex is not really that risque, and the flesh on show is minimal, and no more than you can see at any Superbowl!!! Adrian Lyne should have been a stronger director, and he could have taken this film in a totally different direction and made it enjoyable, interesting, and more respectable than it has become.

I think both actors received publicity due to the nature of the film rather than their performances, as they are nothing special, and rode the crest of the wave of publicity created by the subject matter. Basinger looks older in this film than she does now, and the over made up character of Elizabeth does not do her talent justice. I was only 11 when the film was originally released, but I can see why her pouting lips and heaving chest could make her a highly desirable actress at that time. Rourke is watchable, but only just, as I found him too creepy, and just wanted Elizabeth to wise up to him and his sleazy plan. The remainder of the cast are ultimately forgettable, and none of them have gone onto bigger and better things as a resu
lt of this film.

The soundtrack is not a favourite, although the Joe Cocker classic 'You Can Leave Your Hat On' is a welcome inclusion, and it used predictably in a stripping scene. Visually, it is a very dark film, as the majority of scenes take place at night or in unlit rooms, and at times this made it difficult to watch, and it is just not my chosen style, as it gives the film an overriding feeling of depression.

This is film whose reputation precedes it, but ultimately it is disappointing

Summary: