FIFTY SHADES OF GREY IS PSEUDO-PORN BUT HIGHLY POLITICAL
All films are political because there is a power structure, and Hollywood traditionally belittles those in power. The film Fifty Shades of Grey, based on a recent novel by E. L. James, has never before been analyzed by political scientists, who will soon realize that the female lead, Anastasia Steele (played by Dakota Johnson), is in control of the situation all along, pretending to be submissive while experimenting with sex. The one playing the dominant role, Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan), is a twenty-seven year old billionaire who was a sex slave for a Mrs. Robinson while a teenager. (The plot hints what would have happened if Dustin Hoffman had been in a truly sadomasochistic relationship in The Graduate.) Grey proposes to be the dominant one because that way he can maximize pleasure for Anastasia, who in turn enjoys have his tongue work over her virgin body, occasionally substituted with the feeling of a sensual whip. But Grey is the one trapped in his own fantasy, not Anastasia. When she shows much independence, Grey responds by trying to win her loyalty with excursions available only to a billionaire, who is also a trained pilot. Filmviewers expecting a climax in which Anastasia finally submits to Grey’s perversity, thus, should not be surprised when Grey violates his cardinal principle of seduction—the promise that his goal is to bring ecstasy to Anastasia. Directed by Sam-Taylor Johnson, the film is not porn because no sexual organs are displayed; instead, there is intimate sexual attention. Reviewers have noted that women primarily attend, perhaps better understanding the politics involved than the few males. MH