10 Movie Sex Scenes That Needed Intervention

      Sex scenes in films have consistently served as a reflection of our changing attitudes toward relationships and consent.

      However, these ten examples crossed the line in unsettling ways, not only by today’s standards but also by the norms of their respective eras.

      Here’s a look at them.

      Last Tango in Paris (1972)

      United Artists

      This film serves as a poor example of directing sex scenes in cinema. Director Bernardo Bertolucci, then 30, and 48-year-old star Marlon Brando decided on the morning of a notorious sex scene to use butter without informing 19-year-old lead actress Maria Schneider until the cameras were rolling.

      “I wanted her reaction as a girl, not an actress,” Bertolucci, who passed away in 2018, later stated. “I wanted her to feel humiliated.” Schneider, who died in 2007, expressed that she indeed felt violated during the scene.

      When the scene was reexamined in 2016, Bertolucci maintained that Schneider was aware the scene would be violent as it was in the script, but the “only novelty was the idea of the butter. … And that, as I came to understand years later, offended Maria. Not the violence to which she was subjected in the scene, which was part of the screenplay.” He also confirmed that all sexual acts in the film were simulated.

      Pretty Baby (1978)

      Paramount Pictures – Credit: C/O

      The recent Hulu documentary Brooke Shields: Pretty Baby explores how Hollywood men attempted to sexualize Shields from a young age. The documentary derives its name from Pretty Baby, the film by Louis Malle that tells the true story of a 12-year-old raised in a brothel and exploited by her mother.

      While the film aims to invoke sympathy for Shields’ character, Violet, it raised significant concerns due to scenes showing her undressed. Even in 1978, the film was controversial enough to prompt numerous articles discussing its morality, with the British Board of Film Classification meticulously debating its legality.

      One concerning scene features an 11-year-old Shields kissing 28-year-old co-star David Carradine, although Shields mentioned on The Drew Barrymore Show that Carradine was “gracious” and “protective” on set.

      Revenge of the Nerds (1984)

      20th Century Fox – Credit: C/O

      Numerous discussions could be had about the issues within Revenge of the Nerds, and many have taken place, particularly regarding a scene where nerds covertly film sorority women during various stages of undress.

      This is a felony, nerds.

      Revenge of the Nerds, Again (1984)

      20th Century Fox – Credit: C/O

      The most troubling moment in Revenge of the Nerds involves lead character Lewis (Robert Carradine), who deceives a fellow student into thinking he is her boyfriend by wearing a mask.

      After they have sex, she is thrilled by how good it was, which the film uses to rationalize this deceptive behavior. Terrible lessons all around.

      Screenwriter Steve Zacharias has expressed regret over both the mask and hidden camera scenes, which he removed when he wrote a musical adaptation of the film.

      Revenge of the Nerds II, however? Totally fine.

      Sixteen Candles (1984)

      Universal Pictures – Credit: C/O

      Sixteen Candles presents a scenario where the misbehavior of a character is compounded by the expectation that we should find him likable.

      Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling) is depicted as the ideal man for the protagonist, Samantha (Molly Ringwald). Yet, at one point, Jake hands off his unconscious girlfriend, Caroline (Haviland Morris), to another guy, Ted (Anthony Michael Hall).

      Jake tells Ted, “Have fun.” The next day, Caroline and Ted assume they had sex. When he asks if she enjoyed it, she replies, “You know, I have this weird feeling I did,” which serves as the film’s way of justifying the guys’ actions.

      Basic Instinct (1992)

      TriStar Pictures – Credit: C/O

      In her memoir, The Beauty of Living Twice, Sharon Stone recounted how a crew member deceived her into shooting the most revealing scene in Basic Instinct, claiming her underwear was “reflecting the light.”

      She shared that she was so taken aback by the final result that she slapped director Paul Verhoeven and called her lawyer immediately, but ultimately consented to the scene’s release. Verhoeven later claimed that Stone was a willing participant who “knew exactly what we were doing,” a point she disputes.

      Stone recently told the Table for Two podcast that she lost custody of her child in a 2004 court case due in part to her role in the film.

      “I lost custody of my child,” she lamented. “When the judge asked my child — my tiny little boy — ‘Do you know your mother makes sex movies?’”