Further thoughts on rape scenes. (Research diary no.4)

I have been thinking, it would be all too easy to write a highly charged, highly sexualised rape scene that plays straight into the hands of Laura Mulvey and her theory of the “male gaze”. I don’t want to objectify my protagonist in this scene but introduce her at her absolute lowest. The viewer should sympathise with her and be confused about the exact circumstances of the scene but not see the scene as some kinda of sick rapist fantasy. I have questioned my own motivations in having her naked upon “our” discovery of her, while I don’t believe it is 100% necessary for anyone making the film to include full frontal or graphic nudity; I do believe that if you’re going to include someone in the nude then why, in a film intended for an adult audience, why should you avoid such full-frontal scenes? I also feel strongly that her being naked is not only a realistic state for her to be in after a date-rape but also I don’t want to shy away from nudity for the sake of being considered “shocking” or “racey”.

To address the justification for nudity issue. I am always utterly infuriated when, in a film, upon the discovery of someone having sex or having been killed after sex the person’s body is either partly dressed or wrapped tastefully in a sheet. In reality people who wake up on their own or are in a sexual relationship with someone normally do not cover themselves up in front of one another or indeed when they’re in private. Most people are perfectly prepared to wander around in the nude without worrying about covering themselves up. Therefore I would much rather write the scene, as I believe the average person would act it out. My thoughts are that a scene like this can be shot tastefully without turning the man or woman involved into a object of sexual titillation. Secondly I want for us (the viewer) to discover her in this fragile, exposed state and the nudity is a representation of that. Her skin, the bruising and the goose-bum moment that I have written are all important factors in establishing her vulnerability and that will be the great contrast to her as a working police officer the next morning. While I know that I don’t need to justify my use of nudity, I do feel that it is important to question ones motives all the time.

For now….

K

~ by K on October 28, 2007.