Fifty Shades reviewed
Posted on 26. Feb, 2015, in Celibacy/Sexuality, Christian Values, Feminism/Women in the Church1 Comment
Fifty Shades of Grey is a 2011 erotic romance novel by British author E. L. James. It is the first installment in the Fifty Shades trilogy that traces the deepening relationship between a college graduate, Anastasia Steele, and a young business magnate, Christian Grey. It is notable for its explicitly erotic scenes featuring elements of sexual practices involving bondage/discipline and sadism/masochism (BDSM).
Universal Pictures and Focus Features produced a film adaptation, which was released on 13 February 2015 to mass audiences but generally unfavourable reviews.
Richard Leonard SJ is a member of the Australian Catholic Media Council and a film critic for all the major Australian Catholic newspapers. He has served on juries at the Venice, Berlin, Hong Kong, Brisbane and Melbourne International Film Festivals and has lectured on film, faith and culture across Australia and the Pacific, Asia, the UK and the USA. Here he talks to Pat Coyle about his review of the movie.
thank you both for this excellent putting of the real world in contrast to this film. I haven’t seen the film nor have I read the book but it gives chills me at a deep level to consider its content, from what I have read about it. Richard puts it so clearly that the status of the woman in the film is lesser than that of the man and that, at the end of the film both are diminished. I am just so glad to hear this objective review that does not get impassioned, yet puts the cause of women so clearly. It was particularly interesting to hear of the similar ground that Richard shared with the other journalist, despite their religious differences. I too have known women who have been diminished by the men in their lives and know how destructive such relationships can be. Thank you for bringing this position to my notice.