hilary swank bathtub scene - Iron Jawed Angels (2004) Discussion

[–] Goofy_Elfman 16 years ago

I thought it was awkward as well, but I'm pretty sure she was masturbating in the bathtub.

"Please, lady. Don't forget that guns can go boom..."

reply

[–] bookworm2007 16 years ago

Perhaps to show she was still in touch with her womanhood?

reply

[–] Goofy_Elfman 16 years ago

Yeah, that's a good way to view it. Only reason I didn't buy into it that much was because of Patrick Dempsey's little love interest thing.

"Please, lady. Don't forget that guns can go boom..."

reply

[–] hutch113 16 years ago

i think its supposed to show that like... she's a sexual being, just like men are. like society accepts that men do it, so why not women?

at least.. that's what my history teacher said when she skipped over it.

i dont think it was needed.

reply

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jolprex 15 years ago

She skipped it? I'm in 8th grade and they let it play through.

reply

[–] meganlynnlds 15 years ago

I agree. It's to show that women have the same sexual desires as men.

reply

[–] electrictroy 8 years ago

WHERE'S THE COMPLICATION? When I go on a date, and it goes well, the mating instinct turns on. Barring actual sex, I go home and satisfy the instinct with orgasm.

In the movie, I see the same thing: SHE is on a date and obviously attracted to the man. The mating instinct turns on, and she chooses to ignore the guy & take care of herself at home with an orgasm.

Nothing complicated about that.

.

reply

[–] kung_fumonkie 16 years ago

it was to show the sacrifices hilary swank's character had to make.
she put her whole life on hold for the fight of women's suffrage.
the masturbating scene is suppose to show how lonely she really is and how she desires to start a relationship, but can't because she has the suffrage movement.

reply

[–] englisher101 14 years ago

it was to show the sacrifices hilary swank's character had to make.
she put her whole life on hold for the fight of women's suffrage.
the masturbating scene is suppose to show how lonely she really is and how she desires to start a relationship, but can't because she has the suffrage movement.

Maybe she was just horny.

reply

[–] jessie56-1 16 years ago

I said something on a similar thread about how it enhances Alice. Note that right before she was telling Lucy how she wasn't lonely and was completely focused on suffrage. This proves to be a contradiction. It humanizes her.

reply

[–] mbaxter5722 16 years ago

All I remember is it was probably the most awkward experience in my government class. I looked over to my friend and asked "Is this really happening?" It was pretty ridiculous

reply

[–] lyndadavis_07 16 years ago

It was because we are so used to men masturbating or think about sex but not women. It's 2008 and we're still fighting stereotypes that women aren't sexual and that masturbating is strange if you're a woman. That was to show she had control over her own sexuality-they did it a lot in this movie. One of the girls kept looking at men the entire movie!

I feel sorry for the people that STILL thought it had something to do with her "love" life or being lonely. What does masturbation have to do with loneliness? It's to get off-nothing more. It was not a contradicttion at all!!! It's a women's rights movie for god sakes and you're still watching it through prejudiced gender stereotyped eyes! I assume the directors did not even think people would be stupid enough to take it this way. If a woman masturbates it's because she's lonely? So, so sad!

reply

[–] bigfoot1018 16 years ago

I agree that it was awkward and completely unnecessary. I believe it was shown during the montage of her glorious dancing lessons with her Hollywood fabrication to show that she had become/was a feminist as well as a suffragist. I suppose they go hand and hand but really...masturbation? Sexual dominance and self-sufficiency? Personally I'm not a fan of that at all. I'm not going to get into an argument about feminism; let's just say it was but another little thing that ruined this movie. Just goes to show you that HBO is real classy.

reply

[–] Echo_in_big_sky 16 years ago

It fleshed the character out. It didn't offend or embarrass me in the least.

"First I dream my painting, then I paint my dream."--Vincent van Gogh

reply

[–] OldDood 16 years ago

You nailed it lyndadavis_07!
I can't believe people were uncomfotable with this scene or could not 'Get it'.

The woman is just as HUMAN as anyone one else. Including men. Especially men.
So what if she was masterbating. BFD!
All it showed was her humanity, her vulnerability, her strenghts, her weaknesses, and above all her true self.
What is 'wrong' with that? Nothing!

No wonder we have low turn outs at the polls today. People simply do not 'get it'.
That it is about equality not just in the rule of law but equality in LIFE!

This was/is a fantastic film....

reply

[–] EvilToady 15 years ago

I agree. Come on, people, are you thinking of love when you're masturbating?

reply

[–] schagris 15 years ago

Very well put! I have to say, I am extremely surprized to find such heated discussions about the "masturbation scene" here and not so much talk about the real issues the movie raises. I wasn't offended by the scene even slightly. As for the scene itself, I think it was beautifully filmed and showed the character in a new and important light - as a real human, a sexual being. If anything, it made the character more believable, more real. What I actually find disturbing is the fact that, IN 2008 !!!, so many people think it's offensive.

Sorry, if my writing looks wierd. English is not my native language.

reply

[–] RiffRaffMcKinley 16 years ago

Not only awkward, but really something we didn't need to see. We watched this in English class, and there were only two of us who actually thought it was a masturbation thing. My friend will never listen to that Sarah McLachlan song they played during that scene ever again!

"Don't let a suitcase filled with cheese be your big fork and spoon." -"Everybody Loves Raymond"

reply

[–] CaptainBackfire 16 years ago

I think it was one of those things that tried to look smart and deep or something of the sort, but ended up being ridiculous.

Now, bring me that horizon...
Ka-chow!

reply

[–] RiffRaffMcKinley 16 years ago

You can definitely say that again! I'm still shuddering!

Sickness will surely take the mime where mimes can't usually go.

reply

[–] lovinthishow 16 years ago

Are those last two posts serious! Completely ignorant.
I thought the scene was great. It bridged all the feminist waves. Masturbation and sexual expression were major components in the third wave

This movie was brilliant

Kit Porter: High...I was a high hoe

reply

[–] snoopypup22 16 years ago

Thank you lovinthisshow!!
This scene, while sexual, was highly effective contextually. Masturbation, sexual longing, humanization-- all corect interpretations of the scene in my eyes. For those of you who claim that the scene depicts solely masturbation and that Alice didn't make sacrifices in her personal life for the fight, watch the movie again! The whole scene is juxtaposed to Dempsey's dance scene and climaxes at her rejection of Dempsey. Her facial expression- one of DISAPPOINTMENT, says it all. She made sacrifices.
I will also agree again with the prior post in that this is very third wave feminist-- and progressive. Alice Paul is depicted as a human with sexual needs.
Wonderful film, highly recommended.

reply

[–] coderedlobster 16 years ago

I don't understand why y'all are making the claim of it being third wave feminism when that didn't occur until the 1990s. The suffragettes were still in the first wave. Or are you referring to the director and writer's inclusion of this scene being third wave feminism?

reply

[–] red_rackham_77 16 years ago

It shows that she does what Patrick's character but she is too concern with the cause that she doesn't want to drop it all for love and she doesn't feel that there is room in her heart for both the cause and love. The seen shows that she is longing to be loved, for others who masturbate it is for perverted reasons, one of which I don't want to post here.

reply

[–] wolfofmoonandsun 16 years ago

An entire discussion on the masturbation bathtub scene and no one thinks to comment on her odd choice of fantasy? It's the sort of thing a lonely heart might dream of, long for, but it hardly makes for the real arousal she was showing.

I'm sorry, it makes me laugh. Someone tried to show Alice Paul's yearning for love and sexuality all at once, and it collided akwardly.

Every time you read this signature, an orphaned puppy gets fed into a meat grinder.

reply

[–] sugarplmfaery 16 years ago

Most of the posts referring to this being an uncomfortable scene mention they saw it in class. Maybe it would have been a little awkward to see in a classroom, but at home I didn't find it uncomfortable at all.

reply

[–] Sweet_Solitude99 16 years ago

I saw it in class too and it was extremely awkward and uncomfortable. I watched it again at home 3 days ago and was fine.

"Sometimes the only sane answer to an insane world is insanity." - The X-Files.

reply

[–] eve_angel_87 16 years ago

I really enjoyed this movie. Except the whole, Alice Paul never acting on Ben Weisman wanting her. The whole bath tub scene i think was well placed in the movie. It showed that she was human, and a sexual being. I don't understand how she didn't have room in her heart for Ben. It really saddened me. Because, after they were allowed to vote. Then she could have decided to let him in. Patrick Dempsey played that character so well. He was absolutely irresistible. It was obvious that Alice was lonely. She just was so head strong and wouldn't let anyone in. It sent out the signal that you can't have both things. Which i thought was rather negative. Ben was not like other men. He respected her beliefs and opinions. He was just lovely. I think she was an idiot for not acting on that. Ah well. It was a really good movie though. So i guess the next best thing to having a male companion in a physical aspect for pleasure, is pleasing yourself. So because she wouldn't allow herself to have Ben, she had to fantasize about him instead. I would have really liked the movie more if she let him in.

"Pick me, choose me, love me!"

reply

[–] sing_of_today 15 years ago

Well, this film is pretty historically accurate, and the REAL Alice Paul never got married or had a relationship close to that stage, so that's how it was.

Actual reality, ACT UP, fight AIDS!

reply

[–] krispykrank 15 years ago

I saw this in class to and it was a little akward, but I think if it was a guy jerking off it would have been just as weird, and I don't think HBO is the classiest network either.

reply

[–] englisher101 14 years ago

The seen shows that she is longing to be loved, for others who masturbate it is for perverted reasons, one of which I don't want to post here.

Everyone who masturbates, guy or girl, is longing to be 'loved'.

reply

[–] theskyisfalling09 15 years ago

To me, there's nothing awkward about Hilary Swank masturbating in the bathtub. ;)

reply