MovieChat Forums > The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005) Discussion > Other movies about incest... (some spoil...

Other movies about incest... (some spoilers possible)


***UPDATED 5/11/2009***

Here is a list I put together myself, the ratings are all mine, and therefore subjective.

First, there are some spoilers within, however minor some may be...
Second, incest — in real life — is NOT sensual, or sexy, or beautiful, it is ugly and horrid and about taking power away from the victim. However, since it is a taboo — in *film* — it can be sensual and tender. To all incest victims, please take no offense in this, it is a list about *film* only, and in no way minimizes your ordeal.

That being said...

* Stars are for the quality of the film [0 = none]
+ Pluses are given for the sensuality (not explicitness) of the incest

**** ++ Lone Star - brother and sister (consummated on screen)
* ++++ Amityville II - The Possession - brother and sister (very sensual, on screen kissing, nudity, and flirting)
** +++ Spanking the Monkey - mother and son (consummated on screen)
(haven't seen) 8 1/2 Women - father and son (on screen)
* ++ Cruel Intentions - brother and sister (lots of titillation, nothing on screen)
** + The House of Yes - brother and sister (nothing on screen)
*** +++ The Hotel New Hampshire - brother and sister (consummated on screen in fast forward)
**** +++ The Royal Tenenbaums - brother and sister (consummated off screen)
**** 0 Chinatown - father and daughter (nothing on screen, suggested in history)
*** 0 The Two Jakes - father and daughter (nothing on screen, suggested in history)
*** 0 The Shipping News – brother and sister (off screen recollection)
*** ++ The Weight of Water - brother and sister (mild flashback recollections and discussion)
** +++ Little Boy Blue - mother and son (consummated on screen)
*** ++++ Beau Pere - father and step-daughter (consummated on screen, but mostly petting)
** ++++ Blue Lagoon and Return to the Blue Lagoon - suggestive of brother and sister
*** + Cousins - well, uh, cousins (by marriage) (consummated on screen)
0 0 Flowers in the Attic - suggestive of brother and sister - nothing on screen
* +++ Sleepwalkers - mother and son (titillation on screen, not consummated)
**** 0 The Cider House Rules - father and daughter (discovered during the film, but not consummated)
**** 0 Forrest Gump - Jenny tells of her father molesting her
** ++++ Luna - mother and son (explicit petting onscreen)
**** 0 The War Zone - father and daughter (one horrific and explicit scene)
**** ++++ Lolita (both versions) father and stepdaughter - 1997 version is consummated on screen and included several onscreen titillating scenes.
**** ++++ (The finest ever) Jude - cousins (the single most erotic and romantic of the lot, VERY explicit on screen foreplay)
0 + Ritual - (2000 Denise Nicholas) brother and sister - one scene, blurry and boring.
(Haven’t seen) Beatrice - father and daughter
** ++++ The Ballad of Jack and Rose - father and daughter (a kiss on screen)
*** ++++ Close My Eyes - brother and sister – consummated onscreen, several scenes. This is the single most erotic incest film. Consensual, adult, romantic and tragic.
* + Cat People - brother and sister (suggestive, not consummated)
(Haven’t seen) Suddenly Last Summer - dunno
**** ++ Angels and Insects – brother and sister - VERY explicit on screen - brief
**** +++ Miss Firecracker - brother and sister (LOTS of flirting)
** +++ Wicked - father and daughter (consummated off-screen, during the movie)
** 0 This World, Then the Fireworks – nothing onscreen
** +++ Sister My Sister - sister and sister, pretty explicit
** 0 Priest - Father-daughter, discussed explicitly
**** + Gladiator - brother and sister (rough on-screen attempts at consummation only)
0 + Eurotrip - brother and sister (on-screen kissing)
*** +++ Forbidden Relations (Visszaesök) - brother and sister, 1982 Hungary movie which may be based on a true story.
*** 0 Heart of the Stag - father and daughter (consummated on screen)
* ++ In Dark Places - brother and sister (consummated on screen)
** + Blood - brother and sister (on screen touching) Indy Canadian film
**** 0 The Quiet - father and daughter (on screen touching)


There are others, especially (for instance) Star Wars (5, 6 and 7) Luke and Leia. I skipped this, and others because they offer no real on-screen insight or passion.

Can you name others?

"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus

reply

[deleted]

Father and Son from Alexander Sokurov (nothing really happened but there was a lot of tension)

"I come back you now, at the turn of the tide"

reply

Fairly good starting list of incest film. I can think of at least 2 others off the top of my head:

Priest - Father-daughter, discussed explicitly although I don't remember much being actually shown

Dreamers - Brother-sister, its suggested that it wasn't fully consumated early on and sort of implied that it is late in the film, but left ambiguous.

I'm sure there are many more that I'm not thinking of....

reply


Also:

Nuts - Father-Daughter - alluded to in flashback sequences

Dolores Claiborne - Father-Daughter - seen in flashbacks

reply

The Dreamers is amazing

reply

I have to agree.

reply


2:37- brother and sister *spoilers* Very horrific rape scene, later find out sister is pregnant with her brothers baby

The girl next door- Cousins (not the movie about the porn star moving in next door...)


You hate us 'cause we're beautiful, Well we don't like you either

reply

note: You should specify whether it's stepsiblings or not. In the Royal Tenebaums, it was firmly established that Margot was the adopted daughter- Royal never let ger forget it, at every family vacation. Also, in Cruel Intentions, Sebastian and that chick (Sarah Michelle Gellar) were stepsiblings, and had not been brought up together.

Anyway, to add to your list: The Sweet Hereafter.

Sorry I can't think of more!

Oh, there was a french movie called Sitcom from the mid-late 90's? I think?

reply

Thank you! "Sweet Hereafter"

Everything "Ballad of Jack and Rose" tried to be but wasn't.

reply

I thought of two other films. One is called "Angela" with Sophia Loren and she has an incestous relationship with her son, but she does not know it. (I have never seen it, but heard about it)

The second is called "The Voyager" with Sam Shepard and Julie Delpy. It was on once late at night on cable, so I might have dosed off for bit. The story is that Sam meets a young Julie on a ship and they fall in love, later we learn that Sam and Julie's mother were once lovers and Julie is their daughter. Julie dies before learning the truth.



reply

The German film 'Festen' or 'The Celebration' in North America - Father with Son and Daughter (Daughter deceased - suicide)...It took me weeks to erase this movie from my head, very effective, but extremely depressing.

reply

I know of a short film by Out Productions called "Starcrossed". It's actually very beautiful. Disturbing, but beautiful. And sad. It's about two brothers who develop a "relationship". I would go watch it online at the official Out Productions website if I were you.

reply

The Film Six Ways To Sunday- has a mother/son incestual relationship between Norman Reedus and Debbie Harry

John Wilkes Booth school for assasination-"I killed Lincoln, and you can too!"

reply

This was the one I was going to add.
Just incredible.

reply

[deleted]

Festen is a Danish movie..not German.

reply

Murmur of the Heart (French: Le souffle au cœur)-Mother adolescent son.

reply

Thanks for those 2 suggestions, now if only I can find Angela somewhere.



Global Warming, it's a personal decision innit? - Nigel Tufnel

reply

the cement garden also is in this category, and is a very good and heartbreaking story of children who go awry when there is no adult supervision.

there was one movie but i don't remember the title. it had matt dillon who married his sister unwittingly, and she had a tubal litigation when she found out.

a mini-series called till we meet again, with courtney cox and hugh grant.

another mini-series called princess daisy, where rupert everett is obsessed with the title character.

the brotherhood of the wolf has a bad scene in it where the brother is also obsessed with his sister.

and who in hell can forget caligula?

oh, and speaking of nabokov, the little devil--there is the story "ada or ardor". now that one makes lolita seem wholesome!

gosh, i suddenly feel lik a pervert!!

reply

The movie with Matt Dillon is called Liar's Moon; there is a reason why it wasn't included on this list, but I'll add it anyway and let the viewer figure it out why.

I include items as I find out about them, and (usually) only when I have seen them. I have added a few that people have suggested and I am in the process of watching four or five others (suggested), which I will add as soon as I'm finished.

The goal is to create a list that is exhaustive, but the difficulty is where to draw the line. There are many pictures that suggest incest, only to find out there was no incest, or it goes no where vis-à-vis the plot.

Many thanks to those who have remembered movies and made corrections. Keep 'em coming. I know the topic is repugnant to some people, and perhaps I shouldn't rate the sensuality of the incest, but having an exhaustive list of movies that deal with incest is a fascinating insight into the social mores of different cultures, different times and evolving attitudes towards the subject.

The reality of incest is horrific, but like many taboos the fantasy is completely different. It is compelling to see how different directors navigate the tumultuous waters of such an explosive theme; especially those that manage to weave sensuality and pathos within the plot.

I'm thinking of separating the list into two different sections, one being films that deal with the topic realistically, and one where the subject is simply fodder mined for it's sexual titillation. The difficulty would be those films that blur the line, such as the recent film The Quiet.

Keep submitting any films you recall that aren't already listed, no matter how obscure. Please feel free to add foreign films, shorts, even animation, but avoid documentaries because this list is about how film — as an art form — deals with the topic.

"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus

reply


To whoever was unsure above-- The War Zone has an incredibly graphic, horrifying rape scene in it. It's one of the most upsetting movies to watch, period.

reply

[deleted]

I didn't include the movie because I just didn't think about it. I even (semi) included Star Wars, so you know that I don't exclude anything, for any reason.

"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus

reply

Oh, no. I didn't include it because... you'll have to watch the movie. Sorry. Spoilers.

"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus

reply

[deleted]

by the way seratone, i think the celebration is danish, but i don't want to seem like a know it all, i know that's annoying. it's a very good movie that leaves an imprint in the mind. do you like dogme films?

reply

"ma mere" recent french film with mother and son i think

reply