A matter of semantics...

I, too, thought the film was remakably brilliant in all aspects...directing, acting, script, etc. But I have to differ on the subject of S&M. Perhaps in Germany, the 'punishment' so to speak is not sado-masochistic, but every time the boy was beaten, the stronger or the harder, the more he was 'turned on'. Even when she was beating him with a ruler and put her hand inside her pants to masturbate, she was aroused as well. As I said in my heading, it could be a matter of German/American semantics, but by American standards, this was certainly about S&M...tastefully exhibited in one can call it that.