MovieChat Forums > Gloria (2013) Discussion > Gratuitous nudity

Gratuitous nudity

posted 10 years ago by bpollen
30 replies | jump to latest

I'm no prude, but I found the movie to contain too many shots of nudity which were gratuitous. I was pleased, though, that they at least included one tiny (no pun intended) shot of male nudity. Usually it's ONLY the woman. (If the nudity is no crucial in some movies, you ever wonder why it's only crucial for the female character?)

One nude scene? Okay. Several full frontal nude shots? Gratuitous.

Also, about the scene where she is laying completely nude on the bed by herself with the cat sitting next to her. I know of no woman who does that, including myself. Who does that? Esp with a cat nearby? A very dangerous proposition indeed! Gratuitous.

[–] boirin 10 years ago

I'm sure you've learned your lesson by now, bpollen.

Anyone who speaks up about gratuitous female nudity in films (which of course has nothing whatever to do with the fact that about 95% of all films are made by men) must run the gauntlet of condescending putdowns like 'You're such a wowser' and 'What's your problem?' and 'Nudity's no big deal' and 'Really? I didn't notice' and 'Oh, but it was so tastefully done' and 'It was soooo symbolic of her vulnerability' and 'Well, waddya expect? She just got out of the shower'.

And then there's the ever predictable WATM (what about the men?) defence: 'But men appear nude in films too (at least about once every 10 years or so).'

In case you didn't notice, I'm on your side. But I guess we wowsers just gotta get over it. Resistance is futile.

[–] cryconscry 10 years ago

You have met a fellow censor in the world. I'm sorry that you're kicking and screaming in defiance about women being admired for their beauty, but this will be how it is for centuries to come across the globe. Accept it and move on or get angry and jaded for the rest of your days. What a way to live the one life you have.

[–] jacowium 9 years ago

The town of condescension in your own putdown-of-the-putdowns aside, it would perhaps be worth your while to note that some of the responses you haughtily dismiss, are actually valid points being made. The director's response to the question of gratuity is well presented by the poster called 'sekhmetouserapis' below. Will you sniff at the director's comments as well?

Please click on 'reply' at the post you're responding to. Thanks.

[–] sekhmetouserapis 10 years ago

Funny, I'm just coming home from a projection with the director and it was one of the questions that was asked.

Basically, what he answered was that Gloria is Life. And in life, yes, there are some moments of nudity. Also that he wanted to show Gloria as she was, to show something that would echo through every woman much more than the pictures of perfect bodies that we are constantly bombarded with.

And, given that almost all of the audience (mostly 50s-60s yo couples) applauded him for his answer I think it works.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] cryconscry 10 years ago

Check back in when you're fat and 45. Probably will be that way at 35 I bet.

[–] ppesto123 10 years ago

I agree completely.

[–] bmacneel 10 years ago

I see what you're saying about how "typical" films are quick to portray a naked woman in order to excite the male viewer. However, I feel like this film is actually agreeing with you and showing a "real" naked woman and not the trumped-up, over-sexualized, objectified woman we're so used to seeing. In doing so, we see beauty in nudity no matter who the person is. If you disagree about there being beauty in nudity, then we have a fundamental disagreement that I don't think can be worked out in a message board :).

[–] buffyMove 10 years ago

Um, I do. I'm a woman, and often lay down nude after a shower to relax before finding clothes to put on. Mostly in that scene I was noticing how nude the cat was.

[–] cryconscry 10 years ago

LOL!

[–] cryconscry 10 years ago

Thanks for your post - I got a good laugh from it. I especially enjoyed your rigid opinion that films are only allowed 1 nude scene before becoming gratuitous. Are you posting for the Kim Jong Un regime or one of the radical fundamentalist Islamic governments? I'm sorry that your spy cameras haven't caught any female comrades laying around nude with their kitties, but just because they haven't doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. I'm going to try to cut you some slack now because I imagine that you're quite young, have been sheltered from life, and/or hate men, so a few words of advice: lighten up and accept that men admire women for their beauty - it will be this way for centuries and well past the end of your life based on sheer biology. Also, get out an explore the world - there are many things out there that you can't even imagine. Women laying naked beside their kitties is the tip of the iceberg.

[–] rooprect 9 years ago

Thanks for the warning, bpollen. I'm another one of the apparent minority who doesn't care for nudity that doesn't serve a crucial purpose in a film, same as blood splattering across the screen or f-bombs or people taking smelly dumps in movies. Do these things happen in real life? Sure. So do colonoscopies. Doesn't mean I'm drooling to see it in widescreen HD.