Navigating the landscape of film content can be challenging for parents, especially when considering the appropriateness of movies for teenagers and younger viewers. This guide provides a detailed breakdown of the sexual content, nudity, and mature themes present in “Before Midnight,” the third film in the “Before” trilogy, to help parents make informed viewing decisions. Understanding the specifics of these elements is crucial for ensuring that the movie aligns with your family’s values and viewing preferences. This guide aims to offer a comprehensive and objective overview of the potentially sensitive content within “Before Midnight.”
Detailed Breakdown of Sexual Content in Before Midnight
“Before Midnight” portrays mature relationships and includes scenes and dialogues of a sexual nature that may be unsuitable for younger audiences. The film delves into the intimacy and complexities of a long-term partnership, which naturally involves discussions and depictions of sexuality. Here’s a closer look at the specific instances:
Explicit Sexual Encounters
- Passionate Bedroom Scene: The film features a scene of intense sexual intimacy between the lead characters, a man and a woman. This scene includes passionate kissing, and progresses to depict the woman pulling down her dress top, exposing her bare breasts. The portrayal continues with the man licking and kissing her breasts while they engage in further passionate kissing. The scene shows the woman straddling the man on a bed. This intimate moment is interrupted by a phone call, during which the woman remains topless, with her bare breasts visible throughout the ensuing conversation. The man is also shown removing his pants, though he is wearing boxer-style underwear. The focus remains on the woman’s bare breasts during this extended dialogue.
Sexual Dialogue and Innuendo
- Crude Sexual Remarks in a Chapel: In a surprising juxtaposition, a woman makes an overtly sexual comment to a man while they are in a chapel. This remark is explicitly about oral sex, and she accompanies it with a suggestive gesture of licking her hand, adding to the provocative nature of the exchange. Following this, the man responds by embracing and kissing her neck and shoulders, further emphasizing the sexual tension.
- Casual Sexual Advances and Remarks: The film includes instances of more casual sexual interactions and dialogue. A man makes a crude sexual remark to his girlfriend while grabbing her breast and kissing her cheek in a non-private setting. There are also general instances of kissing on the cheek and a man kissing a woman in public, which are less explicit but contribute to the overall romantic and sometimes sexual atmosphere.
- Sexual Conversations at the Dinner Table: A significant portion of the sexual content in “Before Midnight” is conveyed through dialogue, particularly during a dinner table scene. This scene is rich with adult conversations that touch upon various aspects of sexuality, some in a humorous or satirical manner, but all contributing to the mature themes of the film:
- A man describes a futuristic vision of technology providing sexual pleasure, initiating a discussion on artificial sexuality.
- A woman recounts a dark anecdote about a rat that died from over-stimulation after being trained to self-stimulate for pleasure, including a pantomime of male masturbation, presented in a comedic manner to the group.
- A man openly shares his comfort in discussing his genitals, with another man agreeing, normalizing explicit sexual conversation.
- The topic of cybersex is broached when a man asks a young couple if they engage in sexual activity over Skype, to which they give an affirmative implication.
- A woman shares a story from her coma nurse mother about men awakening from comas and immediately checking their genitals, highlighting the primal nature of sexual awareness.
- A woman humorously attributes her twin pregnancy to the first instance of unprotected sex, trivializing the serious implications of unprotected sexual activity.
- Another woman confesses to strategically conceding arguments to her partner as a means to ensure continued sexual activity, portraying a manipulative dynamic within a relationship.
- A woman directly confronts a man about his limited sexual repertoire and her resulting disinterest, followed by her shouting a list of body parts he fixates on during sex, indicating a frustrated and critical sexual dynamic.
- Accusations of infidelity arise when a woman questions a man about having sex with another woman, which he avoids answering, strongly implying infidelity.
- A woman publicly reveals an affair, accusing a man of having had sex with her while he was still married to someone else, highlighting themes of betrayal and marital infidelity.
- A woman discloses to her long-term boyfriend that she primarily experiences sexual climax in dreams, suggesting possible sexual dissatisfaction or complexity in their physical relationship.
- In a moment of extreme anger, a woman makes a dramatic and disturbing reference to having been in a position to be anally raped during a mugging, inappropriately referencing sexual violence to emphasize her emotional state.
- A man makes a crude insinuation about a woman having performed oral sex on an older man, which she does not deny, suggesting potentially unconventional or judged sexual histories.
- The accuracy of a book scene depicting “days” of continuous sex is discussed, with the author implying it is based on real events, and others teasing him about it, again normalizing and somewhat exaggerating sexual exploits.
- A woman makes a grim joke that being over 35 reduces the risk of rape, trivializing and making light of the serious issue of sexual assault.
- References to condoms and sexual arousal are made in a joking manner.
- Teasing and suggestive comments are exchanged, including references to future sexual encounters and jokes about sexual motivations behind actions.
- A woman jokingly suggests her boyfriend could have incestuous relations with his cousins in Texas, using shock humor.
- Past sexual experiences are discussed, with a man mentioning that a woman was not his first sexual experience.
- A woman recounts a conversation with her boyfriend’s pre-teen son about kissing and the use of tongue, highlighting the awkwardness and challenges of discussing sexuality with children.
- Jokes about “ogling” and “making love with eyes” are exchanged, further emphasizing the pervasive sexual undercurrent in conversations.
- A dark comedic remark is made comparing not wanting to be like Joan of Arc because she “died a virgin,” burned at the stake, linking virginity with negative outcomes in a crass manner.
- An older man shares a memory of watching a topless dancer as a 14-year-old, introducing themes of early sexual awareness and exposure.
- Finally, a crude political metaphor is used, likening male politicians to “raping” the environment, inappropriately using the term “rape” in a non-sexual violence context.
Visual References and Suggestive Behavior
- Staring at a Woman in a Bikini: The film includes a shot of a man staring at a young woman wearing a bikini, presenting a visual objectification and contributing to the sexual gaze element.
- Man in Swimming Trunks: There is a brief visual of a young man wearing swimming trunks, showing his bare back and chest, which is minimal nudity but still contributes to the overall visual presentation of bodies.
- Crude Sexual Gesture: In a non-translated French exchange, a young woman makes a crude sexual gesture pantomiming oral sex on a man, while another woman pantomimes oral sex on a woman, visually depicting and normalizing explicit sexual acts through gestures, even if not verbally explicit to the English speaking audience without translation.
Conclusion for Parents
“Before Midnight” is a film deeply entrenched in mature themes and realistic depictions of adult relationships, including their sexual dimensions. While not graphically explicit in its visual depictions of sex beyond partial nudity, the movie is heavily laden with sexual dialogue, innuendo, and references. The conversations are frank, often crude, and cover a wide range of sexual topics, from intimate encounters to infidelity, sexual frustrations, and even inappropriate jokes.
Guidance for Parents:
- Mature Themes: Parents should be aware that “Before Midnight” is not suitable for children or younger teenagers. The film’s exploration of adult relationships, including the sexual aspects, is intended for a mature audience.
- Sexual Content: The film contains partial nudity (female breasts), a sexually suggestive bedroom scene, and extensive sexual dialogue that is often explicit and may be uncomfortable for some viewers.
- Language: The language used in the film is adult and includes crude sexual remarks and jokes.
- Context is Key: It is important to consider the overall context of the film. The sexual content is part of a broader exploration of a long-term relationship and its challenges. However, this does not diminish the explicitness of the content.
For parents concerned about exposing their children to sexual content, “Before Midnight” is not recommended for viewing with younger audiences. It is more appropriately viewed by adults or mature teenagers who are prepared for frank discussions about adult relationships and sexuality. Parents who are considering allowing mature teenagers to watch should be prepared to discuss the themes and content of the film afterwards to provide context and address any questions or concerns that may arise.
