For parents considering whether “Fifty Shades of Grey” is appropriate for their teenagers or even for themselves, understanding the movie’s mature content is crucial. This guide provides a detailed breakdown of the sexual and nudity content depicted in the film, helping you make an informed decision.
Overview of Sexual Content in Fifty Shades of Grey
“Fifty Shades of Grey” is explicitly focused on the sexual relationship between Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey. The movie contains numerous scenes of nudity, sexual activity, and suggestive situations that are important for parents to be aware of. The film explores themes of BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism, masochism), which are central to the characters’ dynamic and are depicted visually and thematically throughout the movie.
Detailed Breakdown of Sex and Nudity Scenes
The movie features several explicit scenes that include:
Nudity:
- Full Frontal Nudity: There are scenes showing full frontal nudity of both male and female characters, though the explicit crotch area is generally avoided in direct shots, often obscured by body positioning or camera angles. One specific instance includes a woman lying nude on a bed with her shaved pubic area and vagina lips visible for a few seconds.
- Full Back Nudity: Both male and female characters are shown completely nude from the back in multiple scenes.
- Female Full Body Profiles: A woman is seen fully nude in several head-to-toe profile shots.
- Female Partial Nudity (Waist-Up): Numerous scenes feature a nude woman from the waist up in close-up, facing the camera.
- Male Partial Nudity (Implied): A shirtless man is shown in jeans that reveal his upper pubic area, though no pubic hair is explicitly visible.
- Buttocks Exposure: A woman drops a robe, briefly exposing her buttocks to the camera.
- Suggestive Imagery: A laptop screen displays internet images of nude women tightly hog-tied with black leather straps, indicating themes of bondage.
Sexual Acts and Suggestive Scenes:
- Explicit Sexual Intercourse: The movie portrays explicit sexual intercourse in several scenes. One scene depicts a man undressing a woman, kissing her inner thighs, and engaging in intercourse. While full frontal penetration may not be directly shown, thrusting motions and sounds of sexual activity are clearly depicted, sometimes reflected in a ceiling mirror.
- Bondage and Restraint: Bondage is a recurring theme. Scenes include:
- A man throwing a woman onto a bed, tying her hands and blindfolding her before engaging in intercourse.
- Multiple scenes of a man using ties or ropes to bind a nude woman’s hands above her head or ankles to the bedposts.
- Handcuffing a woman to a headboard.
- Spanking and Corporal Play: The film includes scenes of spanking. A man turns a woman over his knee and spanks her buttocks in three separate instances. Close-ups show a riding crop hitting a woman’s bare buttocks. A scene includes a man hitting a woman’s buttocks with a lash.
- Sensual and Dominance Play: Scenes depict a man smelling a woman’s panties and then putting them down his jeans. He is also shown tickling her body with a riding crop and then slapping it against her rib cage and buttocks.
- Oral Sex (Implied and Suggested): While not explicitly visually depicted, oral sex is implied in scenes such as a man spitting wine into a woman’s mouth and using an ice cube on her lips, chest, and abdomen. A scene with a peacock feather and flog being drawn across a woman’s body also implies sexual stimulation.
- Other Sexual Encounters:
- A couple having sex on a couch, interrupted by a roommate.
- A scene of implied sex where a woman, nude from the back, straddles a man’s lap and is carried off-screen.
- Passionate kissing scenes, including open-mouthed kisses.
- An elevator scene involving passionate kissing and suggestive body contact.
- A scene where a pilot straps a woman into a helicopter, with suggestive hand placement near her groin.
- Discussion of BDSM and Sexual Contracts: A scene features a discussion about a bondage and sadomasochism contract, including topics like oral contraceptives, various sexual activities, and mentions of “anal fisting” and “vaginal fisting,” although these are not explained in detail.
Dialogue and Suggestive Language:
- Dialogue includes sexually suggestive lines, such as a man saying, “I would like to [F-word deleted] you into the middle of next week.”
- References are made to a man’s past with submissive partners and his dominant nature.
- Discussions about sexual abstinence and arousal triggers are present.
Considerations for Teen Viewers
Due to the extensive nudity, explicit sexual content, and themes of BDSM, “Fifty Shades of Grey” is not suitable for teenagers. The movie is rated R in the US, primarily for its strong sexual content, unusual behavior, and some graphic nudity. Parents should be aware that the film goes beyond typical romantic movie content and delves into mature and potentially disturbing themes for younger viewers.
Conclusion
“Fifty Shades of Grey” is heavily focused on explicit sexual content, including nudity, intercourse, and BDSM practices. This parent’s guide details the key elements to help you decide if the movie aligns with your viewing preferences and family values. It’s essential to consider the mature themes and explicit depictions before watching, especially if you are a parent deciding on its appropriateness for younger audiences.
