Hollywood icon Emma Stone has addressed the backlash surrounding the explicit s**ual sequences in her latest movie, “Poor Things,” emphasizing that the incorporation of s** is pivotal to her character’s narrative.
The uproarious and often provocative adaptation of the 1992 novel by Scottish writer Alasdair Gray revolves around Stone’s character, Bella Baxter, a deceased woman brought back to life with the mind of an unborn child.
s** serves as a crucial element in the film, illustrating how Bella delves into comprehending her body and the desires others harbor for it.
Bella embodies a s**-positive, third-wave feminist persona, taken to extremes when she realizes she can leverage her passion for financial gains, leading her to engage in prostitution to support her educational pursuits.
She humorously quips, “We are our own means of production.”
Despite the generally favorable reception of the film, which premiered in the US on December 22 and in the UK on January 12, the overt and frequent s**ual content has been deemed excessive by certain viewers and reviewers.
During an interview on BBC Radio 4, host Samira Ahmed broached the sensitive topics of s** and prostitution, labeling the scenes as “quite graphic” and remarking on their atypical nature in contemporary Hollywood productions.
In response, Stone revealed that the decision to include these scenes underwent extensive deliberation during the movie’s production phase.
She emphasized the significance of staying authentic to Bella’s journey, recognizing that s** forms a substantial part of her evolution, much like it does for many individuals in real life.
According to Stone, while s** plays a significant role, it is just one facet among several others in Bella’s quest for self-discovery, such as her exploration of food, philosophy, travel, and dance.
Stone stressed the importance of portraying Bella as completely liberated and unashamed about her body, highlighting her lack of inhibition or societal pressures to conceal her experiences.
The actress expressed her commitment to faithfully representing the character’s arc, mentioning that while she may not personally seek constant nudity, she aims to honor Bella’s story authentically.
When questioned about the depiction of prostitution as a “liberating learning experience” rather than a reflection of the harsh reality of exploitation faced by women, director Yorgos Lanthimos defended the film’s portrayal.
Lanthimos clarified that the thematic elements, including prostitution, are integral to Bella’s transformative journey and align with the film’s overarching tone.
He affirmed that the narrative context distinctly separates the portrayal from contemporary or historical instances of exploitation.
In summary, Emma Stone’s steadfast defense of the daring inclusion of s** scenes in ‘Poor Things’ underscores her commitment to portraying Bella’s unapologetic journey of self-discovery and empowerment, challenging societal norms and embracing authenticity in storytelling.
