50 Shades Darker
Director: James Foley
Cast: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Bella Heathcote, Luke Grimes, Eloise Mumford, Marcia Gay Harden, Fay Masterson, Max Martini, Rita Ora, Robin Lee, Tyler Houchin, Victor Rasul, Ashleigh Lathrop, Eric Johnson, Kim Basinger
When a heartbroken Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) tries to entice a cautious Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) back into his life, Anastasia agrees to resume their relationship on one condition…that Christian agree to her new conditions, before she is willing to give him another chance: no rules, no punishments and no more secrets between them. As Christian and Anastasia begin to rekindle their love, on a new foundation of trust and stability, a stranger from Christian's past, is lurking in the shadows, watching them. While Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Anastasia must confront the anger and envy of the women who came before her.
Love is a powerful theme in this film, and nowhere is love expressed more differently, than in the characters of Anastasia, and Christian’s former submissive, Leila Williams, and how the love that each of these women have for Christian is expressed in the film.
We learn from Christian, that Leila Williams (Bella Heathcote) was Christian’s former submissive before he met Anastasia. While Christian was only interested in having a submissive, Leila’s heart desired more than that. She wanted a deeper level of emotional and romantic intimacy than Christian was willing to give her, so she left the relationship to pursue love with another. Leila’s jealousy towards Anastasia stems from her watching Ana from the shadows and seeing Ana having the life with Christian that was denied to Leila, herself. When Anastasia encounters Leila outside of her work, Leila calls Ana by her by name, and when Ana asks who Leila is, Leila answers “I am nobody” …she’s just another ghost from Christian’s past, who, like Ana, reflects Christian’s broken mother. Leila watches Ana’s apartment, and sees that Christian has sent Ana roses, to celebrate a special moment in Ana’s life. Leila lurks in the shadows, as Christian brings Ana back home to her apartment, and she witnesses the moment when Ana kisses Christian goodnight and accepts his gift to her. After Christian and Ana have dinner at her house and make love for the first time since their breakup, Ana rouses from her dreams, to see Leila standing in the darkness of her bedroom, watching them sleep together. Again, she is watching Anastasia sleeping in Christian’s arms…something that she was never allowed to do when she was Christian’s submissive. Now that she has confirmed that Christian and Ana are, reunited, once again, Leila tries to scare Anastasia away from Christian, by destroying Ana’s new car and threatening Ana at gunpoint. Even in this moment, I don’t believe that Leila was a true villain…she was just a lonely and broken girl who craved love from strong men, but instead, she had only pain and rejection as her companions, and so, she lost hope.
While Leila yearns for the love that is shared between Christian and Anastasia, ironically, Leila is the very personification of Anastasia’s deepest fear…that her innocent “hearts and flowers” type of love is not enough to make Christian genuinely happy…that he needs the darker and more toxic form of “love” that he shared with his submissive partners, like Leila. When Christian tells Anastasia that he wants to change their relationship and only have a “vanilla relationship” without any of the rules and punishments and “kinky fuckery,” as Ana so creatively names it, Ana worries that this vanilla-type relationship won’t be enough to satiate Christian’s emotional and sexual needs. Ana’s fears are confirmed when Ms. Robinson confronts Ana at the masked ball, hosted by Christian’s family. She tells Anastasia that Christian needs a submissive in life, and she – Ana – will not be able to fulfill Christian’s needs as a mate if she’s not his submissive. Although Ana vehemently defends her and Christian’s relationship, she still worries that there is a seed of truth to what Ms. Robinson told her. Leila only cements Ana’s fears and insecurities when she confronts Anastasia in her apartment, and Ana echoes Leila’s response…that she is nothing and that Christian will soon grow tired of her, because Ana can’t give Christian the life he needs. Leila recognizes that Ana and Christian share something that she can never have with Christian…love. When Christian shifts to his Dominant persona with Leila, it only confirms Ana’s deepest fears, that her love is not enough for Christian, and she flees into the night. Ana’s fears are finally laid to rest, when Christian confronts Ms. Robinson, and tells her that while she – Ms. Robinson – taught Christian his toxic way of expressing sexuality, Anastasia was the one, who truly taught Christian how to express and receive true love with his heart...and that this love is what he truly wants now.
I believe that Ana’s strongest illustration of her love for Christian – and the reason that Christian chooses her over his life as a Dominant - is found in the fact that she is not his submissive…she is his equal in every respect. She tells him the unvarnished and unapologetic truth when she feels that he has crossed a line with her (i.e., when Christian deposited $24,000 into Ana’s bank account without her permission, and when he sold her car and bought the publishing house that she works for, and especially, when he made the mistake of taking Ana to the same spa that Ms. Robinson owned to make herself beautiful for his parents masked ball.) She tells Christian that this is not a true relationship, this is ownership. Ana is not afraid to express how she feels to Christian (and later, to Ms. Robinson, as well,) even when Christian is in the wrong. She teaches Christian what real love is; love that is rooted in respect, integrity, and compromise, not just in sexuality and control. I believe Christian respects Ana’s veracity and unconditional love for him, and that is why he chose her over Leila.
For Christian, his love is illustrated very clearly in the diverse ways that he chooses to express his love to Anastasia and Leila when he is with them. When Leila tells Christian that she wants love and affection from their relationship, rather than just being his submissive, Christian ends their relationship, because he had no desire to “have more” with a woman. While he does take steps to protect Leila when she self-harms in Christian’s home, and threatens Anastasia, there is a detached, almost cold attitude to how Christian interacts with Leila, compared to his demeanor with Anastasia. Even when he finds Leila holding Ana at gunpoint, he is clearly protecting Ana in this moment, by making Leila point the gun at him, rather than at Ana, and forcing her into a submissive pose to subdue her. While he did bathe Leila and give her clean clothes, Christian sent Leila to the hospital for care, rather than caring for her, himself, as he has done with Anastasia.
When Christian meets Anastasia, she also wants more of a “hearts and flowers” relationship, than the one Christian is initially offering, but unlike his relationship with Leila, we see that Christian is more willing to give Ana hearts and flowers. When Anastasia wants to touch Christian, rather than freezing her out and succumbing to his deep-rooted fear, Christian allows Ana to draw a roadmap on his body to show her the places that he felt comfortable being touched…and he eventually washes those boundaries away, allowing Ana to chip away at the high walls surrounding his heart and trusting Ana not to hurt him. And while Christian did not allow Leila into his bed, it seems that Ana’s presence there is soothing for Christian, because he doesn’t have scary dreams when she is with him. Christian’s greatest test of his love comes when Christian is confronted with his deepest fears (his deep-rooted fear of being touched and his deeper fear of losing Anastasia) when Ana tells him that she could never give him that kind of love. Christian overcomes his fear and allows Ana to touch him, to prove to her that he loves her more than the lifestyle that he used to share with Leila and his other submissive partners. Christian had the courage to admit the truth about what he was and that he knew how toxic that was, but his love for Ana meant more to him that returning to that life. Christian shows Ana his love, when he fills his family’s pool house with hearts and flowers to propose to Ana. I think this act of love, combined with Christian being willing to allow himself to be that vulnerable with Ana, is proof that there is love in Christian’s heart for Ana…its not all just lust and sexual desire.
Although I rarely watch this type of movie, and I have certainly never experienced the type of relationship that Christian and Ana share, I can honestly say that this film surprised me. The story, while very erotic, is also very tender. Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson bring to life the characters of Christian and Ana in a way that is genuinely believable, and they balance out the passion of their relationship with humor and charm. While this is not a film I would recommend for younger viewers or the easily shocked, it is still worth your time if you enjoy a good romance.
© 2022 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: James Foley
Cast: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Bella Heathcote, Luke Grimes, Eloise Mumford, Marcia Gay Harden, Fay Masterson, Max Martini, Rita Ora, Robin Lee, Tyler Houchin, Victor Rasul, Ashleigh Lathrop, Eric Johnson, Kim Basinger
When a heartbroken Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) tries to entice a cautious Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) back into his life, Anastasia agrees to resume their relationship on one condition…that Christian agree to her new conditions, before she is willing to give him another chance: no rules, no punishments and no more secrets between them. As Christian and Anastasia begin to rekindle their love, on a new foundation of trust and stability, a stranger from Christian's past, is lurking in the shadows, watching them. While Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Anastasia must confront the anger and envy of the women who came before her.
Love is a powerful theme in this film, and nowhere is love expressed more differently, than in the characters of Anastasia, and Christian’s former submissive, Leila Williams, and how the love that each of these women have for Christian is expressed in the film.
We learn from Christian, that Leila Williams (Bella Heathcote) was Christian’s former submissive before he met Anastasia. While Christian was only interested in having a submissive, Leila’s heart desired more than that. She wanted a deeper level of emotional and romantic intimacy than Christian was willing to give her, so she left the relationship to pursue love with another. Leila’s jealousy towards Anastasia stems from her watching Ana from the shadows and seeing Ana having the life with Christian that was denied to Leila, herself. When Anastasia encounters Leila outside of her work, Leila calls Ana by her by name, and when Ana asks who Leila is, Leila answers “I am nobody” …she’s just another ghost from Christian’s past, who, like Ana, reflects Christian’s broken mother. Leila watches Ana’s apartment, and sees that Christian has sent Ana roses, to celebrate a special moment in Ana’s life. Leila lurks in the shadows, as Christian brings Ana back home to her apartment, and she witnesses the moment when Ana kisses Christian goodnight and accepts his gift to her. After Christian and Ana have dinner at her house and make love for the first time since their breakup, Ana rouses from her dreams, to see Leila standing in the darkness of her bedroom, watching them sleep together. Again, she is watching Anastasia sleeping in Christian’s arms…something that she was never allowed to do when she was Christian’s submissive. Now that she has confirmed that Christian and Ana are, reunited, once again, Leila tries to scare Anastasia away from Christian, by destroying Ana’s new car and threatening Ana at gunpoint. Even in this moment, I don’t believe that Leila was a true villain…she was just a lonely and broken girl who craved love from strong men, but instead, she had only pain and rejection as her companions, and so, she lost hope.
While Leila yearns for the love that is shared between Christian and Anastasia, ironically, Leila is the very personification of Anastasia’s deepest fear…that her innocent “hearts and flowers” type of love is not enough to make Christian genuinely happy…that he needs the darker and more toxic form of “love” that he shared with his submissive partners, like Leila. When Christian tells Anastasia that he wants to change their relationship and only have a “vanilla relationship” without any of the rules and punishments and “kinky fuckery,” as Ana so creatively names it, Ana worries that this vanilla-type relationship won’t be enough to satiate Christian’s emotional and sexual needs. Ana’s fears are confirmed when Ms. Robinson confronts Ana at the masked ball, hosted by Christian’s family. She tells Anastasia that Christian needs a submissive in life, and she – Ana – will not be able to fulfill Christian’s needs as a mate if she’s not his submissive. Although Ana vehemently defends her and Christian’s relationship, she still worries that there is a seed of truth to what Ms. Robinson told her. Leila only cements Ana’s fears and insecurities when she confronts Anastasia in her apartment, and Ana echoes Leila’s response…that she is nothing and that Christian will soon grow tired of her, because Ana can’t give Christian the life he needs. Leila recognizes that Ana and Christian share something that she can never have with Christian…love. When Christian shifts to his Dominant persona with Leila, it only confirms Ana’s deepest fears, that her love is not enough for Christian, and she flees into the night. Ana’s fears are finally laid to rest, when Christian confronts Ms. Robinson, and tells her that while she – Ms. Robinson – taught Christian his toxic way of expressing sexuality, Anastasia was the one, who truly taught Christian how to express and receive true love with his heart...and that this love is what he truly wants now.
I believe that Ana’s strongest illustration of her love for Christian – and the reason that Christian chooses her over his life as a Dominant - is found in the fact that she is not his submissive…she is his equal in every respect. She tells him the unvarnished and unapologetic truth when she feels that he has crossed a line with her (i.e., when Christian deposited $24,000 into Ana’s bank account without her permission, and when he sold her car and bought the publishing house that she works for, and especially, when he made the mistake of taking Ana to the same spa that Ms. Robinson owned to make herself beautiful for his parents masked ball.) She tells Christian that this is not a true relationship, this is ownership. Ana is not afraid to express how she feels to Christian (and later, to Ms. Robinson, as well,) even when Christian is in the wrong. She teaches Christian what real love is; love that is rooted in respect, integrity, and compromise, not just in sexuality and control. I believe Christian respects Ana’s veracity and unconditional love for him, and that is why he chose her over Leila.
For Christian, his love is illustrated very clearly in the diverse ways that he chooses to express his love to Anastasia and Leila when he is with them. When Leila tells Christian that she wants love and affection from their relationship, rather than just being his submissive, Christian ends their relationship, because he had no desire to “have more” with a woman. While he does take steps to protect Leila when she self-harms in Christian’s home, and threatens Anastasia, there is a detached, almost cold attitude to how Christian interacts with Leila, compared to his demeanor with Anastasia. Even when he finds Leila holding Ana at gunpoint, he is clearly protecting Ana in this moment, by making Leila point the gun at him, rather than at Ana, and forcing her into a submissive pose to subdue her. While he did bathe Leila and give her clean clothes, Christian sent Leila to the hospital for care, rather than caring for her, himself, as he has done with Anastasia.
When Christian meets Anastasia, she also wants more of a “hearts and flowers” relationship, than the one Christian is initially offering, but unlike his relationship with Leila, we see that Christian is more willing to give Ana hearts and flowers. When Anastasia wants to touch Christian, rather than freezing her out and succumbing to his deep-rooted fear, Christian allows Ana to draw a roadmap on his body to show her the places that he felt comfortable being touched…and he eventually washes those boundaries away, allowing Ana to chip away at the high walls surrounding his heart and trusting Ana not to hurt him. And while Christian did not allow Leila into his bed, it seems that Ana’s presence there is soothing for Christian, because he doesn’t have scary dreams when she is with him. Christian’s greatest test of his love comes when Christian is confronted with his deepest fears (his deep-rooted fear of being touched and his deeper fear of losing Anastasia) when Ana tells him that she could never give him that kind of love. Christian overcomes his fear and allows Ana to touch him, to prove to her that he loves her more than the lifestyle that he used to share with Leila and his other submissive partners. Christian had the courage to admit the truth about what he was and that he knew how toxic that was, but his love for Ana meant more to him that returning to that life. Christian shows Ana his love, when he fills his family’s pool house with hearts and flowers to propose to Ana. I think this act of love, combined with Christian being willing to allow himself to be that vulnerable with Ana, is proof that there is love in Christian’s heart for Ana…its not all just lust and sexual desire.
Although I rarely watch this type of movie, and I have certainly never experienced the type of relationship that Christian and Ana share, I can honestly say that this film surprised me. The story, while very erotic, is also very tender. Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson bring to life the characters of Christian and Ana in a way that is genuinely believable, and they balance out the passion of their relationship with humor and charm. While this is not a film I would recommend for younger viewers or the easily shocked, it is still worth your time if you enjoy a good romance.
© 2022 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.