Basic Instinct
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Cast: Sharon Stone, Michael Douglas, Jeanne Tripplehorn
Basic Instinct appears to have a premise which is rooted in the subtle understanding of psychology, and which branches out to address perverse, sexual obsession and a twisted enjoyment of ritualistic murder. The epitome of what makes this movie stand out from other movies in the genre of erotic suspense thrillers, is the fact that while sexuality appears to be the central theme in this movie, there is, in the framework of its essence, a nuanced message that, for some, sex is almost akin to an addiction; a powerful obsession that some are unable to break and some are undeniably nourished by.
In the wake of an exploding tragedy, Nick (Michael Douglas), a San Francisco detective, must traverse a fine line between his quest for the truth and his obsession with a beautiful woman in order to find a resolution to a tragic chain of murders. The plot descends into a deeper layer of insanity and erotic addiction as Nick struggles to find a balance with the impending conflict between his dark lover and his job as a detective, while also trying to survive the battle raging in his own heart and silencing his own personal demons.
One of the most unnerving aspects of this film is the intimate chemistry between Detective Mike and the dark antagonist, Catherine Tramell. The connection between these two characters is manifested not only physically but also psychologically. They are sexually attracted to each other, but the attraction also lies in the common link that binds them: their dark pasts. In most movies, there is one of two things: a clearly defined hero and villain pairing, or a hero and villain who are recognized on the subconscious level, but not intentionally created in the story’s design. Basic Instinct stands apart because not only is the villain a clearly defined entity with a backstory that explains her insanity, but the movie also casts the story’s hero, Nick, as a positive character that has a deep understanding of the villain’s mind because he has experienced her dark obsessions for himself and he gets what she is going through.
Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone), the stunningly beautiful, yet sinister villainess in the story, very quickly establishes that her character is the ultimate embodiment of the term “sex kitten”. She is exceptionally intelligent, unabashedly brazen, and has an almost cat-like air about her which gives viewers the impression that she is toying with her opponent but knows exactly what she is doing while she is engaging her prey. She is exceedingly clear in identifying precisely what she desires, but the unnerving element to this character is she also knows precisely what everyone else is thinking too, and is always three steps ahead of them. As long as her desires are satisfied, Catherine is content to play nice, but she when her desires are thwarted in any way, she reacts with aggression and hostility. This is a symbiotic reflection of feministic power. As long as Catherine feels she is in control, she lacks the desire to satiate her yearning. If that control is compromised, Catherine’s lust for power is also ignited and cannot be controlled until she has regained power. There is no emotion or sense of remorse in Catherine’s actions or tone just pure, blunt honesty and a dry, almost satirical undertone which gives the audience the impression that she is indubitably enjoying this game that she plays with the detectives.
Detective Curan is another character whose complexities astounded me. Initially, he comes off as a likeable character who is willing to at least give Catherine at least the benefit of the doubt, but as I traveled deeper into this character’s inner complexities, I realized there was more than one layer to Nick’s character and not all of his layers are positive. His tragic, personal history denotes that while his intentions are good, he is also attracted to the darker elements of life, and this desire is only intensified when he encounters Catherine. While he recognizes the potential for Catherine to be the villainess, there is a part of him that is attracted to her, even though she is distinctly malevolent.
The spark that differentiates the protagonist and the villainess in Basic Instinct stems from the radically opposing ways they deal with their personal flaws. Catherine’s character embraces the dark side of her psyche. When Catherine is confronted by the detectives, she shows no surprise at their arrival, and she isn’t a shrinking violet in the presence of a more powerful figure....she flat out tells them she was having sex with the guy. Not love, not any kind of romantic attraction, just raw, unrestrained sex. What’s hilarious is there is no emotion, no change of expression...she just tells them bluntly what she has been doing, and her tone is one a child would use when telling their mother what they ate for lunch. There is no sense of remorse in Catherine’s tone, just pure, blunt honesty and a dry, almost sinister undertone which gives the audience the impression that she enjoys the complicated sensuality of her art. The nature of the story’s conflict is mirrored intimately with the conflict in Catherine’s novels, with particular emphasis placed on the white scarf the killer uses to bind her victims and the ice pick as the killer’s weapon of choice. While Catherine’s objective is sinister, her character is reflected as a strong individual who can tolerate the darkness she is possessed with so long as it is on her terms. On the other hand, Nick, while he also has demons to fight, is decidedly less capable of dealing with his dark conflicts. This is reflected in the severity of his behavior, his lack of control when he considers giving into his bad habits, and this is reflected in the severity of his behavior and the aggressive, almost subjugating way that he deals with the women in his life, particularly Catherine and his counselor, Dr. Garner.
Basic Instinct creates for the audience, an unfiltered interpretation of a sexually charged, suspenseful mystery flick. While the plot is at times either predictable and tedious, or sexually extreme, the story and the complexity of the characters leave you pondering what the truth really was in the movie and who was truly in control. It is a bit graphic for my taste, but if you are an adult, and enjoy a good erotic suspense thriller, this is worth your time to watch.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Cast: Sharon Stone, Michael Douglas, Jeanne Tripplehorn
Basic Instinct appears to have a premise which is rooted in the subtle understanding of psychology, and which branches out to address perverse, sexual obsession and a twisted enjoyment of ritualistic murder. The epitome of what makes this movie stand out from other movies in the genre of erotic suspense thrillers, is the fact that while sexuality appears to be the central theme in this movie, there is, in the framework of its essence, a nuanced message that, for some, sex is almost akin to an addiction; a powerful obsession that some are unable to break and some are undeniably nourished by.
In the wake of an exploding tragedy, Nick (Michael Douglas), a San Francisco detective, must traverse a fine line between his quest for the truth and his obsession with a beautiful woman in order to find a resolution to a tragic chain of murders. The plot descends into a deeper layer of insanity and erotic addiction as Nick struggles to find a balance with the impending conflict between his dark lover and his job as a detective, while also trying to survive the battle raging in his own heart and silencing his own personal demons.
One of the most unnerving aspects of this film is the intimate chemistry between Detective Mike and the dark antagonist, Catherine Tramell. The connection between these two characters is manifested not only physically but also psychologically. They are sexually attracted to each other, but the attraction also lies in the common link that binds them: their dark pasts. In most movies, there is one of two things: a clearly defined hero and villain pairing, or a hero and villain who are recognized on the subconscious level, but not intentionally created in the story’s design. Basic Instinct stands apart because not only is the villain a clearly defined entity with a backstory that explains her insanity, but the movie also casts the story’s hero, Nick, as a positive character that has a deep understanding of the villain’s mind because he has experienced her dark obsessions for himself and he gets what she is going through.
Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone), the stunningly beautiful, yet sinister villainess in the story, very quickly establishes that her character is the ultimate embodiment of the term “sex kitten”. She is exceptionally intelligent, unabashedly brazen, and has an almost cat-like air about her which gives viewers the impression that she is toying with her opponent but knows exactly what she is doing while she is engaging her prey. She is exceedingly clear in identifying precisely what she desires, but the unnerving element to this character is she also knows precisely what everyone else is thinking too, and is always three steps ahead of them. As long as her desires are satisfied, Catherine is content to play nice, but she when her desires are thwarted in any way, she reacts with aggression and hostility. This is a symbiotic reflection of feministic power. As long as Catherine feels she is in control, she lacks the desire to satiate her yearning. If that control is compromised, Catherine’s lust for power is also ignited and cannot be controlled until she has regained power. There is no emotion or sense of remorse in Catherine’s actions or tone just pure, blunt honesty and a dry, almost satirical undertone which gives the audience the impression that she is indubitably enjoying this game that she plays with the detectives.
Detective Curan is another character whose complexities astounded me. Initially, he comes off as a likeable character who is willing to at least give Catherine at least the benefit of the doubt, but as I traveled deeper into this character’s inner complexities, I realized there was more than one layer to Nick’s character and not all of his layers are positive. His tragic, personal history denotes that while his intentions are good, he is also attracted to the darker elements of life, and this desire is only intensified when he encounters Catherine. While he recognizes the potential for Catherine to be the villainess, there is a part of him that is attracted to her, even though she is distinctly malevolent.
The spark that differentiates the protagonist and the villainess in Basic Instinct stems from the radically opposing ways they deal with their personal flaws. Catherine’s character embraces the dark side of her psyche. When Catherine is confronted by the detectives, she shows no surprise at their arrival, and she isn’t a shrinking violet in the presence of a more powerful figure....she flat out tells them she was having sex with the guy. Not love, not any kind of romantic attraction, just raw, unrestrained sex. What’s hilarious is there is no emotion, no change of expression...she just tells them bluntly what she has been doing, and her tone is one a child would use when telling their mother what they ate for lunch. There is no sense of remorse in Catherine’s tone, just pure, blunt honesty and a dry, almost sinister undertone which gives the audience the impression that she enjoys the complicated sensuality of her art. The nature of the story’s conflict is mirrored intimately with the conflict in Catherine’s novels, with particular emphasis placed on the white scarf the killer uses to bind her victims and the ice pick as the killer’s weapon of choice. While Catherine’s objective is sinister, her character is reflected as a strong individual who can tolerate the darkness she is possessed with so long as it is on her terms. On the other hand, Nick, while he also has demons to fight, is decidedly less capable of dealing with his dark conflicts. This is reflected in the severity of his behavior, his lack of control when he considers giving into his bad habits, and this is reflected in the severity of his behavior and the aggressive, almost subjugating way that he deals with the women in his life, particularly Catherine and his counselor, Dr. Garner.
Basic Instinct creates for the audience, an unfiltered interpretation of a sexually charged, suspenseful mystery flick. While the plot is at times either predictable and tedious, or sexually extreme, the story and the complexity of the characters leave you pondering what the truth really was in the movie and who was truly in control. It is a bit graphic for my taste, but if you are an adult, and enjoy a good erotic suspense thriller, this is worth your time to watch.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.