Cruel Intentions
Director: Roger Kumble
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Selma Blair, Joshua Jackson, Sean Patrick Thomas
Annette Hargrove (Reese Witherspoon) unwittingly becomes a pawn in Sebastian's (Ryan Phillippe) and Kathryn's (Sarah Michelle Gellar) maliciously diabolical wager of sexual conquest when the siblings strike a bargain for Sebastian to claim Annette’s virtue before summer’s end. What begins as sexual desire and a cruel and manipulative plot to destroy Annette’s flawless reputation, soon turns much more complicated, when Sebastian realizes that his feelings for the young and beautiful Annette are much deeper than mere lust.
Love is a very powerful theme in this film and nowhere is it illustrated more uniquely than in the characters of Sebastian, Annette, and Kathryn.
Its interesting how the three main characters each view sexual love in their own way. Annette sees sexual love as something to be cherished. Her virginity is precious to her, and she wants to wait to give herself in that way to her husband as an expression of her love for him, rather than just squandering her heart on a meaningless sexual affair. She believes that she shouldn't experience the act of love, until she is in love with the man she chooses to share her heart with. This conviction is challenged when she meets Sebastian, and while initially, she is reluctant to fall for his smoldering good looks and charm, she soon finds herself being drawn to the fragile heart hidden deep within his arrogant psyche.
For Kathryn, she uses her sexuality as a weapon to manipulate her brother, Sebastian, and others who she wishes to exploit...like the naïve and innocent Cecile, who is completely oblivious to all things sexual. Kathryn tells Sebastian that she wants him to deflower Cecile to get revenge on her old flame for breaking her heart. As her conquest unfolds, Kathryn takes the young and impressionable Cecil under her wing, and teaches her the art of seduction, while also using Cecile to achieve her own schemes of revenge. She also uses sex as the catalyst for manipulating her stepbrother, Sebastian…telling him that if he wins their wager, and claims Annette's virtue, she will give herself to him sexually. When Kathryn realizes that her scheme has backfired and Sebastian has fallen in love with his Annette, she spins her web of lies to poison her brother’s love for Annette and break his heart forever…making Sebastian believe he is unworthy of Annette's love.
For Sebastian, love is more capricious. I think he started out viewing his sexual exploits of women as a catalyst meant to ingratiate his own masculine ego. For Sebastian, women are nothing, but a fleeting amusement and he’s almost bored with chasing rich, spoiled debutantes...which is why he feels that his “greatest conquest” (namely the beautiful and pure Annette) is a worthy challenge to prove his sister wrong in their wager. However, as his relationship with Annette grows deeper, his desire to claim her as "just another conquest" is transformed into genuine love. Although he initially rejects her when Annette gives herself to him, when he finally does share that very intimate moment with her, the connection between them is genuine...it wasn't just a hunt anymore. His feelings for her were real, and this is what compels Sebastian to lay his heart out to Annette and tell her the truth. His love for Annette is also what compels Sebastian to give his own life to save Annette when she is in danger.
© 2021 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Roger Kumble
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Selma Blair, Joshua Jackson, Sean Patrick Thomas
Annette Hargrove (Reese Witherspoon) unwittingly becomes a pawn in Sebastian's (Ryan Phillippe) and Kathryn's (Sarah Michelle Gellar) maliciously diabolical wager of sexual conquest when the siblings strike a bargain for Sebastian to claim Annette’s virtue before summer’s end. What begins as sexual desire and a cruel and manipulative plot to destroy Annette’s flawless reputation, soon turns much more complicated, when Sebastian realizes that his feelings for the young and beautiful Annette are much deeper than mere lust.
Love is a very powerful theme in this film and nowhere is it illustrated more uniquely than in the characters of Sebastian, Annette, and Kathryn.
Its interesting how the three main characters each view sexual love in their own way. Annette sees sexual love as something to be cherished. Her virginity is precious to her, and she wants to wait to give herself in that way to her husband as an expression of her love for him, rather than just squandering her heart on a meaningless sexual affair. She believes that she shouldn't experience the act of love, until she is in love with the man she chooses to share her heart with. This conviction is challenged when she meets Sebastian, and while initially, she is reluctant to fall for his smoldering good looks and charm, she soon finds herself being drawn to the fragile heart hidden deep within his arrogant psyche.
For Kathryn, she uses her sexuality as a weapon to manipulate her brother, Sebastian, and others who she wishes to exploit...like the naïve and innocent Cecile, who is completely oblivious to all things sexual. Kathryn tells Sebastian that she wants him to deflower Cecile to get revenge on her old flame for breaking her heart. As her conquest unfolds, Kathryn takes the young and impressionable Cecil under her wing, and teaches her the art of seduction, while also using Cecile to achieve her own schemes of revenge. She also uses sex as the catalyst for manipulating her stepbrother, Sebastian…telling him that if he wins their wager, and claims Annette's virtue, she will give herself to him sexually. When Kathryn realizes that her scheme has backfired and Sebastian has fallen in love with his Annette, she spins her web of lies to poison her brother’s love for Annette and break his heart forever…making Sebastian believe he is unworthy of Annette's love.
For Sebastian, love is more capricious. I think he started out viewing his sexual exploits of women as a catalyst meant to ingratiate his own masculine ego. For Sebastian, women are nothing, but a fleeting amusement and he’s almost bored with chasing rich, spoiled debutantes...which is why he feels that his “greatest conquest” (namely the beautiful and pure Annette) is a worthy challenge to prove his sister wrong in their wager. However, as his relationship with Annette grows deeper, his desire to claim her as "just another conquest" is transformed into genuine love. Although he initially rejects her when Annette gives herself to him, when he finally does share that very intimate moment with her, the connection between them is genuine...it wasn't just a hunt anymore. His feelings for her were real, and this is what compels Sebastian to lay his heart out to Annette and tell her the truth. His love for Annette is also what compels Sebastian to give his own life to save Annette when she is in danger.
© 2021 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.