MovieChat Forums > The Wild One Discussion > Do we just have dirty minds???

Do we just have dirty minds???

posted 20 years ago by deimos101
7 replies | jump to latest

Was it just my entire film studies class or were there huge sexual references throughout the scene with Johnny and Cathy in the secluded area:

like: the imagery of Cathy holding the forks on Johnny's bike and saying "i wanted to touch you".

and: "oh johnny; will you give it to me?" (she wanted the trophey!)

it might just be nothing or it could have been to help the film get past the censors or as a way of showing Cathy's secret desires.

---- "even a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day." ----

[–] 20 years ago

[deleted]

[–] stantonious 18 years ago

I laughed out loud when she started stroking the (rather phallic part of the) bike and saying that stuff, so I guess I have a dirty mind too!

[–] a_smusel 18 years ago

No you don't have a dirty mind, you have educated mind and quite observant. The film makers wanted to communicate the sexuallality through the symbolism.

The trophy and bike are phallus symbols and expresses Johnny's ambivielent confidence within his sexuallality. Recall all the scenes when Johnny is stradling his big bike and is stroking or polishing his small trophy attached to the cross bars. He is obviously confused on the importance of size(his bike),vs. the all desired and wanted polished trophy.

The trophy is also a symbol of the dominate manhood, who posesses the trophy is the one who has control. Either it is Chico when he steals the the trophy and poses as the leader, or when Johnny gives or wants to give the trophy to Cathy. In the case of Cathy he is giving away his sexuallity and or his love, it all dependes on how you view Johnny, as love 'em and leave them or a sincere love that can not be due to their different places in life.

[–] MPFourEedz 18 years ago

But why would he give the "trophy" to her, then go away.

Makes no sense, doesn't giving the "trophy" away suggested his changed and is no longer into the his gang.

Why would he leave on his bike ?

[–] rooprect 17 years ago

But why would he give the "trophy" to her, then go away.

Makes no sense, doesn't giving the "trophy" away suggested his changed and is no longer into the his gang.

Why would he leave on his bike ?

Dirty minds notwithstanding, I think people can take the "sexual symbolism" a bit too far. Nothing wrong with that; it's good to see that people are thinking creatively. But... as Freud once said... "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."

Right, so if the trophy is a symbol of Johnny's schlong, then why would he give it away at the end? For that matter, why does he accept it from his buddy in the beginning... unless now someone is going to say that it's supposed to be homoerotic. I'm sure someone could spend a few hours and come up with Freudian psychobabble to explain it all, but... I say sometimes a trophy is just a trophy :D

[–] McQualude 16 years ago

She says, "I wanted to touch you. I wanted to try anyway. I wanted to make it the way I always thought it would be sometime, with somebody. The way I always thought it might be." This right before stroking the forks. She's telling him she wants to have sex. Then a minute later is basically asking him to take her with him. But clearly Johnny is afraid of her and she realizes that she can never have him. The scene isn't very subtle.

http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/classic_60s_scifi/

[–] novastar_6 15 years ago

I think we're just so...hardwired to hearing about all the phallic symbols present in certain movies scenes and such, that we come to expect it, especially in the older movies.