MovieChat Forums > The Omega Man (1971) Discussion > Gratuitous Nudity...

Gratuitous Nudity...

posted 11 years ago by VinnieRattolle
9 replies | jump to latest

Why is it Chuck Heston spent a third of the movie shirtless? In "Apes" there was a logical reason for it, but the man didn't have a great physique (which is particularly evident when seeing his more chiseled "Apes" replacement, James Franciscus, and an outright embarassment when compared to successor Will Smith) and yet he seemed to go nipples to the wind at the drop of a hat here.

Furthermore, we have a wide scope and a beautiful naked woman who emerges from bed and closes the curtains. What should have been an artistic shot is instead akin to cheap voyeurism, then she spends the rest of the scene still nude and buried in the background. Felt kinda like MGM was saying, "We're hip, we've got naked chicks in our pictures now," when in fact they weren't comfortable about showing female nudity at all.

[–] namaGemo 11 years ago

Heston was in great shape for his age. He was not ripped, but he was in better shape than 80% of the men his age back then and in better shape than 95% of 15 year olds and up in this day and age.

I think that scene was shot that way because maybe Cash didn't want to expose herself in a raunchy way. It was more artistic and left something to the imagination, which some films were good at back then. Hardly gratuitous.

[–] cind5 11 years ago

There is no such thing as gratuitous nudity. Only gratuitous thought.

BOO-YEAH!

[–] Jay_Rusty 11 years ago

He wasn't in a great shape! He was 48 and skinny fat, he should've hit the weights for 6 months before the shooting instead of gracing us with his sagging toneless shirtless shots!

[–] OnlyRocknRoll 11 years ago

Heck, that was nothing compared to today. They practically can't even make a movie anymore that doesn't have the actors appearing nude and in close ups of sexual activity.

When I got Uverse, I had to edit out 3 channels devoted to pornography. Sex is NOT a spectator sport. That's why when it is filmed it is called PORNO. It could all be left out of films with no loss, but the producers and the writers think they have to tittilate the audience to get them in the seats. Better writing, dialogue, and plot development are just too difficult these days I guess.

_______________________________________
"ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED??!!"

Maximus Decimus Meridius

[–] lokis_angels 11 years ago

So much for Rock and Roll...

[–] ElRaisuli 11 years ago

It's part of the characterization. He's the last man on Earth. He's is subject to zero social convention. Taking his shirt off in what would normally be a public place is just a device to remind us that there is no one around to stop him or to care.

As for his physique, who is there too impress? At one point, he makes a grim joke that he's a narcissist, but it just a joke on the fact that there been one else around that he could love (and that he's rigged some of his security cameras like mirrors so that he can at least see a normal human, if only himself).

[–] bastasch8647 10 years ago

His world was arid and hot. Why not shed a shirt? There's no one around to see. Plus many of today's males of CH's age in the film would envy his physique.

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[–] 11 years ago

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