Shouldn't we be warned about the massive nudity? - A Room with a View (1986) Discussion

[–] Aulic Exclusiva 17 years ago

A sign ought to be placed for all unsuspecting clods, mostly Americans, who enter the Sistine Chapel and are, BANG! assaulted by the image of naked men from the brush of Michaelangelo. Art! How degrading for the human body!

If we are to be brothers, let us be brothers for life, die together.

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[–] ami_fee68 17 years ago

A sign ought to be placed for all unsuspecting clods, mostly Americans, who enter the Sistine Chapel and are, BANG! assaulted by the image of naked men from the brush of Michaelangelo. Art! How degrading for the human body!

Thank you for dumping all 300 million Americans into one prudish category (tossing in a few of the overly modest from other countries doesn't make what you said any less of a generalization). It is a truly respectful and attractive way to expose your worldliness.
My father was relatively conservative and one might even say puritanical, but I grew up with prints that he bought in Italy, including Adam from the Sistine Chapel, around the house. The OP's profile shows that at least half of her posts are about nudity, either protesting it or asking if it is in a picture. This shows me that she is just a wee bit obsessive about God's creation.

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To be driven by lovers- A king might envy us...

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[–] Aulic Exclusiva 17 years ago

Ami, please point to me WHERE in my posting did I say that all Americans, all 303,824,646 (July 2008 est.) are prudish clods?

On the other hand, a question like the one posted by the OP could only have come from one category of Westerners: Americans. Admit it.

If we are to be brothers, let us be brothers for life, die together.

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[–] ami_fee68 17 years ago

Actually, I'm sure there are quite a few in the United Kingdom who could come up with a question as ridiculous as the OP's.
No, you didn't say that every one of us is a prudish clod, but I certainly felt an implication from your post that it is a primarily American trait to be puritanical, naive and easily shocked by an image of the human body. It's like representing all of Germany with those dressed up in Bavarian Lederhosen. I get really sick and tired of it.

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To be driven by lovers- A king might envy us...

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[–] Mandyjam 17 years ago

Well, I suppose that I misunderstood! I took it that you meant that the majority of visitors to the Sistine Chapel are Americans. They certainly make up a good percent, but all the rest (almost all the rest) are German or Japanese.

Do you know that the plaster cast of David in the V&A owns a large plaster fig leaf which resides in a glass case in the statue's base? They used to put it on whenever the queen (from Victoria onwards) visited the museum.

"great minds think differently"

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[–] Aulic Exclusiva 17 years ago

Obviously, stupid Americans are not the only stupid people in the world. Now, take Bavarians in Lederhosen, for example....

If we are to be brothers, let us be brothers for life, die together.

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[–] ami_fee68 17 years ago

What's so stupid about Lederhosen? My German husband wore lederhosen when he was a child, and it came in really handy when he got spanked! Couldn't feel a thing.

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To be driven by lovers- A king might envy us...

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[–] Miss_Weasley_Potter 17 years ago

People, you have been having this discussion since the last TWO years !!

The copy of the film I got stated it was not rated (Are most copies of the film out there rated?).

Niether was ours.

We would have watched the scene quite calmly (us three women) but my idiotic 8 year old brother panicked and started saying 'uh oh'... We had to fast forward.

Ask your child what he wants for dinner only if he’s buying- Fran Lebowitz

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] mgbphd 16 years ago

"Massive nudity"? Too bad the film and book was intended for adults. If you found that so obnoxious, stick to the television. The young girl, who correctly found the scene amusing. It is rather troubling the OP needs warnings for everything

I'm not that old, but there was a time when people like that would just stay at home and allow life to go on unperturbed. From all this film presents - story - scenimatography -- character development and interaction -- and the OP holds that nudity dear. my....my......

When a man assumes a public trust, he should consider himself as public property - Thomas Jefferson

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[–] Jessica_Rabbit69 15 years ago

Good God, is this thread a complete joke??
"Massive nudity"?

I consider myself a prude, but this film was in no way showing a lot of "gratuitous nudity". I thought it was hilarious.

Jessica Rabbit
"I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way."

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[–] StarrySkyWaltz 15 years ago

LOL at someone named "Jessica Rabbit 69" calling herself a prude. <3 Anyway though, I had no idea it was in the film, but it's not obscene or sexual. I was shocked at first, but I don't think it's that big of a deal really.

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[–] JoeySanchez3456 15 years ago

I hadn't seen the complete movie in years and I saw it listed one late night. I also saw the rating that's usually given before the start and was very suprised and intrigued to see the R rating with stated nudity. I couldn't wait to see what warranted this, because I remembered such a gentle, beautiful film. I have to admit that I thought the scene was pretty hilarious and the rating is too strong. I'm an American from the midwest and I admit we all can be a bit prudish, yes there were grown men clowning around, naked in the pond, but the context of the scene is totally innocent.

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[–] contact-258 15 years ago

I have to say I am very gratified that people are still responding to this post that I made I don't know how many years ago. It's a blast of immortality for me, I guess.

By the way, IMDB does not list this as rated R. If it had been rated R, then I would have been warned about the blatant male nudity and it wouldn't have been so surprising in a family film. Then I never would have made my original post asking if it was too much to warn us about the nudity in the film.

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[–] dm84 15 years ago

There is no massive male nudity. One scene where the three guys are bathing and playing naked. You really dont get to see much, certainly not in close up. Harmless innocent play.

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[–] DarcyBrandon 15 years ago

Massive nudity? Seriously? They were swimming. What was the deal? How would that harm children?

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[–] laurastuart 15 years ago

i thought this discussion was resolved like a year ago? it wasnt the nudity itself being objected to - it was the fact that there was no warning. i mean no 'PG: adult themes and some nudity' type deal. that all.

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[–] MiCharlie124 15 years ago

Believe it or not, if you strip down every single male living on this planet, you'll find that each and every one of them has a penis there between their legs. Anyone who would be offended by the sight of one (or three), needs to examine why the glimpse of male anatomy is so repulsive and/or offensive.

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[–] iheartjacksparrow 15 years ago

I'm watching it on Flix right now and it was rated R with the warning of nudity.

And for the OP who was shocked because it was unrated, excuse me but unrated does not mean "G."

The people who complain about nudity in this film must also want the statue of David to wear some clothes. And as a female, I think there should be more male nudity in films. I get so sick of seeing nude females in movies.

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[–] DarcyBrandon 15 years ago

Amen to that! Why is it when there's female nudity there isn't as much of an outcry but God forbid if men show a little something.

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[–] Hewso 13 years ago

iheartjacksparrow wrote: "And as a female, I think there should be more male nudity in films. I get so sick of seeing nude females in movies."

I couldn't agree more. I am also a woman and I think it's time for a lot more male nudity in film. Frankly I'd like to see a lot more movies with "massive" amounts of male nudity. After decades of mostly female nudity in film it's great to see a film in which the men run around completely nude and the women keep their clothes on.

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[–] Sly-Norton 15 years ago

It got shown on tv in the UK today during the day uncensored, no problem.

I still don't see the point to this film though.

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[–] 15 years ago

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[–] Sly-Norton 15 years ago

It is getting ridiculous! Over 100 replies for crying out loud!

In terms of funniest threads on IMDb my favourite is still the risque but hilarious "Superman Should Be Black" thread which was on the Superman Returns forum prior to its release. It featured some hilarious Photoshop attempts at simulating a black Superman!

EDIT: And I've just realised that I posted the 100th reply! Woohoo! Milestone!

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[–] 15 years ago

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[–] Sly-Norton 15 years ago

Oh, I can totally understand that!

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[–] Jessica_Rabbit69 15 years ago

"The 'massive nudity' issue was why SpongeBob was given the SquarePants in the first place. You can't have naked sea sponges in cartoons!"

I love that! But I agree. I wouldn't want to see naked sea sponges either. Shameful.

Jessica Rabbit
"I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way."

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[–] 15 years ago

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[–] beresfordjd 14 years ago

Get over yourself you bell-end. Prudes like you get on my nerves. I daresay you go around covering table legs!!

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[–] Miss_Sui_Generis 14 years ago

Massive nudity? None of the actors were very large.
The scene was taken directly from the novel, and was essential to the plot. It was also quite funny.

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[–] RoIn100 14 years ago

It never ceases to amaze me how the prudes have managed to take over every facet of American life in recent years.

Rest assured there was a time, even in these United States, when this kind of casual nudity among men was very, very common. Up until the YMCA began to allow women, nude swimming was required as swimming suits were NOT allowed. Y locker rooms and school gyms had open showers with no curtains (many still do) and in rural areas swimming holes -- much like the one depicted in this movie -- were places where men (and boys) went skinny dipping together. In the 1940's male high school swim teams regularly swam naked together. This was the norm.

Part of it stems from a time when military service for American men was the norm and I can assure you there is no privacy in military showers. It is only been in very recent years that the notion of casual, single gender nudity, has taken on some sort of shameful thing to be embarrassed by. It's a notion that as coincided with the new prude revolution and it has its roots in homophobia.

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[–] ShannonTriumphant 13 years ago

Yes, indeed! The prudes HAVE taken over! (Except in Judd Apatow films! Hilarious as those films are, I WISH someone would put a damper on us seeing Seth Rogan's naked behind for at least 10 seconds, or Jason Segel showing off his wang in almost every film. I'm not shocked by it; it's just unnecessary.

As for the "massive nudity" in the Sacred lake swim scene of "A Room With a View", I find nothing remotely offensive in it, and it was necessary to jar us a bit, so we could (maybe?) sympathize with Cecil as he sees them. He seems far more shocked than Mrs Honeychurch or Lucy. I love it that the mom marches up to a naked Freddie, crouching in the bushes and, without a blush, orders him to "go home and have a proper bath, with hot laid on"! lol

One might want to consider a scene from John Galsworthy's "The Forsyte Saga", in which the main character, Soames, as prudish and conservative as anyone from the Puritan days, goes to a steam bath to recover from his violent jealousy. There, he runs into his roguish cousin, George, and has a brief conversation, both of them either nude or wearing nothing but a towel.

Americans have really gone backwards when it comes to nudity. We ARE the biggest prudes!

She deserves her revenge, and we deserve to die.

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[–] Sly-Norton 13 years ago

In the UK this film has been broadcast un-edited in the mid-afternoon slot several times.

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] leconnarde 13 years ago

"Massive nudity?" Get a grip!!!

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[–] SnoozeAlarm 9 years ago

>>> "Massive nudity?" Get a grip!!!

You want to grip their massive nudity?!?!

If a private venture fails it's closed down. If a government venture fails it's expanded. M Friedman

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