MovieChat Forums > Irréversible (2002) Discussion > Women Turned On by Deliverance

Women Turned On by Deliverance


OK so I've seen quite a few threads here about men being turned on by the rape scene. Why do people rape and why are they turned on by rape? Is it about power sexuality or both? I think both but what the f&&k do I know.

I guess my point is that not every guy was turned on by that scene. I certainly was not. So how many women were turned on by Ned Beatty getting raped and deliverance

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In Deliverance I meant. I highly doubt most of you were so can't the same be true for this film?

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I am a white European, and I found the Irreversible rape scene to be incredibly hot and sexy (I'm talking about the actual anal rape, and not the beating she got afterward).

Other rape scenes that are very sexy to watch are from Straw Dogs, and Basic Instinct, and Three.

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You need help!

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Why would anyone be turned on by rape scenes?? Sick, sick people.

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My guy friends said that while the scene was disturbing and sick, they all got hard during it. Dudes get turned on by some pretty crazy crap, I guess.

I'm a real kewl kat.🐈

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During my dozen or so years of living a 'single/promiscuous' life-style, I actually encountered a stunning number of women who genuinely enjoyed "rape" fantasy. It seemed rather strange to me, but if it made them happy... so be it.

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Is it about power sexuality or both?

Purely about power.

And what's worse is that as most regular guys feel powerless in today's society, and somewhat emasculated by the growing role of women in society in general, and their perceived diminishing allure as "money earners", they get more and more aroused by powerless women.

It's not really their fault and 90% of them would never even consider sex with an incapacitated woman (because they are fundamentally decent human beings and because they couldn't cope with the impulse) but they still get turned on by it.

For every lie I unlearn I learn something new - Ani Difranco

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At its purest, rape is just sex. Aggressive sex! I assume most people may fantasize about rape. Taking control, losing control, and sex. We can fantasize about many things. And for most people, we can control the narrative. (women may fantasize about loving a bad boy, a cop, or a cowboy. The reality may be different).
The reality of rape is VERY different. The victim didn't ask for it. Doesn't know how far it will go, has no say in what happens and how it will end. Will the guy(s) walk away in the end, or will the actual climax be a horrific beating - or death? 'Sex' takes many forms.
In Irreversable, there was NOTHING sexy about the rape. A movie like Straw Dogs is different. Much of the first part of the movie is about how sexy and enticing she is. Was she asking for it? Was she willing, at first? Excited? I was much younger when I saw it, but at first - it was sexy! But that was the fantasy part. She seemed very curious. Maybe willing? But that quickly changed once the reality set in. You can see it in her face. And from that point on, it is out of her control. And for most normal people, any excitement turned to horror.
And now that I am older, 'wiser', would I still be aroused at the set-up for the rape? Before the guy enters her? Maybe. The scene was set up that way. I haven't seen the movie since. But I would probably be more horrified, understanding rape a lot more.
(and for the record, I've never raped, or been raped. But I would be lying to say I've never fantasized about taking a woman too far. Or even being raped by a woman. It's human nature. I've fantasized about taking revenge, or killing a few people who have 'screwed' me... It's a human safety valve).

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An ideal solution would be to have filmed the rape scene with a woman who isn't hot...but average, if not ugly.

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Dear God, we all get so obsessed with details, don't we?

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How about a little subtlety or even say just put all wrongs in one basket, without being too explicit?

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Also, many people including men know that they and others are not supposed to be "turned" on by such material. And I would imagine to a bigger extent or even just otherwise so would women, so I am guessing, I don't think we would ever find out and maybe its for the best.

Also. Can such a topic be let's say relevant or related to scenes of killings and physical violence in action movies? Even if its not at all sexual, can we ask if men or women or people etc enjoy violence in films and if its normal? Or acceptable?

Or are the two issues on completely different levels, whether we "like it" or even "understand" it or not? (Ooooh, shaking and rubbing hands, get ready for some philosophical intellectual debate folks.)

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There are a lot of porn sites which cater to men who crave videos of women in non-consent scenarios (regardless of whether the women are acting or not). The videos blur the line.

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Well, perhaps there are, however unfortunate it is. And your point Cognoscente is that - this is where we get an idea about a topic like this from, the existence of certain naughty and immoral web sites?

There used to also be a site called rotten.com that catered to the morbidly curious folks about death, violence and destruction.

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That reminds me of a site called Ogrish.

Back to the subject of this thread, the OP made me think how the rape scene should have been filmed. With Monica being the rape victim instead of a woman with no beauty, it should have been filmed in a way that couldn't be seen as titillation - perhaps with emphasis on violence i.e. her face being busted up to the point of looking ugly.

Since she already had a sex scene in the film, they should have filmed the rape scene in a completely different way (maybe with chaotic camerawork and editing).

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That is an interesting observation. The issue, I believe, is that having an average actress in the role would have diminished the impact of the scene as it pertains the overarching theme.

The uneasiness of the film and that scene in particular emphasizes entropy having no limits. The tunnel scene’s impact is heightened by Alex’s beauty, which stands in contrast to the rest of the film. She enters the tunnel in a white dress, contrasted against the red walls, and once her beauty is taken from her, she is as red as her surroundings. This symbolizes that beauty has now merged with the dark and grainy colors of the film. Her sodomy is the sodomy of order and, by extension, the world.
And it is precisely this, I contend, that makes the scene so horrifying. It is not just the act itself which is so haunting, but the subtext: Alex’s ruination is the ruination of good, beauty, and order —a critique on the erosion of moral values, social institutions, and uninhibited progress.

This notion is highlighted in the way the film is shot. Just as the events are sequenced out of the order, so too are the actions of the characters lacking order. They accentuate the destructive elements of the world. The depiction of homosexuality is interesting, as the characters are represented as perfect distillations of depravity, debauchery, and amorality. They have reverted to base instincts instead of their cultivated disposition: sex without responsibility (i.e., child-rearing), violence without repercussions (Alex's rape).

Beyond the surface story of certain events being Irreversible, the message is a grim one, as Noe in no unclear terms is telling the audience that there is no hope for humanity.

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The difference being that even Monica bellucci is likely more sexually attractive to even 'straight' females than Ned Beatty (no offence 'Otis')

Personally I didn't find the rape scene in IRREVERSIBLE to be remotely titillating.

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