A scene from Sigur Ros’ music video for “Fjögur piano” starring Shia LaBeouf
Shia LaBeouf is preparing to film real sex scenes in the upcoming production of Lars von Trier’s new film The Nymphomaniac. There will be no pretending here, no awkward fake penetration or false moans. Everything will be real because Lars von Trier likes it that way. No stranger to unsimulated sex on film, he also features actual penetration in his movies AntiChrist and Idioterne. LaBeouf told MTV that the script featured a disclaimer that warned the sex scenes would be shot for real and also that everything ‘illegal’ would be shot blurry.
In North America, showing actual penetration in theatres is illegal. The Motion Picture Association of America restricts it entirely, and to avoid being deemed pornographic, von Trier is placing his emphasis on blurred filming. In Canada, each province is governed under its own rating system derived from the Canadian Home Video Rating System. Explicit Sexual Content includes real-looking penetration. Actual penetration is deemed as pornography and banned from theatre.
Real sex scenes are rare in feature cinema and worked into contracts in advance, though actors sometimes use body doubles. Mainstream Hollywood uses simulated sex for a reason, but these scenes are different beasts. Everything that would normally happen with sex happens: the nudity, the frantic breathing and the anticipation. Everything but the sex.
There are strict union laws in place to prevent actors and actresses from being pushed too far in simulated sex scenes. Sets, though still full of crew watching from nearby monitors, are usually closed in a veiled attempt at comfort. Union representatives are frequently on site and calls are often made to agents to verify professionalism. If anything, director Harvey Glazer finds it distracting, though he understands their purpose. Glazer directed Kickin It Old Skool, Van Wilder: Freshman Year and indie film Bitten, which features an 11-minute sex scene with Jason Mewes.
“People think sex scenes are fun to make, but I don’t see them being fun at all. It’s so much stress not just for the actors, but also in trying to create something that doesn’t feel fake. How do we make this natural when it’s the most unnatural situation we could ever make it?” Glazer tells me from his studio in Toronto.
Even more awkward, he says, is directing people on how to have pretend sex. “Its your vision that you’re trying to get across. You have to be like, put your hand here, put your tongue here. I’m guessing it’s more awkward for the actors having to simulate the sex than me standing there watching it.”
The stars agree. Bridesmaids star Kristin Wigg told GQ on her sex scene with Jon Hamm, “There was nothing hot about that scene. We weren’t, like, looking into each others’ eyes.” Reese Witherspoon told In Touch Weekly that her sex scene with Robert Pattinson in Water For Elephants was, “A little bit of a downer. I was a little disappointed. It wasn’t sexy.”
On the contrary, Pattinson’s ex Kristen Stewart told QMI Agency she has no problems filming sex scenes. She said on her role in the upcoming On The Road, “As long as you’re always just being really honest, there’s nothing ever to be ashamed of.”
Glazer said pretend sex can be awkward because actors are afraid to become turned on, though he assures me in lewd speak that they most often do. But in real sex scenes, actors are encouraged to get lost in it, to really feel the scene and allow its imperfections to add to the beauty of it.
British film 9 Songs is one of the best examples of unsimulated sex in cinema. It tells the story of a relationship spread across nine concerts and the couple’s sex life, including masturbation, sex, cunnilingus and what is thought to be the first mainstream cum shot. It’s real and raw, and creates a different feel in a film that is less pornography, more intimacy. Though it could be argued good actors could fake this, it’s not the same as watching sex unfold naturally. It creates a different story dynamic, as if sex is its own character. 9 Songs does not feature blurred scenes. (Trust me, I own it on Blu-ray.)
LeBeouf has accepted more daring roles lately. This is not his first stint in the buff. He recently starred in the racy NSFW Sigur Ros video for the track “Fjögur piano.” He also admitted he took LSD to prepare for an upcoming mob role in The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman and he drank moonshine in the film Lawless, a production about depression-era bootlegging.
The Nymphomaniac represents LeBeouf’s most controversial role yet and has him joining the likes of films The Brown Bunny, Intimacy and Shortbus, which also feature real sex.
The Nymphomaniac will receive explicit and censored versions. It is slated for a 2013 release.
____
Sheena Lyonnais writes for Toronto Standard. You can follow her on Twitter at @SheenaLyonnais.
For more, follow us on Twitter @TorontoStandard or subscribe to our newsletter.
