Basic Instinct
In 1992, a thriller by the title of Basic Instinct arrived at the cinemas in a cloud of controversy. The film's director, Paul Verhoeven (Total Recall, Showgirls), is known for saturating his projects with offensive content, such as raunchy sex scenes or graphic violence. Basic contains a great deal of both sexuality and brutality. Ten years later, the film has been largely forgotten, but is still considered one of the sexiest movies ever released. The relatively recent release of the director's cut allows audiences to watch this erotic whodunit in its full glory.
Detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas) is investigating the gruesome murder of a retired rocker. So far, the only suspect is the musician's lover, novelist Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone). Tramell claims she wasn't with the victim when he died. Unfortunately for Tramell, one of her previous novels describes the death of a rock star exactly how the recent victim died. Tramell uses the book as an alibi by claiming that she's too smart to kill someone in the same way she described in a book.
When Curran's detective partner asks about her new book, Tramell discloses that the hero is a detective who falls for the wrong woman, who ends up killing him. Curran finds himself attracted to the brilliant but manipulative author, who asks permission to use him as a model for the developing novel. The two begin a torrid affair; however, Curran suspects that the woman he's boning could be a killer. Will Catherine Tramell's new book become reality like the others?
In preparation for this review, I watched the aforementioned director's cut version of Basic Instinct. Restored footage basically entails excessive gore, more explicit sex scenes, and the notorious interrogation scene in which Sharon Stone, sans underwear, crosses and uncrosses her legs. The uncensored theatrical trailer and a making-of featurette are included on the tape/DVD. One advantage to watching director's cuts of most films is being able to form your own opinion about the content, rather than settling for the MPAA's verdict on what's appropriate to show in theatres.
Casting had a considerable impact on the film's believability. Michael Douglas (Fatal Attraction) plays another sympathetic character that gets involved with a potentially dangerous woman. Sharon Stone herself is sexy and smart; did she have to make a substantial effort for this role? Likeable character actor George Dzundza costars as Curran's partner, who serves as the film's comic relief. Rumor has it that Kathleen Turner, Michelle Pfeiffer and Kim Basinger were considered for the lead female role. Any one of those actresses would have done a quality job, but I can't argue with the end result.
Regardless of the brutal violence and wanton sexuality, this is an excellent thriller. The plot might require several viewings to completely untangle, but it makes sense and keeps you guessing until the last scene. If you're looking for something to do during the weekend besides partying, check out this neo-classic hardcore thriller.
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Issues of alcoholism and drug abuse might repel college students, especially ones who may shield themselves from the truth of possible consequences.
This film begins and ends with a sex scene and contains a fair number of them throughout the show. However, gratuitous violence is not an effective aphrodisiac.
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