Basic Instinct

This latest book in the Controversies series is the first in-depth study of Basic Instinct (1992). Basic Instinct was one of the earliest mainstream 'erotic thrillers' - a film which significantly shifted the boundaries for graphic representations of sex in the Hollywood mainstream. Basic Instinct remains a significant milestone in terms of censorship and wider controversies. In his fascinating study of the film, Stevie Simkin explains how the Basic Instinct is also remarkable for stirring up a 'grass roots' form of censorship that has become more widespread in the twenty years that have followed its release. The unrest that Basic Instinct sparked in the gay and lesbian communities in the US, as well as amongst feminists, was unprecedented at the time. After the screenplay was leaked to the public, pressure groups - incensed by what they characterised as the script's homophobia - first lobbied the production company, director and writer for script changes, and then staged protests during the making of the film, continuing with demonstrations outside movie theatres when it opened.

This study considers the social and cultural context in which Basic Instinct was made. It includes a detailed examination of all stages of the production, certification, distribution and reception of the film, the nature of the objections and protests by GLAAD and other pressure groups, and critical responses to the film. It also offers a number of readings of the film, chiefly in terms of its representation of a 'transgressive' female protagonist, and its representation of bisexuality and a close analysis of key scenes, with comparison of the cuts made to different versions released in the UK and the US, for theatrical release and for home video, and for TV broadcast. It concludes by considering the longer term impact of Basic Instinct, focusing on representations of lesbianism/bisexuality, sex and violence, and the erotic thriller genre's place in relation to boundaries of censorship and classification.