50 Shades of Blah? 5 films that showed better BDSM than ’50 Shades of Grey’

First, the good news: Almost all the critics say that the new 50 Shades of Grey movie is better than the book. But with literary gems like: “And from a very tiny, underused part of my brain — probably located at the base of my medulla oblongata near where my subconscious dwells — comes the thought: He’s here to see you.” (facepalm!), it clearly was not a tough act to beat.

While Dakota Johnson who plays Ana Steele, the story’s protagonist, has been called the one bright spot in the movie, the general consensus is that a million fantasies are likely to be iced and an audience expecting fifty shades of fantastic are likely to find coal at the end of that rainbow when the movie hits screens, worldwide, on Friday. Indian audiences will have to wait another two weeks to see this much-anticipated movie.

For those of you who are still intrigued by the world of BDSM (Bondage, Discipline and Sadism and Masochism), and we know you are out there, there are other films that dealt with the subject far more convincingly. Here a five films that did it better, and mind you, we’re talking mainstream Hollywood here:

1. Secretary (2002)

The film starring Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee Holloway and James Spader as E. Edward Grey (coincidence much?) tells the story of a dominant man and his submissive secretary.  In a memorable scene from the movie, Grey commands his secretary to sit in a chair and not move her hands or feet till he gives her permission. She complies and stays in the chair, while he watches from afar, for three days till he comes to get her. Needless to say the BDSM theme is prevalent in multiple scenes in the movie and the chemistry between Spader and Gyllenhaal’s characters is electric.

2. American Psycho (2000)

The psychological black comedy thriller stars Christian Bale, Jared Leto, Reese Witherspoon and Willem Dafoe. The plot revolves around wealthy banker Patrick Bateman who leads a double life as a serial killer. The critically acclaimed movie has gruesome murder and erotica as a running theme. Christian Bale delivers a stunning performance as the murderous Bateman.

3. Bitter Moon (1992)

The Roman Polanski film stars Hugh Grant and Kristin Scott Thomas as a mild-mannered couple on their honeymoon, whose lives get entangled with another couple on the cruise, where the husband is a paraplegic who narrates the story of his relationship with his wife. What unfolds is a tale of control, submission and retribution that changes the lives of all involved.

4. 9 ½ weeks (1986)

The film detailing the duration of the relationship between an arbitrageur and art gallery owner stars Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger. The intimate scenes between the two actors are still manage to shock nearly three decades after the movie was first made.

5. Pulp Fiction

All right… maybe it’s a bit of a stretch to call this a BDSM movie. But there are a couple of scenes involving a bound Bruce Willis with a ball gag and a blindfolded and chained Ving Rhames that few moviegoers can forget. The rest is good-old fashioned Tarantino with murder, execution, chases, and a twist contest.

So, will you be ‘submitting’ to some movie watching this weekend?