Abusive relationships in film: how Fifty Shades does it wrong
Swéta Rana takes a look at two 2015 releases — Fifty Shades of Grey and Whiplash — and explains how one clearly dominates the other (pardon the pun).
Spoilers for Fifty Shades of Grey and Whiplash.
I vehemently believe in the power of film to educate, overwhelm and transform. As far as I am concerned, pretty much any subject matter is okay to include in a movie — rape, war, abuse, incest, Hugh Grant, what have you — as long as it is done with integrity and informed purpose.
Unfortunately, those are two things starkly absent from this year’s infamous adaptation of 50 Shades of Grey. And if you compare it with the Academy Award-nominated Whiplash, you really begin to see why.
Whiplash (2014), directed by Damien Chazelle: Andrew (Miles Teller) forms an intense relationship with the respected but formidable Terrence (J. K. Simmons). Terrence is prone to violence and unexpected outbursts, often leaving Andrew both emotionally and physically wounded. Nevertheless, Terrence promises Andrew that he has only his best interests in mind, leading to a perturbing pattern of lies and manipulation which Andrew seems more than happy to return to time and time again.
Fifty Shades of Grey (2015), directed by Sam-Taylor Johnson: Anastasia (Dakota Johnson) forms an intense relationship with the respected but formidable Christian (Jamie Dornan). Christian is prone to violence and unexpected outbursts, often leaving Anastasia both emotionally and physically wounded. Nevertheless, Christian promises Anastasia that he has only her best interests in mind, leading to a perturbing pattern of lies and manipulation which Anastasia seems more than happy to return to time and time again.
Both movies are, in their own ways, about control, sadomasochistic tendencies, and abuse. There is a central connection consisting of an evident dominant and submissive. Whilst Fifty Shades’ major relationship is sexual, Whiplash’s examines the pressure on a student from their instructor, but there is a trait identifiable in both Andrew’s deference to Terrence and Anastasia’s to Christian: a desire to impress, to please, to prove themselves worthy.
Yet despite the similar frameworks, Whiplash has been almost universally declared a far superior film. It boasts an impressive 95% on Rotten Tomatoes compared to Fifty Shades’ certifiably ‘rotten’ 26%. Many negative reviews slam its storyline and broad themes: “Brain-witheringly stupid and boring”; “uninformed and unrealistic”; “vapid”. In contrast, Whiplash’s plot is “dark and dazzling”; “hugely entertaining”; “raw and brutal but also very subtle”.
Two separate cinematic takes on the world of abuse and control, yet one is infinitely more respected. So how did Fifty Shades manage to so severely cock up (pun somewhat intended)?
It’s not just about the sex, because BDSM sexuality deserves to be talked about and portrayed in movies as much as anything else. Rather, it’s that the innate dynamic between Anastasia and Christian never changes. Neither character develops or evolves. Anastasia meets Christian and is immediately besotted. She reveals secrets and drags herself firmly out of her comfort zone in order to placate him. He insists that he knows her better than she knows herself, and as any readers of the second and third books will know, this is a claim Anastasia ultimately accepts. The supposed power struggle between Anastasia and Christian barely even begins, as Christian was practically winning before the two even met. Anastasia does not overcome — she succumbs.
In Whiplash, Andrew practises his drum routines until his hands bleed, gritting his teeth through the emotional and physical abuse administered by Terrence. Terrence claims he just wants Andrew to be his very best self. As Andrew stumbles from a car wreckage, intent on performing in a concert, it is apparent that Terrence’s abuse has rendered Andrew a slave to his opinion and praise, to the severe detriment of his own physical and psychological health. He is the helpless Anastasia to Terrence’s Christian.
But here is where the films notably diverge (thank God). Andrew is no Anastasia. Andrew fights back. Terrence’s attempts to humiliate and control Andrew continue, but by the end, Andrew is having none of it. He is finally able to embrace his skills as a composite of his own person, not as pacification for Terrence. He drums for his own sake, no longer willing to bow to his tutor’s every whim. Andrew does not succumb — he overcomes.
The problem with Fifty Shades is not its discussion of an unhealthy relationship. It is its blind insistence that this relationship is actually healthy. Perhaps because Whiplash is semi-autobiographical, the writer-director understands the trauma Andrew goes through, and why Terrence’s aggression is simply unacceptable. Meanwhile, Fifty Shades presents this high-pressure, abusive relationship not just as normal, but ideal.
To anyone who thinks the story of Anastasia and Christian is a desirable one, or an accurate portrayal of healthy, consensual BSDM, watch Whiplash. It’s similar in its themes of power and manipulation, but Whiplash understands the real damage such control can do. Andrew’s anxiety, pain, and eventual resistance are relatable and inspiring. Meanwhile, Anastasia is too meek to stand up for herself, and this supposedly turns out just fine. As long as Fifty Shades presents its twisted trysts as virtuous, it will justifiably continue to gather its ‘rotten’ reviews.
Originally published at abstractmag.com on February 20, 2015.
