It’s a well-known fact that sex sells, and if Fifty Shades of Grey is anything to go by, the third film in the trilogy Fifty Shades Freed will be another big hit in the box office. Many good films come in threes: The Lord of the Rings, Back to the Future and The Matrix. It seems only natural that Mr Grey should grace our screens for the third time.
Trinity Long Room Hub will be holding a special lecture on “Negotiating the Fifty Shades of Grey Phenomenon” on Wednesday, February 14th at 12.30pm to 1.30pm in honour of the significant event. The lecture will be conducted by Dr Dara Downey and will run as part of the Popular Literature Lunchtime Lecture series organised by Trinity’s School of English. The very saucy lecture will be led for 30-40 minutes, leaving plenty of opportunities for questions afterwards.
Fifty Shades Freed is due to be released just in time for Valentine’s Day, its early teasers tantalisingly warned us not to “miss the climax”. Phew, pass me a cold glass of water. In the concluding chapter of the worldwide bestseller, the protagonists Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey finally tie the knot. Expect the usual steamy formula of scenes with light bondage in the couple’s infamous Red Room, and controlling behaviour from Mr Grey both inside and outside of the bedroom.
Although the movie makes it explicitly clear that Ana is a consenting “submissive”, signing more agreements than it takes to open a bank account, the premise of a naive young woman being seduced by a powerful older businessman raises many questions concerning the fine line between advantageous power-play and consensual kink. Such questions are particularly relevant in our post-Weinstein era, as allegations of abuse against high-profile men continue to build on an almost weekly basis. Will this affect the success of the third film? Can women still guiltlessly indulge in an erotic fantasy about being aggressively dominated by Mr Grey? This remains to be seen.
Whatever the case, sex has long drawn audiences to the cinema, and respectively the <em>Fifty Shades of Grey</em> trilogy is less controversial than the likes of Larry Clark’s <em>Kids</em> or <em>Blue Is the Warmest Colour</em> by Abdellatif Kechiche. <em>Fifty Shades Freed</em> is the final episode in a series that has turned light erotica mainstream and arguably palatable for the most prudish of viewers. In this sense, it is important, as perhaps <em>Fifty Shades</em> removes some of the guilt felt by those who indulge in the world of erotica. There are far too few representations of female desire in mainstream culture, so as cringy as <em>Fifty Shades</em> is, the challenges it poses towards sex and the expression of sexuality can be viewed as something positive.
Learn more about the phenomenon that is Fifty Shades this Wednesday, Valentine’s Day at 12.30pm in the Long Room Hub. Reserve a ticket in advance to avoid disappointment.
