Using Sex to Tell a Story

Sex scenes in media are generally regarded as blunt instruments in the storyteller's toolbox.

All too frequently, they are of dubious, if any, significance to the story; and have apparently been tacked on to the production solely for the purpose of titillation, and to lure in a bigger audience with sex appeal.

At other times, they do serve a legitimate function; for example, by establishing that two particular characters are lovers, or by providing a satisfying resolution to some long-running romantic tension.

But seldom is a sex scene used as a storytelling device, in and of itself.

In pretty much every other type of scene within a half-decent movie or TV show, you discover something of substance. Even when they don't much advance the narrative, they probably give you some meaningful insight into the characters, or their relationships; or touch on the production's overall themes in a meaningful way. Good directors and actors can do several of these things at once.

Sex scenes are rarely ever this sophisticated. Most sex scenes do little more than inform the audience that "X and Y had sex at this point in time." Most of them could easily be replaced with a discretion shot of the two characters entering a bedroom together, with minimal impact to the overall story.

But occasionally, you will stumble upon a sex scene that's an exception to this rule; a sex scene that not only shows people having sex, but that also provides deeper revelations about the characters or their roles within the story. Be it through the lovers' body languages, or strategic cinematography, the scene communicates with us. If you were to edit the scene out of the production, even in favor of a tasteful acknowledgment that sex had occurred off-screen, you would significantly change the context of the surrounding story.

By way of example, I want to offer an in-depth examination of my favorite mainstream media sex scene, from the 2002 horror film Cabin Fever, directed by Eli Roth.

A Brief Synopsis Of Cabin Fever (for the uninitiated)

The film has five principal characters: Marcy and Jeff, an established couple; Paul, who is unhappily stuck in the friendzone with Karen; and Bert, the obnoxious fifth wheel who constantly gets on the other four's nerves.

The five friends rent a cabin out in the woods together for a vacation. However, shortly after arriving, they find themselves trapped in the middle of an outbreak of a very contagious, very deadly pathogen. Karen becomes infected, and it's at this point that the film's major theme of how a crisis can test (and often break) individuals and relationships comes into play. With varying outcomes, each of the characters are torn between their sense of responsibility to care for their ailing friend, and their own sense of self-preservation.

As the movie progresses, many of the relationships between the characters break down, and many characters die.

Put simply, Cabin Fever is a film about the fragility of human life (i.e. facing death), and about the comparable fragility of human relationships.

Deeper Background

But there are two characters in the film who buck against this overlying trend: Marcy and Paul. While every other relationship gradually decays into animosity and distrust, Marcy and Paul maintain a functional friendship throughout the majority of the film. In fact, they grow closer, culminating in them becoming lovers as the film enters its final act.

The sex scene comes as a surprising twist. Although Paul and Marcy had a sturdy friendship up till this point, most first-time viewers are amazed at how spontaneously the relationship escalates into sex. They're left reeling in disbelief, wondering, "Did they really just do that?"

In fact, the twist seems so absurd, it's all but impossible to accept on simple face value. Cabin Fever incites you to question the entire scene; to really think about what it is showing you.

It's usually only on subsequent viewings that people will notice all the subtle clues, all throughout the film, that there was an unspoken intimacy growing between Paul and Marcy in the days before they slept together. Hidden in the background of the film is a very subtle tale of two friends who progressively grow closer as they support each other through a traumatic crisis. The sex scene serves as the natural and logical culmination of that story.

But even so, the scene is much more elaborate than it needs to be to simply round-out a star-crossed lovers story line. If this was all that Eli Roth sought to accomplish by having Paul and Marcy go to bed together, he could've accomplished it with a few generic shots of the couple having sex. But the scene we actually get is presented in a very particular way, with details that are far too deliberate to be trivial.

Still, the deeper meaning of these details isn't immediately clear. In order to truly understand the sex scene, you have to pay close attention and think about what it shows you.

A Detailed Recount Of The Scene

The true beginning of the scene sees Paul quietly entering Marcy's bedroom, where Marcy is reclining upon her bed. She stares absently out the window, her eyes shimmering with the tears she has recently been crying.

By this stage, Karen is effectively on her deathbed.

Marcy, disturbed by the gruesome progression of Karen's sickness, laments that she, Paul, and their other friends will inevitably fall victim to the same infectious disease soon enough.

Paul does his best to reassure her that they will all be okay. In certain editions of the film, you can see that he lays a hand upon her thigh as he offers these comforting words, indicating that there is more than just a platonic familiarity between these two by this point.

Marcy, however, isn't moved by his optimism.

But instead of continuing to mope, Marcy steers the conversation in a strange new direction. She likens their circumstances to being on a plane that's about to crash, and suggests that, in such a situation, you might as well grab the nearest available person and have passionate sex with them, since you're both going to die either way.

An expression of sheer bewilderment lingers on Paul's face. He can't make any sense of what she's saying. It doesn't even occur to him that she might literally be suggesting that the two of them have sex, right now. Marcy turns to stare him straight in the eye; a no-nonsense gaze to let him know that she is 100% sincere. But even then, Paul can't comprehend the very literal meaning of her statement.

The very next thing we see is Marcy and Paul, now both completely naked, tumbling on to the mattress together. Marcy is on top and very much in control, as she will be for the duration of this sexual encounter. Her hands are pinning Paul's arms down upon the pillows, asserting her dominance. She immediately begins thrusting away, deliberately and confidently, while Paul can only passively look on.

This power dynamic is the most crucial element of the whole scene, because it means that we will not be able to interpret it as a typical male-dominant sex scene. This scene does not revolve around the man having his way with the hot babe, because the man is not steering this ship - the woman is.

It also needs to be noted that Marcy likewise dominates the scene visually. The sex itself is depicted from a total of three different camera angles. Of these, Marcy dominates the frame in all three, while Paul is only substantially visible in one. In one shot, he isn't visible at all. Marcy is the indisputable star of this scene. I'll talk more about the significance of this later.

Almost immediately we get an exchange of dialogue that gives us another important piece of information.

Paul, seemingly still disoriented by this sudden escalation into a sexual partnership, gently asks Marcy, "You don't use condoms?"

Marcy replies without hesitation, "Don't worry. I'm healthy." Her tone is both dismissive and decisive. No, she is not using a condom, nor does she have any intention of using a condom. Both the audience and Paul get the clear message that she's not willing to discuss this any further, and so Paul doesn't press the matter.

As if to draw a firm line under this resolution, the camera cuts back to a wide angle, showing Marcy heaving Paul down into the mattress, over and over. The thrusts seem more forceful and assertive than ever. This body language reiterates what Marcy just told us verbally: that she has no intention whatsoever of stopping so that Paul can apply a condom.

It's a strange piece of dialogue, and it makes you wonder why its in the scene at all. Paul's question is superfluous: obviously, they are both aware that they aren't using a condom, so why does he feel the need to clarify it aloud? By this stage, he has already fully penetrated Marcy, so it's too late to think about protecting himself from any diseases she might be carrying.

Frankly, it doesn't feel like a conversation that two lovers would genuinely have so late in a sex act. Which means that it probably isn't in the scene for the sake of authenticity; it's probably in there to tell the audience something. Cabin Fever apparently wants us to know that Marcy and Paul are specifically having raw sex; it's not leaving any margin for doubt that Paul may have put on a condom before the scene started.

Again, I'll circle back to the relevance of this information.

The next shot we see isn't actually part of the sexual encounter at all; it's a cutaway shot to Karen, laying motionless on her deathbed, on the floor of the nearby tool shed. Yet even though this shot doesn't depict the sexual encounter, it is nonetheless part of the overall sex scene; by mere virtue of the fact that it is bookended before and after by footage of Marcy and Paul having sex. Also, if you have keen ears, you will notice that you can still hear Marcy panting and moaning, even when the vision switches over to Karen. This audio continuity leaves no doubt that there is some thematic connection between the two events.

So how is Karen wasting away relevant to Paul and Marcy's sexual encounter? Again, we'll explore this later.

We've now reached the last portion of the scene: a static behind-Marcy's-back shot that captures the final few seconds until Marcy brings Paul to climax.

Body language is used masterfully in this final segment to paint a very detailed picture of what is going on. Indeed, body language is practically the only storytelling device used in this scene, since there is no dialogue and we don't even get to see either of the lovers' faces.

We see Marcy thrusting away furiously atop Paul, as she huffs and moans. Her efforts have an established rhythm and momentum. She powers ahead like a runaway locomotive, and you quickly realize that this woman can no longer be reasoned with, nor dissuaded. Nothing is going to stop her from seeing this thing through to the end.

It's this final clip that truly underscores the intensity of this sexual encounter. These two aren't fooling around; this is hard, physical sex, pure and simple. The chemistry between them is spectacular. Although neither of them planned for this to happen, when you watch them together, you get the sense that they were always destined to end up doing this.

All we ever see of Paul throughout this segment is his two arms. At the beginning of the segment, they are reaching up, from his reclining position on the mattress, and are firmly latched upon Marcy's back. You don't need to see Paul's face to understand how tormented with pleasure he is right now; the tension in his forearms and fingers says it all. And with Marcy's persistent thrusting, all that simulation must be driving him crazy.

Paul's love-grasp is so intense that, even with Marcy's vigorous thrusting, she is never able to shake his hands loose from her back - until one particular moment where his hands suddenly go limp, and quickly slide off of her.

The reason is blatantly obvious: Paul has climaxed. All the strength in his body is being sapped into his loins, to power his ejaculations. His once-strong arms have become lifeless rubber.

You can't help but admire the inventiveness of how Cabin Fever does this. Most other sex scenes would announce the man's orgasm with a primal yowl, or a close-up of the man's face contorting in ecstasy. But Cabin Fever signals this event with far more subtlety, yet in a manner that is totally unambiguous. Paul's orgasm is captured on film; but it is practically relegated to being a background event.

It's very important that the conclusion to the scene was filmed this way, because this technique does three important things:

1. It shows us the precise moment when Paul climaxes. This will be important later.

2. It does this without disrupting our observation of what Marcy is doing.

3. It does not compromise Marcy's position as the focal character of the sex scene.

With the camera still fixed devotedly on Marcy, we observe her make one final hearty plunge on to her lover's manhood, before her thrusting abruptly stops. Suddenly appearing quite weary, Marcy lowers herself on to Paul and settles there. Paul embraces her.

In contradiction to Paul's discreet climax, Marcy finishes with a triumphant flourish of her long, brown hair, as she tosses it over her back. Once again, the scene celebrates and glorifies the female engaged in sex, while her masculine counterpart lingers in obscurity.

The Role Of Fluids

The ending of this segment fits together with the earlier dialogue about the condom to give us a very clear message: Paul ejaculates directly in to Marcy's pussy. We already know that there is no condom to interrupt the process. And because we witness Paul climaxing, with Marcy still perched securely on top of him, there is no possibility that they might've 'pulled out' at the last minute.

Marcy doesn't shift once the action is over, so we can be sure she received every last drop that Paul had in him. Then she collapses directly down on to Paul as she succumbs to her exhaustion. She doesn't roll off of him, as the female characters in many other films do at the end of similar sex scenes. Her hips appear to stay in place, so it's very likely that Paul's cock remains fully inside her as they settle down to recuperate after that exhausting session. In other words, his cock is acting as a plug, preventing his semen from leaking out of her.

So now we know, with absolute certainty, that a full load of Paul's semen has been securely deposited into Marcy's loins - all thanks to a few curious choices in the way the scene is presented, which have no value to the main narrative.

Of course, it's easy to fall in to the trap of assuming that the absence of a condom is relevant to charting the spread of the disease; except it isn't. Paul developing the illness later can easily be attributed to any of several sources, such as his exposure to Karen's blood, or the water at the reservoir.

So we didn't need to be told that Paul and Marcy weren't using a condom, but Cabin Fever told us anyway. It wasn't necessary for us to witness Paul's climax, but Cabin Fever showed it to us anyway. Cabin Fever doesn't simply want us to see that Marcy and Paul had sex, it wants us to see that Paul inseminates Marcy. And the mere fact that the film goes to so much trouble to make sure we know this means that it's important.

As you ponder the reasons for this, you might begin to realize that Cabin Fever has given us a remarkably detailed account of what has happened with everybody's bodily fluids across the course of the film.

In the film's first sex scene, between Marcy and Jeff, we see that Marcy rolls around on to Jeff's back before he can climax, and brings him to orgasm by fingering his anus. Okay, the anal fingering is merely implied, but the fact that Jeff is no longer penetrating Marcy when he orgasms is blatantly obvious. Yes, there may have been some light exchange of genital fluids earlier in the sex scene; but we see very clearly that Jeff spilled his proper load on to the mattress, not into Marcy, during this scene.

This, in itself, is an unusual ending for a Hollywood sex scene (at least by 2002 standards). But now we have two instances where Cabin Fever has unambiguously shown us what happened to a male character's ejaculate.

On top of this, there are a handful of sexual 'false starts' throughout the film; situations that would've been ripe to lead to another sexual encounter, but for one reason or another, do not.

So we are very clearly shown that there are only two sexual encounters within the timeframe of the story: Marcy with Jeff, and Marcy with Paul. From the dialogue, body language, and the fact that various characters were in different places at certain times, we can safely rule out any chance that another sexual encounter took place offscreen.

So not only does Cabin Fever go to great pains to tell us that Paul inseminates Marcy, it also goes to great pains to tell us that this is the only instance within the story where a man inseminates a woman. Considering the overt and persistent sexual overtones in Cabin Fever (remember, this is a 2002 film about a bunch of college kids), that is pretty remarkable.

Even earlier in the film, when the characters have an explicit conversation about their previous sexual experiences, there are no potential instances of insemination described. The experiences they talk about are masturbation. In Cabin Fever the concept of insemination is something that belongs to Paul and Marcy alone.

Now let's tie up some loose ends.

Remember how I previously noted how the sex scene is meant to be interpreted through Marcy's motivations? And remember how I mentioned the importance of the precise timing of Paul's orgasm? Well, the reason why it is so important for us to know precisely when Paul climaxed is so that we can observe how his climax affects Marcy's behavior.

Immediately after Paul climaxes, Marcy makes one last, especially forceful thrust that has a definite air of finality to it. An easy explanation for this is that Marcy just happens to reach orgasm at almost the exact same moment Paul does. But that would be amazingly convenient. More importantly, Marcy's body language in that instant doesn't look orgasmic. She's too composed; too deliberate in her movements. It doesn't seem like she's climaxed as much as it seems like she's simply finished with riding him.

This begs us to reappraise her body language throughout the rest of the sex scene. When you rewatch it with a discerning eye, you notice that it remains more or less the same. Nothing about her body language ever says 'enjoying herself', or 'playful.' She doesn't seem to be savoring the sensations of Paul moving inside her. Nor does she exhibit any sort of intimacy or tenderness.

If I had to use a single word to describe Marcy's body language during the sex, I would probably choose "efficient." She moves quickly, forcefully, and with unflappable determination. She's not 'having a good time' so much as she's pushing herself to accomplish something. It's the sort of aggressive vigor one would expect to see in a woman working out, determined to achieve a certain number of reps, or a particular time goal.

And when does all that determined vigor end? When does Marcy finally relent and relax? The very instant that Paul cums inside of her.

Marcy wasn't having sex with Paul for pleasure. She was harvesting his sperm. That was her goal; her obsession throughout this scene. Consider the evidence:

1. She quite firmly refused to let him put on a condom.

2. She rode him very aggressively, as if she was trying to hyper-stimulate him to produce the largest load he could.