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A Dangerous Method - Otto Gross fucks the maid

In a film with as much frank discussion of sex as this one, there is very little actual onscreen penetration, and while one can argue that sex is not just penetration, that is the parameter I am establishing for any non-lesbian scene. But of all the fascinating and erotic scenes in Cronenberg's film, by far the most entertaining and memorable sex scene involves Vincent Cassel's scene-stealing cameo as hedonist Otto Gross. If Jung and Freud are trying to understand and analyze their lust, Gross is embracing it and throwing himself into it head first (pun certainly intended).

Part of Jung's inner-struggle during the film is his desire for Sabina Speilrein, which he attempts to control because of his marriage. This makes Gross's sex scene not only entertaining, but also a stark contrast to Jung's turmoil. While Gross is being kept in the asylum where Jung works, Jung comes across Gross outside, in broad daylight, having sex with some woman who we have never seen before and will never see again. I don't remember anything about her, really, except that I think she's a maid and she's definitely getting buggered from behind by Otto Gross. In a film where all of the characters take sex so seriously, this moment of levity brings with it a different perspective: maybe sex is just supposed to be fun.

The Housemaid - Eun-yi goes down on Hoon

The Housemaid is a remake of a 1960 Korean classic about a maid who begins an affair with her employer's husband. Foreign films tend to be much less prudish and more open about sexuality, which can make for some great sex scenes, but many foreign directors also understand the contradicting emotions that are often behind sexual encounters. Director Sang-soo Im clearly understands the complexity of a sexual encounter as taboo as the one he presents in his film, which is why the sex scenes are not just very erotic, but totally fascinating.

Any sexual encounter can be complicated, but when there is a power disparity between the two people involved, it gets very messy. For the wealthy Hoon and the poor Eun-yi, class difference is a factor that is clearly on both of their minds. Hoon has all of the power in the situation, especially since he can fire Eun-yi at any time. This is why he instigates the affair, and why he moves his hands on Eun-yi's body as if he owns her. For Eun-yi the situation is more complicated, and we see in her eyes a combination of lust and fear, because she knows there can be serious consequences to their actions. This massive power disparity makes their first sexual encounter into more than just a sexy blowjob scene, but a commentary on the role of class in Korean society.

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