Sixty Years of Seduction (1981)

Documentary about Hollywood's glamorous stars, with commentary from five actors.

Introduction of the Movie
"Sixty Years of Seduction" is a 1981 anthology film that explores the evolution of sex object in American cinema from the 1920s to the 1980s. The 73-minute movie, directed by Richard Schickel, is an expedition into the representation and reflection of sexuality in movie theater and the impacts these representations have made in forming audience's point of views on love, love, sex, and general social attitudes towards these themes.

Plot Summary
The movie begins by taking the audiences on a journey from the 1920s, highlighting the original cinematic sex symbols-- the early starlets like Theda Bara, Clara Bow, and Greta Garbo whose sensuous charisma held early audiences captive.

As Rona Jaffe narrates the plot, the film transitions into the 1930s. Here, the film looks into the role of the Production Code Administration, which, though it censored specific material, often secretively highlighted sexual styles through metaphors and innuendos.

The movie then browses through the 1940s. Audiences are reclaimed to the grandfatherly figure of Hollywood love, Cary Grant, and sultry femme fatales like Lana Turner and Rita Hayworth. The golden era of Hollywood was a paradoxical mix of pretense and truth, filled with star-crossed enthusiasts and romantic intricacies that revolved around worths of the time, contrasting considerably with the present day.

Next, the documentary discusses the 1950s, exploring the fresh wave of sexual openness that swept across America. Here, we see liberated figures like Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield, whose unabashed display of sexuality altered the world's understanding of on-screen sex appeal.

The last part of the film looks into the 1960s and '70s movie theater, which ended up being a platform for countercultural movements, shifting ethical borders, and checking out sexuality in brand-new, intriguing methods. The representation of sex became more specific, showing the rapidly changing societal attitudes towards free love, free love, homosexuality, and other previously taboo topics.

Contribution and Reception
"Sixty Years of Seduction" offers a provocative exploration of the changing portrayal of sexuality throughout 6 decades of cinematic history. The documentary provides movie as not just a way of home entertainment but likewise as an influential medium that reflects and modifies societal mindsets towards sexuality.

The film resonated with audiences for its layered examinations of intrinsic social attitudes and modifications. It was acclaimed for its bold expedition of a subject that, back in 1981, was hardly ever addressed with such sincerity and information.

Conclusion
In conclusion, "Sixty Years of Seduction" is an essential documentary for any cinephile fascinated by the history of American movie theater and its link to developing social attitudes towards sex and sexuality. The movie serves as a mirror showing the altering characteristics of an ever-evolving society, utilizing movie theater's most appealing sex symbols as a yardstick for determining these improvements. By highlighting the changes in Hollywood's portrayal of sex appeal over 6 decades, the movie presents a compelling case for the inextricable linkage between cinema and society's moving understandings of sexuality and gender standards.

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