On February 21, 1986, it arrived in theaters Nine and a Half Weeks (9 ½ Weeks, 1986), the film by Adrian Lyne which would become an emblem not only of erotic cinema but also of the aesthetics of an entire decade and would propel the careers of Mickey Rourke y Kim Basingerelevating the latter even to the category of sex-symbol.
Welcome to a new retro-analysis that, for the third consecutive Sunday, has to do with an anniversary. In just a few days, four decades will have passed since it arrived in theaters. Nine and a Half Weeksa film that, directed by Adrian Lyne in his third feature film and with an emblematic main duo composed of Mickey Rourke y Kim Basinger It was, however, and at least in the United States, a box office failure, although it was a devastating success in Europe and Latin America in addition to what would come with home video.
Not many know that, in reality, the film is based on an autobiographical novel written under the pseudonym Elizabeth McNeillwho over time it was learned that she was the writer and also editor Ingebord Day who, like the protagonist of the book and its film adaptation, lived a convulsive and traumatic sadomasochistic relationship, in her case with the artist and inventor Tom Shannon.
The challenge of making a film based on said novel was difficult due to its erotic content and the itches of the Hollywood industry in this regard, since that was an area considered more typical of B or low-budget cinema. Adrian Lyne, who had the success of Flashdanceinitially obtained the endorsement of TriStar Picturesbut the production company withdrew as soon as its main shareholder (Coca-cola) knew what the thing was about. The financing ended up in the hands of the independent company Producers Sales Organization and the distribution in those of MGM/UA Entertainment.
Mickey Rourke was not yet a star, but he had worked for several great directors and his name and face were already quite well known, especially for his roles in The Gate of Heaven (Michael Cimino1980), Fire in the Body (Lawrence Kasdan1981) y The Law of the Street (Francis Ford Coppola1983).
Kim Basinger was much more unknown. His work especially came from modeling or from having acted in one or another television production (he even refused to be the replacement for Farrah Fawcett in the hit series Charlie’s Angelsa role that ended up falling to Cheryl Ladd), in addition to having been a cover girl for Playboy y “chica Bond“, as he accompanied Sean Connery in Never say never again (1983), the non-franchise film. But never a leading role…
Originally, Lyne wanted Jacqueline Bissetbut the legendary French actress rejected the role due to the content of the story and the level of nudity (even though she had already filmed more than one film of a certain erotic flight in Europe). But there was no chemistry with Rourke in the little they interacted with and, as she later stated, she was tired of always being paired with much younger actors.
They were also considered Kathleen Turner, Teri Garr o Isabella Rosellinibut the role of Elizabeth, as we know, ended up going to Basinger, who was asked as a test to play a scene surely well remembered by those who saw the film and in which she moves on all fours collecting bills from the floor…
Like her character, Kim couldn’t stand the humiliation and stopped halfway through, after which she left and gave up on the casting. That night, however, he received a bouquet of flowers and a new invitation from Lyne at his hotel, who was pleasantly impressed, particularly with the genuineness of his reaction.
The director already had the leading couple, but he did not want them to talk to each other or see each other during breaks in filming, since he wanted the first meeting in fiction to look as real as possible. He even filmed the film in the chronological order of the story so that their reactions as they got to know each other were credible. In fact, Basinger always stated that there was a lot of tension between the three…
The script, in a risky bet, was entrusted to Zalman Kingwhose experience in cinema was basically as an actor and at most he had written some episodes of television series. Next to him, his wife Patricia Knoppalready with a couple of feature films written, and Sarah Kernochanwhose documentary resume included a pair of Oscar nominations in the ’70s. The photograph was entrusted to Peter Biziouof gained prestige in films of Terry Gilliam (The Time Bandits) o Alan Parker (Bugsy Malone, Pink Floyd: The Wall).
The soundtrack is almost worth a separate article, since it was initially commissioned to Stewart Copelandbut the legendary drummer of The Police did not receive approval from its label Geffen Records because they did not want (once again) to be associated with the controversial content of the film. Without that endorsement, Copeland withdrew, although a song of his not specially composed (Cannes) ended up included.
The music then went on Jack Nitzscheat least incidentally, since the film also includes tons of songs by various artists that, like the aforementioned Copeland song, were not composed for it.
But, as often happens, those songs became so associated with the film (in fact contributing to its final success) that, when the soundtrack was released, it ended up not including any of Nitzsche’s compositions. And not even the incidental music corresponds in its entirety, since part of it was composed by Jonathan Elias (from gaining prestige composing for trailers, like those of Blade Runner o Back to the Future) and his usual partner John Taylorbetter known as bassist of Duran Duran.
The film was supposed to hit theaters at the end of 1984, but post-production problems kept postponing it. The production company did not stop pushing for changes and cuts, even more so with the scandalized reactions of the public in the previews of 1985. On February 21, 1986, and after a long wait, it finally arrived in theaters…
The History
The plot follows Elizabeth McGraw (Kim Basinger), an attractive and sensual thirty-something blonde who works for an art gallery in the Soho New Yorker and comes from a recent divorce. Your only confidant is your friend Molly (Margaret Whitton), with whom he happily travels through the suburbs of New York until, in the seafood store of a Chinese supermarket, he exchanges glances of mutual attraction with an elegant and also attractive man whose name he later learns is John Gray (Mickey Rourke) and who works as a stockbroker in Manhattan.
Although that first meeting exudes pure chemistry, there are still no introductions or any words. All that is left for the second, when upon running into each other again at a fair, he gives her a fine shawl whose purchase she had just given up on because it was too expensive.
From that moment on, a relationship is born in which, however, he knows more about her than she knows about him, since John always remains a reserved man of few words who does not even care if Elizabeth sees her friends during the day as long as she is available to him at night.
But paradoxically he will become increasingly possessive as he shows his particular fetishistic tastes and fantasies, dragging Elizabeth in a downward spiral that at first captivates and fascinates her, but which she will not know how to put an end to, because John always wants to go one step further and if something excited him the last time, he will double down for the next time.
I won’t tell more. Except that Elizabeth and John’s relationship is one of the most intense that cinema has ever told and that includes striptease, gastronomy, domination and a lot of music…
A Great Video Clip
I must confess that, in addition to the nostalgic part always involved in these cases, it took me a little while to review this film. Not because it is bad but because it is too positioned in its time and while it is true that this ultimately happens with any film that we analyze in this section, this is a case in which (contrary to Back to the Future o Terminatorfor example) it becomes difficult for the story to reach someone who did not live through the eighties or lack emotional commitment to the period. It is not my case, I have experienced them, but I will try to evaluate without that additional burden.
Let’s begin by clarifying that the eroticism that raised so much dust at the time is practically a joke today, but it was also one in its time when compared to the one that had long ago populated the European screen which, without going any further, had given rise fourteen years earlier to He Last Tango in Paris (Bernardo Bertolucci1972).
It is clear that North American society has always been more conservative when it comes to dealing with sexual taboos in cinema, as well as that Adrian Lyne (paradoxically British) did not seek to go down the European path or even come close: his eroticism was more of a video clip or advertisement, which is in no way said in a pejorative way.
In fact, both photography and lighting are put at the service of this, with sources of clear and powerful light silhouetted against backgrounds in darkness or smoke that is not known where it comes from nor does it matter because, just as in a band’s show it does not respond to any musical motif, here it does not fulfill plot needs either.
Therein lies one of the keys to placing Nine Weeks and a Half in context: the boom that advertising and culture had at that time. MTVto the point that the director himself had already landed in both by then, since he had initially made advertisements for television and later (and with two feature films under his belt) the music video for Maniacthe song of Michael Sembello to which his film Flashdance become success.
In fact, Nine Weeks and a Half can in some way be seen as a great video clip, with aesthetics weighing more than story and form than content, which makes it very representative of its time since that was precisely the meaning of much of what was done in the eighties. It is therefore banal to try to judge a film like this by the lack of substance in its story when substance, precisely, was not a requirement nor was it part of the equation.
Perhaps for a moment it deceives us when, as the darkest aspects of John’s personality come to light and John becomes increasingly obsessive and possessive, it seems for a moment that the story was going to turn into a conventional thriller, but no: it is neither a thriller nor is it resolved as such. In fact, the aspects of the novel that could come closest to such a concept (rape, attempted murder) were eliminated.
There are subplots that do not quite fit together or establish a connection with the main one, as well as characters that we do not know what they are about, such as the case of the old hermit artist (Dwight Weist) whom Elizabeth seeks to convince to present her works in the gallery or to Bruce (Olek Krupa), the ex of whom we know practically nothing, except that he wants to seduce Elizabeth again, but she practically hands him on a plate to her friend Molly without him showing any dissatisfaction. They might not be…
Even in the main plot there are bumps: John buys Elizabeth an expensive watch and tells her to touch it for him every time it’s twelve, but the only time in the entire film that she indulges herself comes while she’s looking at slides of artwork in a basement without her taking a single glance at the clock or getting at least one shot of it supposedly striking twelve.
Later John acquires a riding crop and even tries it on Elizabeth to the perplexity of the sellers, but he does not use it in the rest of the film and we only see it again in his hands (which by the way dissolves very quickly) when starting the iconic erotic dance behind the American blind.
It is possible that, given the cuts applied to the original story, these are remaining plot details that led to scenes later eliminated for being lewd or ribald. It makes less sense that cuts have been applied to the artist’s plot or to that of Elizabeth’s ex, so we will have to conclude that they simply did not lead to anything…
What is intentional is that, contrary to what happens with Elizabeth, we know almost nothing about John for most of the film. It makes sense when, just at the end and with her about to leave, he finally tries to tell her something about his life, who he is or what his previous story was, but it’s too late: she doesn’t even get to hear his “i love you” because she already closed the door (an extremely symbolic gesture) nor the request that he return before he reaches fifty…
That scene does manage to hit me, because the idea is that John, amidst all the stock market paperwork and capitalist maelstrom, never knew love and when he really had it, he didn’t know how to take advantage of it and let it go. A moving ending to a film that may not be so moving…
And although I am not a fan of final morals or edifying messages, it is at least interesting that it ends up being Elizabeth who sets the limits and decides how far: contrary to the opinion of those who may today see the film as sexist, the final proposal is, on the contrary, quite feminist.
And even though there is a paradox or contradiction in that it arrives after having shown her, carefully and in great detail, getting excited by each new sexual game of John, there is much more feminism here than in Fifty Shades of Gray (2015), a film that owes a lot to the one at hand without reaching its heels…
Chemistry Question
As we have said before, this was the film that launched Kim Basinger’s career and turned her into a sex symbol at an age when for many her decline would begin (33). A scepter that, during the following years of the decade and the first of the next, would be held without competition until the arrival of Sharon Stone with his character Basic Instinct (1992, here retro-analysis), whose more unbridled and manipulative sexual style is sufficiently indicative of the change in times.
Kim brought a unique sensuality to the character and one wonders if the same would have happened with any of the other actresses considered beyond their undoubted acting merits. The striptease dance became the most iconic and remembered moment not only of the film, but also of his career, in addition to turning it into a hit. You can leave your Hat onbut we’ll talk about the music…
The scene in which she masturbates while watching slides is another of the high points and even though she never glances at the clock and those slides can’t really eroticize anyone (nor can anyone understand what the hell she’s doing in her workplace with sexy underwear or garter belts), the moment in which she nails her heels against the wall while her body tenses up is one of the most erotic seen on screen. And, once again, music helps: I insist, we’ll talk about it…
And contrary to the impression I got when I first saw the movie, Kim’s performance is not bad at all. She brings to the character what she needs to bring in the sensual moments and knows how to appear insecure or distressed when things start to go off the rails.
Rourke, on the other hand, looks much smoother during most of the film, establishing a rude heartthrob character that he will later repeat ad nauseam. He displays his alpha male hunter smile all the time and almost as his only gestural resource, and only at the end, when she is leaving, do we see greater versatility in him.
But whatever the case, the couple works and has chemistry, there is no doubt that this will surely have had a lot to do with the film becoming so iconic. Sorry for insisting on Fifty Shades of Grey, but neither Dakota Johnson in Jamie Dorman They are at the height or even a little close to what Basinger and Rourke achieve here, who make the sex scenes so memorable despite a sometimes somewhat obvious eroticism…
By the way, the gastronomic scene, which so many like, seems downright unpleasant to me. And not because of the content, but because of the form and the excessively obvious and clichéd symbolism: the chalaza falling from the egg as if it were semen, the ice trapped by Elizabeth’s lips like a penis or the champagne thrown at her face as if he were ejaculating on her. Less obvious images and smarter metaphors could have been used…
Soundtrack
Being this a film that is perhaps more music video than film, it is impossible not to talk about the music. We have already commented on Copeland’s departure and how little Nitzsche’s score ended up being used: barely any piano melody in the most melancholic moments that refers quite a bit to the music that Michel Legrand composed for Summer of ’42 (1971).
But when talking about the music of Nine and a Half Weeks, no one thinks about the incidental music, but about the songs by different artists that were associated with the film and the paradox is that none of them were composed for it. This City never sleeps (Eurythmics) gives the right suggestive atmosphere to the masturbation scene, the same as Arpeggiator (Jean-Michel Jarre) to that of the pipe. Slave to Loveof Bryan Ferry (already a radio hit even before the film) accompanies the romantic street moments and, especially, John’s fetish of seeing her get wet in the rain.
But the strongest moment undoubtedly comes with You can leave your Hat on, which not only was not recorded by Joe Cocker specifically for the film, but is also a cover of a song previously composed and published in 1972 by Randy Newman. In fact, it wasn’t even the first cover and there were already others to come. Etta James (1974), Three Dog Night (1975) o Merl Saunders (1977). Tom Jones he would later even make his own for the British film The Full Monty (1997).
But it was Cocker’s version that remained inextricably linked to the film, to the point that the promotional video for the song ended with scenes from the film and Kim’s image on the single’s cover, thus increasing confusion about whether the song had been composed for the film or not.
What there is no doubt about is that, from then on (and I think until today), it is enough for any meeting or party to sound the strident winds of the beginning so that no one doubts that a festive erotic moment is coming and one or more of those present is about to take something off…
The history of the songs that have been associated with films for which they were not composed, however, deserves a separate article and, in fact… it does, by yours truly. I invite you to take a look at it…
And since we’re talking about music, a no small detail that many may not remember is that Ronnie Wood (Rolling Stones, Faces) has a double cameo near the end, during the art launch party at the gallery.
Valuation and Legacy
As previously mentioned, Nine and a Half Weeks did not work at the box office in its country, but it did in Europe and Latin America, leading it to achieve an unthinkable iconic status that was also helped by its success on VHS and the large sales of the album with the soundtrack.
Suddenly, there was no one who didn’t know about the film, whether they had seen it or not. Overnight it became a paradigm not only of erotic cinema but of eroticism in general, and it remains a great paradox that the European public was one of those that underpinned its success when the old continent precisely enjoys a strong tradition in the genre and with a much more elevated tone.
The director would meet again with the box office in AFatal traction (1987) y An Indecent Proposal (1993), films in which eroticism also had a strong presence, although more as a framework than as the axis of the stories.
More decidedly sexual would be the approach of Zalman King, who would make the leap from production to direction with titles such as Crossroads of Passions (1988) u Wild Orchid (1989), which retold Mickey Rourke and ironically also included in its cast Jacqueline Bisset, who once rejected the role of Elizabeth in Nine and a Half Weeks. More interesting, but for television, it would be When Desire calls (1992), also known according to countries as Red Shoes.
Basinger would be in successful titles like Batman (1989) or more unsuccessful as Cool World (1992), where it was seen in both live action and animated versions (you can read our retro-analysis of both in the respective links), but its greatest moment would be under the command of Curtis Hanson in L.A. Confidential (1997), even earning her the Oscar as supporting actress. Here is yours truly’s article with a review of Kim’s ten best films.
Mickey would develop a career that was quite erratic in quality in the nineties and would even dedicate himself to boxing for a few years. would have good performances in The Heart of the Angel o Barfly (both from 1987), but he would repeat himself a lot, as we have said, in the role of rude seducer that fell to him after Nine and a Half Weeks. His return with glory would come from the hand of Robert Rodriguez y Quentin Tarantino in Sin City (2005, here retro-analysis) and would have a consecrating performance, including an Oscar nomination, in The Fighter (2008).
I repeat that Nine and a Half Weeks is not a film that can be appreciated without temporal context. It is the daughter of an era whose aesthetics it is an emblem for better or worse, so perhaps viewing it is not easy in these times, especially for someone young to whom perhaps the eroticism of the film may already seem somewhat demodé or its visual aspects quite cliché..
But put in context, it is a visual document of the eighties that is supported by an effective director who achieves what he seeks and is not ashamed or feels guilty whether it is the massive impact or easy consumption. And also in a duo that builds (literally) an unforgettable chemistry, to the point that many of the moments of tension between the two were, it is said, real, which gives them special strength and credibility on screen..
Nine and a Half Weeks, in short and beyond the filmic merits it may or may not have, cannot be understood without the eighties. But be careful: the eighties were not without Nine and a Half Weeks either.…
Until next time and be happy…
date: 2026-02-15 06:59:00