SUMMER FILE / PART 1 – A cult film chronicling a destructive love between an art gallery employee and a domineering Wall Street executive, “9 1/2 Weeks” had a hectic production. A look back at Kim Basinger’s painful audition, which she left in tears after feeling “humiliated”, swearing to her agent that she would not participate in Adrian Lyne’s feature film under any circumstances.
9 ½ weeks : seduction, passion and manipulation
After flash danceAdrian Lyne signed in 1986 another important 80s movie con 9 ½ weeks. Famous for his use of the title. You can leave Your Hat On by Joe Cocker during the striptease scene, for his languid sequences with careful aesthetics that remind us that the British director comes from advertising – like Ridley and Tony Scott, the feature film paves the way for many erotic thrillers and dramas.
A record in which the filmmaker stands out, since he returns to it later with Enlace fatal, Indecent Proposal or the recent deep water. Movies in which the characters find themselves at the center of sulphurous love affairs, passionate relationships that are often destructive and sometimes deadly. Within 9 ½ weeksit is Elizabeth (Kim Basinger) who rushes into one of these stories.
When she catches John’s (Mickey Rourke) eye in a New York grocery store, this art gallery employee immediately feels a certain attraction, intrigued by the mysterious attitude of this Wall Street executive. Soon after, John invites Elizabeth to a restaurant and they can’t stop the attraction that draws them to each other. The heroine then agrees to submit to the sexual demands of this enigmatic individual. But as she progresses, she finds it more and more difficult to bear her lover’s need for permanent dominationon which he becomes dependent.
Margaret Whitton, David Margulies and Christine Baranski complete the cast of this adaptation of the novel the foreign body by Elizabeth McNeill. A project that has many twists and turns, from auditions to post-production, some of which are difficult for Kim Basinger to live with.
A humiliating audition for Kim Basinger
When she tries her luck for the role of Elizabeth, the actress is not yet the star we know. She certainly played a James Bond girl alongside Sean Connery in the unofficial play never moregiven the answer to Robert Redford at The best and Natalie Wood in the series As long as there are menbut at the moment he only has supporting roles.
For 9 ½ weeks, the actress competes with Kathleen Turner, Teri Garr and Isabella Rossellini. Kim Basinger must prove herself during a filmed audition with Mickey Rourke. A particularly difficult experience, as reported by the New York Times in 1986. During these trials, she is supposed to “act like a prostitute” and crawling to collect tickets. This is one of John’s many games and the actress takes it very badly. She leaves the audition furious, crying and feeling deeply “humiliated”stating later:
It was like an earthquake.
A turning point for the actress.
The actress assures her agent thathe doesn’t want to hear about this feature film again, even if the director chooses it. Upon his return home, he discovers an apologetic bouquet of roses accompanied by a note from Adrian Lyne and Mickey Rourke.
The filmmaker then goes to great lengths to convince Kim Basinger to be in the movie and succeeds. Isabel’s future interpreter is aware that this role may mark a turning point in his career. In fact, this will be the case, since she will play in Batman, LA Confidential o 8 miles. She said at the time, quoted by the New York Times :
I knew that if I got out of it, it would make me stronger, wiser. (…) I felt disgust, humiliation, but when you leave your comfort zone, you discover emotions that you didn’t know you had.
And Kim Basinger really go through many states when shooting. Discover the rest of the behind the scenes of 9 ½ weeks in our article on Wednesday, August 10, 2022.
–
