Swimming Pool
I was sifting through my collection of films bought from Hollywood Video for $5, and I found one that I hadn't seen before, let alone bought. It is called Swimming Pool, there is a thin, tan, blonde woman in a bikini on the cover, I assume my dad purchased this one. The woman's hair is long, her breasts are highlighted, and her skin is flawless. She is laying next to shockingly blue water which makes the black and white stripes on her skimpy bikini pop. This image strongly suggests that this woman is a sex symbol. Her back is arched in a provocative manner and a shadow of a man falls across her midsection. She is placed at the bottom of the cover, her arms and legs are cut out of the frame so the image simply captures from her crotch to her head of golden locks.
Though I haven't seen this film I know that this character is a sex symbol based on the way she is represented on the cover. Sex sells, why else would my dad have bought this film he hasn't ever seen?
Comments
When I took my foundations in women's studies course, we talked a lot about advertising and the use of male shadows to depict the idea of a female in peril. I always think it is kind of creepy.
The imdb page is here...in case anyone is just dying to know what kind of movie this is. I am not sure if I will be able to stop chuckling when I think about the tagline being "Dive into this summer's sexiest mystery" or not. I think the answer is probably "or not" at least for the next few weeks.
Posted by: Heather Larson | September 27, 2007 08:50 PM
The shadow in question is not actually a male shadow, but is that of Charlotte Rampling's character, a female shadow.
I don't believe this particular image is meant to be taken fully seriously. It is meant to be too much, as the film is a comment upon the world of crime fiction and the way in which banal reality is transformed into juicy fiction.
Posted by: Robin | October 1, 2007 02:24 PM
great info, thanks
Posted by: jessica | October 15, 2007 12:05 PM