We watched the Most Scandalous Film of February and decided to tell you its story in numbers. Of course, in 50 digits - the sacred number 11 is inappropriate here!
Oh no, we won't review Fifty Shades of Gray - others have done that for us. You still looked or will look. Box office numbers around the world are off the charts, and the author and producers are happily rubbing their hands together. As the heroine of the book said, “I’m moaning.” Or whatever she said: “my inner goddess danced salsa!” Instead of “multi-books,” we conducted research and calculations and compiled 50 different stupid and not-so-stupid facts about “Fifty Shades.”
1. The film is based on the book "Fifty Shades of Gray" by E. L. James, which is based on the fan fiction "Master of the Universe" (or "Master of the Universe") by Snowqueens Icedragon, which, in turn, is inspired by "Twilight".
3. Both E. L. James and Snowqueens Icedragon (Ice Dragon of the Snow Queen or something like that) are the pseudonyms of the British woman Erica Mitchell (her husband is Leonard).
4. E. L. James is married and has two teenage sons.
5. James graduated from university with a degree in history and worked as a television clerk. She began writing in 2009 after finishing Twilight and has published her work on FanFiction.Net.
6. In 2012, James was included in the list of the 100 most influential people in the world according to the magazine. Time.
7. In 2013, James topped the Forbes list of earning writers with $95 million.
8. She sold the film rights to her trilogy for $5 million, rumored to have negotiated conditions for almost complete control: she approves the producers, director, actors, and so on.
9. When asked if she'd like to see Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart star, E. L. James said it would be "weird."
10. The film was produced by E. L. James and was produced by Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti, producers of The Social Network.
11. Among the candidates for the director's chair were Joe Wright, Steven Soderbergh, Gus Van Sant, Bill Condon, Bennett Miller, Patty Jenkins and Angelina Jolie. Sam Taylor-Johnson was chosen.
12. In presenting her vision for the film, Sam Taylor-Johnson used clips from The Thomas Crown Affair, Last Tango in Paris and even Christian Bale as Batman to "show power and success and vulnerability and sex."
13. Among the candidates for the role of Anastasia Steele were Emma Watson, Scarlett Johansson, Kat Dennings, Shailene Woodley, Jennifer Lawrence, Emilia Clarke, Margot Robbie, Felicity Jones, Olivia Wilde, Elizabeth Olsen and others.
14. During the audition, candidates for the role of Anastacia read a four-page monologue from Ingmar Bergman’s “Persona”.
15. Dakota Johnson, who plays Anastacia, is the daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, the granddaughter of Tippi Hedren. She asked her parents not to watch the film.
16. Dr. Fay Skelton, a British professor at the University of Central Lancashire, made an identikit based on the celebrities most often mentioned by readers in their “here is the real Gray” dreams. The professor combined the hair of Channing Tatum and Brad Pitt, the eyes of Patrick Dempsey and Johnny Depp, added the oval of David Beckham's face, used his jaw in combination with Pitt's jaw, took Chris Hemsworth's nose and crowned it all with Val Kilmer's lips. Suddenly it turned out to be porn star James Dean. Let's draw conclusions.
17. Among the candidates for the role of Christian Gray were Garrett Hedlund, Ryan Gosling, Aaron Taylor-Johnson (the director's husband), Alexander Skarsgard, Christian Cooke, Stephen Amell, Dominic Cooper, Francois Arnault, Luke Bracey, Jamie Dornan and Charlie Hunnam.
18. The latter was even officially announced, but left the project in October 2013 due to inconsistencies in the filming schedule (official version) or due to dissatisfaction of fans (one of the unofficial versions). Two weeks later he was replaced by Dornan.
19. To film the film, Jamie Dornan had to not only maintain physical shape, but also learn a different gait: the actor himself steps on his toe first, and Christian Gray steps on his heel.
20. Dornan also had to learn to use a whip, and he compared the flogging process to fishing with a lure. Romantic.
21. The third item on Dornan's preparation list for the role: accent. Belfast-born Dornan learned to speak like a true American Gray.
22. Dakota Johnson's preparation for the role consisted of working with a trainer, running and eating right.
23. Bret Easton Ellis tweeted his interest in writing the film's script.
24. The film lacks a number of scenes from the book: for example, the notorious “tampon scene.” Also in the film there is no inner voice of the heroine, and we never know when her inner goddess dances salsa and when she dances samba.
25. The first version of the script, written by Kelly Marcel, contained more sex scenes; Marcel herself was counting on an NC-17 rating (spectators under 17 are not allowed). However, as a result of two revisions, we managed to arrive at an option that suited the studio in terms of the amount of sex and potential ratings.
26. The duration of the film is 2 hours 2 minutes. The duration of the sex scenes in it is 14 minutes 27 seconds.
27. According to the credits, a “BDSM technical consultant” took part in the work on the film.
28. The film's budget is forty million dollars.
29. Filming took place from December 1, 2013 to February 21, 2014 in Vancouver. Several scenes with Johnson and Dornan were re-shot in October 2014. Sam Taylor-Johnson said in an interview that filming took 9 and a half weeks - which, of course, is beautiful, but not true.
30. There is a nice dialogue between the characters in the film when Anastasia asks if Gray is a serial killer. “Not this time,” Gray replies. Indeed, Dornan's most famous role before Fifty Shades was that of a serial killer in the British TV series The Fall.
31. Christian Gray's penthouse plan was provided by the book's author, E. L. James.
32. In the final spanking scene, instead of Dakota Johnson’s butt, there is a stunt double’s ass.
33. Dakota Johnson didn't see the "playroom" before filming the scene in which Christian takes Anastasia there for the first time; so they wanted to get the most natural reaction possible.
34. For the same reason, Dakota Johnson did not read anything about BDSM in preparation for the film.
35. One of the scenes that did not make it into the film is the showing of “Anastacia’s consciousness”, with jellyfish. According to Sam Taylor-Johnson, it was very beautiful, but no one understood why the jellyfish were there.
36. In one scene, Christian slams his laptop shut when Anastasia approaches him. However, the apple light on the laptop did not light up, which meant that Gray was thoughtfully pretending to work with the MacBook turned off.
37. In the book, while preparing Gray's breakfast, Anastasia dances to "Misfit" by Amy Stud, and the song plays in her headphones. In the film, she listens to the Stones' "Beast of Burden" and turns the stereo on full volume.
38. The video for one of the songs on the soundtrack, “Earned It” by The Weekend, was directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson.
39. In the second book of the trilogy, Anastacia mentions the song “Crazy in love” by Beyoncé. Beyoncé recorded a special version of "Crazy in Love" for the film's soundtrack.
40. The song "Witchcraft" by Frank Sinatra, included on the film's soundtrack, is listed on E. L. James's website as one of the songs that "stimulated the imagination of the book."
41. The film's trailer, released in July 2014, became the most viewed trailer of 2014 on YouTube with 93 million views. In second place is the seventh episode of Star Wars (81 million views), in third is Avengers: Age of Ultron (78 million).
42. In Malaysia, Indonesia and Kenya, the film was banned altogether, in the USA it received an R rating restriction (under 17 years old - only when accompanied by an adult), in Russia - 18+, in Italy - up to 14 years old, and in France - 12 ( yes, yes, at 13 years old - you can). God bless France.
43. On IMDb, the film currently has a user rating of 3.8 based on ratings from 50,761 users. Of these, 21,290 people (41.9%) rated the film 1, and 12,324 people (24.3%) rated it 10.
44. The highest rating is given by women under 18 (on average 7.2 out of 10), the lowest - by men from 18 to 29 (on average 2.7 out of 10).
45. In the United States, the film was released on a record number of screens for a premiere film with an R rating - 3646 (the overall record for the film is 3885 screens for Sniper, but it did not receive them on the premiere weekend).
46. According to the results of the first weekend, the film grossed 81.7 million US dollars and 158 million worldwide.
47. Of these, 10 and a half million are in Russia. This is 705 million rubles.
48. Despite the high box office, the record still stood: Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” (83.8 million) collected the most of the R-rated films over the weekend in February (83.8 million), and in general the second “Matrix” (91.77 million) ).
49. The actors signed contracts for three films. Whether Sam Taylor-Johnson will return to the director's chair is unknown.
50. There is no answer in the film as to why there are 50 shades of gray and not 51 or 49.
It’s an amazing thing: no one you ask about “50 Shades of Gray”, no one has read them. Everyone rolls their eyes - what are you talking about, we still have Houellebecq and Murakami standing untouched right after Donna Tartt and Pelevin. No time for nonsense. But what about, excuse me, more than a hundred million paper copies sold all over the world (the total result of the trilogy to date)? And this is all on the conscience of bored housewives 40+, it’s not for nothing that the book was dubbed “mommy porn.”
They helped us:Larisa Stark
Sexologist, psychiatrist, psychotherapist, Ph.D.
“Okay,” my friend, a person with honors and a good position, finally gave in, “I read it. I saw it by chance at the airport - give it to me, I think I’ll take it with me, pass the time on the flight and at the same time figure out what all the fuss is about.” The version about the airport was then heard at least three more times, and each time by an educated young lady who leads an active lifestyle and is quite well-settled on a personal level.
It turns out that “50 Shades of Gray” is something that cannot be discussed in polite society. And I want to know why the whole world is going crazy and shooting up. On the beach or in transport you can’t open the book again: the cover has become familiar, and everyone will immediately guess what you have in your hands. By the way, there is an opinion that electronic copies sell out much more cheerfully than paper ones also because all the books on gadget screens are gray. You never know what you study so carefully on the way to work. Maybe Houellebecq.
Book "50 shades of gray"
E. L. James
Year of publication: 2011
Plot: student Anastasia Steele falls in love with multi-billionaire Christian Gray, who introduces her to sadomasochistic pleasures. The girl doesn’t really like this; she dreams of returning her lover to traditional values.
(More on bad guys - “Bad Boys: What We Should Know About Them.”)
Continuation:“50 Shades Darker”, “50 Shades Freed” (the heroine eventually succeeded).
Screen adaptation: directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, starring Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson, premiered in February 2015.
Typical review from a critic:“Struggling through 500 pages of terrible dialogue was pure torture—and, unfortunately, not sexy at all.”—Jessica Napier, Metro News Canada.
Typical reader reviews:“The book, of course, is not a masterpiece, but it takes the power of a man. And if you delve into each of us, it turns out that everyone really needs this strength” (Marina, 30 years old); “I read all three books voraciously when I hadn’t had sex for four months. It was very exciting” (Polina, 28 years old).
How the book became popular
What if we are all wrong, these Fifas, and the book is actually good? “No chance,” says Elizaveta Ponomareva, an expert on dubious reading. – The book is very bad when compared to classic romance novels. If Fifty Shades of Gray had not become a bestseller, it would have been collecting dust on the same shelf as works like The Angel of Lust or The Secret of the Concubine. And the secret of the sudden popularity of the novel, according to the expert, is not a secret, but a matter of chance and technique.
To begin with, “50 Shades of Gray” would not have been released at all if Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” had not been released a few years earlier. The story of Anastacia and Christian grew out of a continuation of the vampire saga posted on a fan site with an extremely erotic line. Then the author changed the names and biographies of the characters - and everything started to turn around.
“In sociology, this model of promotion is called a “standing ovation,” says Lisa, “by analogy with the theater, when three spectators who have risen are forced to stand and applaud the entire audience. The first audience was those who didn't get enough sex in Twilight, plus people interested in their reviews, fortunately, rumors spread quickly and widely on the Internet. So in the theater, the first to jump up are the acquaintances of those who are already standing.
Then the Australian publishing house The Writer’s Coffee Shop chose the novel from the mass of other online erotica. Imagine that after the performance, celebrities sitting in the front row begin to clap. Everyone sees them and thinks: “Well, it’s not for nothing that there is something in it.” Then the critics sitting in the back come in, they no longer applaud, but whistle and stomp - they don’t like the book, feminists are ready to burn it at the stake. Need to read it urgently!”
What's special about the book?
After thinking carefully, my interlocutor still finds a plus in the book - pale images of the main characters. This is the number. “Anastacia doesn’t have any striking features, so any of us can easily imagine ourselves as her,” explains Lisa. – Gray is also easy to replace with any handsome guy. The plot turns out to be just a transparent curtain, and, throwing it aside, you quickly find yourself where you would like to go - on the bed of passion.”
And not the most trivial one, I add and address the next question to sexologist Larisa Stark. Maybe it's all about appealing to the BDSM culture? Are we so tired of regular sex? Although, honestly, apart from a detailed explanation of the terms “dominant” and “submissive,” there seems to be nothing shocking in the novel. “I’ve been waiting for a long time for the promised sadomaso to begin,” says a friend who is well versed in the matter. “I didn’t wait.”
“I very much doubt that most female readers would last a couple of pages if they were asked to read something really tough, like the Marquis de Sade,” the expert agrees. – It seems to me that the whole point is that the book is simply extremely biological and the author, consciously or intuitively, very accurately falls into the deepest female aspirations. Evolutionary psychology claims that nothing has changed in the matter of sexual choice for millions of years. A man needs an attractive, and therefore prosperous, woman in all respects who can bear and give birth to healthy offspring. A woman has different criteria. She needs a companion who, in competition with other “males,” would prove his high status. This one is definitely in good reproductive health, and he will be able to take good care of his “female” and future children.”
At the same time, erotic episodes turn out to be just a icing on the cake and also fit completely into the evolutionary context: a dominant male mentor and a accepting, soft woman ready to follow him. And if you have never in your life wanted to be in this “bottom” pair, you can throw the glass slipper at me. Or even a spanking.
29% of women would willingly choose the role of a “slave” in bed (and, by the way, almost half of them like the book “50 Shades of Gray”).
13% would prefer to play “strict mistress.”
58% vote for fair role changes.
Source: International network "Training center "SEX.RF"
Pros and cons of 50 Shades of Gray
Eva Illuz, Professor at the Hebrew University of JerusalemShe claims that "50 Shades of Gray" is not just a romance novel, but nothing more and nothing less. sexual self-help book,” albeit terribly written. “Erotic texts are usually created to create arousal,” says Eva. – The sex scenes in “50 Shades of Gray” were written rather to suggest women and, indirectly, men effective ways to improve their intimate lives. Here, for example, is the episode in which Gray asks Anastasia to refrain from going to the toilet: his argument is that the fuller the bladder, the more intense the orgasm. Doesn't sound very exciting, right? It’s as if the writer is inviting the audience to replenish their knowledge and skills.”
Dave Brown London Fire Brigade officer
He believes that “50 Shades of Gray” provokes people into thoughtless experiments. “There has been a significant increase in the number of incidents involving the use of handcuffs, which lovers then cannot open,” the officer reports to The Independent. “By the time my guys arrive at the right address, the victims have time to turn 50 shades of red.”
Amy Bonomi, professor at Michigan State University
Based on the results of a study published by the Journal of Women's Health, she claims that Many fans of “50 Shades of Gray” are at risk. These women are more likely to have problems with alcohol and a predisposition to eating disorders, and are also more likely to enter into intimate relationships with abusive men.
Charlotte Jones member of the British Medical Association
According to her, since 2011 the number of STI cases has increased significantly. “People completely lose their heads and forget that sex should be safe in the first place,” complains Charlotte. She, of course, does not point her finger, but hints that the culprit of what is happening is a certain Mr. Gray, who, from the pages of a popular book, declares his dislike for condoms.
Books and films on the same topic
Books
Pauline Reage,
"The Story of O" (1954)
Editor and translator Dominique Ory admitted only in 1994 that it was she who wrote the scandalous novel.
Plot: the girl is so in love that she agrees to do anything for her man, including beatings and sex with strangers.
Wanda Sacher-Masoch,
"Confession of my life" (1907)
Memoirs of the first wife of Leopold Sacher-Masoch (there is no need to explain who this is?).
Plot: A fan marries a writer who glorifies female dominance and soon discovers that being his mistress is necessary 24 hours a day.
Diana Bataille,
"Angels with Whips" (1955)
At first the book was published anonymously, then it turned out that the author was the wife of the French philosopher Georges Bataille, née Kotchoubey de Beauharnais, the owner of various princely roots.
Plot: A teenage girl living in Victorian England learns the art of difficult love and keeps a diary.
Movies
Roman Polanski,
"Venus in Fur" (2013)
An adaptation of a play about a play based on the Sacher-Masoch novel of the same name, the main character of which dreams of submitting to the beautiful Wanda.
Plot: A theater director auditions an unknown actress for the role of Wanda. Just one evening - and the commander of the production is under her thumb.
Adrian Line,
"Nine and a Half Weeks" (1986)
A cult melodrama about love and submission, which the woman did not like.
Plot: Elizabeth falls under the influence of an attractive Wall Street businessman. At first, the manipulative John makes their communication exciting, but then it turns out that his preferences are, to put it mildly, non-standard.
Steven Sheinberg,
"Secretary" (2002)
A comedy about a masochist who doesn’t need to open new worlds - she herself will open them to anyone you want.
Plot: The heroine’s boss is terrified of his own wife, but the young secretary’s love turns him into a different person. Together they do things that are usually not welcome in offices.
Based on "50 Shades of Gray"
- British intimates manufacturer Lovehoney has teamed up with writer E. L. James to create the Fifty Shades of Gray collection of sex accessories. There is everything that the characters of “50 Shades of Gray” used in their bed entertainment. You can explore the range here: lovehoney.co.uk
- “Tinted” dry wine for romantic evenings – “Red Satin” and “White Silk” – has already gone on sale. Details here: fiftyshadeswine.com
- Make Up For Ever has prepared a limited line of cosmetics dedicated to
“50 Shades of Gray”, or rather their film adaptation. The film's makeup artist Victoria Down accompanied each product with application tips. Alas, sales in Russia are not expected. - But from us you can buy a themed collection of nail polishes from the OPI brand - 5 shades of gray and
1 deep red.
If you are interested in the 50 Shades of Gray trilogy, the book titles and descriptions are at your disposal. In 2011, the whole world was shocked by a book that at first glance seemed completely unpromising. “Fifty Shades of Gray” is a novel by E. L. James, which has become a reference book for almost every third woman.
The story tells about a young millionaire Christian Gray and a young student Anastasia Steele, about the development of their very strange relationship. The novel has been recognized as one of the most revealing books in history. The book became a record holder, easily surpassing even more recent leaders - “Twilight” and “Harry Potter”. Following the first part, two more were born. In 2012, the book by E. L. James went on sale in Russia.
The first part of a sensational trilogy, telling about the complicated relationship between a young millionaire and a young student. Anastacia falls in love with Christian almost at first sight. He is strong and powerful, dangerous and incredibly attractive. But the man keeps a secret in his soul that he is not ready to reveal to the girl who is in love with him. Cold at first glance, he also has feelings for her. But when Christian reveals them, the girl will face an incredible choice. By agreeing to Christian's proposal, she risks losing herself forever.
By opening up, Christian plunged Anastasia, who was in love with him, into real hell. Trying to decide whether she was ready to endure pain every day, being next to her loved one, the girl almost went crazy. Anastacia decides to abandon this relationship and breaks all ties with Christian. But the couple can't stand the separation for long. Finding themselves together again, they plunge into their passion, surrendering to it entirely and completely. The couple who choose each other will have to go through a lot. The girl will face the one who was with Christian before her with envy, misunderstanding and disapproval. Christian will have to comprehend his demons and not succumb to them again.
Having found each other, Christian and Anastacia went through many trials together. The couple, faced with misunderstandings, tried in every possible way to avoid each other. Until both realized that love would still unite them. Having abandoned what prevented them from being close, the lovers got married, dreaming of a better and happier life. But it was at this moment that a mysterious enemy appeared in their present. A person who wants not only to quarrel between a couple, but to take their lives. Faced with such a danger, they can only rely on each other. Only by trusting the person closest to them will they overcome this obstacle.
The movie 50 shades of gray and received the best answer
Answer from Misha[newbie]
As for the question, why 50 shades of gray? If we take a closer look at the character of Christian Gray, the main character of this book, he combines many different psychotypes of personality - “all 50 shades,” as the main character of the novel, Anastasia Steele, says.
With gray, too, not everything is so simple; most likely, the translation of the word Gray is not correct. In this case, Gray is the surname of the main character. "Fifty Shades of Grey." translated should look like “Fifty Shades of Grey.”
Answer from Melissa[guru]
I agree with Misha’s second option
Answer from Alena Valchuk[newbie]
It seems to me that the name can be interpreted in different ways, but what is closer to me is that gray has many shades from white to black. So the main character can be white - “innocent”, dark - mysterious.
Answer from Evurg[newbie]
Before graduating from college, student Anastasia Steele helped her friend and instead interviewed the famous billionaire Christian Gray. It all could have ended there if the billionaire had not invited her to sign a non-disclosure agreement about their relationship. Soon after this, she learns about the man's passion for sadomasochism. The girl agrees to have a relationship with him, but, unable to bear it, she breaks off their relationship. After the breakup, Anastacia misses Crian, but does not want to admit it to herself. Unexpectedly, they meet and even spend time together, and after a kiss they decide that it’s time for them to talk. Everything goes as usual, and the couple resumes their relationship again. This could be the end of the story, but not everything is so simple, because Anastasia has competitors. Former lovers are pursuing the young and attractive Christian. Anastasia, of course, is not delighted with this, but she also gains a fan in the person of her new boss. Will the couple be able to hold each other or will the competitors win? Will they stay together or will she break up again, but forever?
Answer from Polina Lysenko[newbie]
Firstly, the film is named after the book, and secondly, 50 Shades, in my opinion, these are shades of Christian Gray, because the book mentions a sharp change in his mood, one moment he is with one mood and reaction, and the next it’s the other way around. Even the title translates as “50 shades of gray” (gray is Christian’s last name in this case)
Answer from 3 answers[guru]
Fifty Shades of Gray is an erotic novel for women by British writer E. L. James, written and published in 2011. The novel tells the story of the relationship between entrepreneur Christian Gray and university graduate Anastasia Steele. The book contains scenes of an explicit sexual nature, including BDSM.
After its release, the novel became a bestseller in the US and UK. More than 30 million copies have been sold in 37 countries. The book became the record holder for the fastest sales, overtaking the Harry Potter and Twilight series of novels. In June 2012, Fifty Shades of Gray became the first book to sell one million copies on Amazon Kindle. The book became the first part of a trilogy; later sequels were published - “Fifty Shades Darker” and “Fifty Shades Freed”. On August 23, 2012, the book went on sale in Russia.
The review in The Guardian is positive and states that the book is "more enjoyable" than other "erotic fiction".
A negative review was published in The Telegraph, where the book was called “a cloying cliche.” A critic from the Ledger-Enquirer called the book "escapist" and "guilty fun," but noted that the work also touches on one of the important aspects of women's lives - the subordination of women, and added that "the awareness - and even acceptance - of this facts should not be a cause of shame.”
The New Zealand Herald said the book "will not win any literary awards", that it contains "incredibly disgusting descriptions", and that the reader will soon want to "punish" the main character for her complete lack of character and self-respect.
An article in The Columbus Dispatch also criticized the novel, but stated that the reader "despite the clunky style, the book will not be able to put down."
The Chicago Tribune described the novel as "depressing" and "unremarkable." The author was also criticized for his adherence to British idioms, “alien to American readers”, “making one not believe in the plausibility of the dialogues”
As for the question, why 50 shades of gray? If you take a closer look at the character of Christian Gray, the main character of this book, he combines many different psychotypes of personality - “all 50 shades,” as the main character of the novel, Anastasia Steele, says.
With gray, too, not everything is so simple; most likely, the translation of the word Gray is not correct. In this case, Gray is the surname of the main character. “Fifty Shades of Grey” should be translated as “Fifty Shades of Grey”.
