What, within the text of the film, indicates to you that there is some sort of consensual power-play happening between those two characters (who are on, what, their third ever meeting?) during that scene?
Like sure, slap-slap/kiss-kiss isn’t inherently assault in every context, but, in the film’s context, I find it difficult to read it any other way. Even taking the physical coercion out of it, like blocking her attempts to leave, if we take the movie at face value, Deckard is a 40 something alcoholic who “falls in love” with a woman A) he knows is artificial, B) lacks any real experience with the world, and C) is going to be hunted by men like him. The sum effect of which is to paint Rachel as someone who would be completely and utterly dependent upon him if they ran away together. That, in combination with his physical actions leading up to their sex scene, paints Deckard as an abuser, in my opinion.
I’m sure that wasn’t necessarily the intent. Rather, they were just playing with the same film noir tropes that festoon the rest of the movie, but, still, that dynamic really puts a sour taste in my mouth. Not enough to prevent me from enjoying everything else about the movie, but it bears mentioning.
What, within the text of the film, indicates to you that there is some sort of consensual power-play happening between those two characters (who are on, what, their third ever meeting?) during that scene?
Like sure, slap-slap/kiss-kiss isn’t inherently assault in every context, but, in the film’s context, I find it difficult to read it any other way. Even taking the physical coercion out of it, like blocking her attempts to leave, if we take the movie at face value, Deckard is a 40 something alcoholic who “falls in love” with a woman A) he knows is artificial, B) lacks any real experience with the world, and C) is going to be hunted by men like him. The sum effect of which is to paint Rachel as someone who would be completely and utterly dependent upon him if they ran away together. That, in combination with his physical actions leading up to their sex scene, paints Deckard as an abuser, in my opinion.
I’m sure that wasn’t necessarily the intent. Rather, they were just playing with the same film noir tropes that festoon the rest of the movie, but, still, that dynamic really puts a sour taste in my mouth. Not enough to prevent me from enjoying everything else about the movie, but it bears mentioning.