In the Sex Underground
"8 mm"

When I watched this film I kept on thinking about how artists, technitians, producers and workers in general involved with its production reacted to the details of the "explicit sex industry" shown in the movie. There are several sequences evoking the production of explicit sex films ("8 mm" is not, necessarily and because of it, appelative), some of them talk about the most evil and cruel sides of pornographic productions.

I can remember that in the 1970's, there was a hard restriction in our country related to any cultural production, specially aiming political and ideological manifestations. Because of that occurred the birth of film productions in Brazil devoted to erotic movies; they were called "pornochanchadas" and were criticized because of its poor stories, low budget costs (which promoted ridiculous scenes and major mistakes) and by scenes with many naked women in front of the cameras.

The brazilian "pornochanchadas" seem to me innocent when compared to the universe presented on the movie "8 mm".

I also remember that these erotic films produced in São Paulo's "Boca do Lixo" and some of their actors and actresses were even persecuted by some organizations that stood for morality and good habits in Brazil of that period,...

Actually, the "sex industry" continues growing. In the United States as well as in the world. Eventually, when we are under special circunstances that causes comotion all over (like the war between Iraq and USA) we get to know that internet searches for pornographic websites were beaten by other themes. And the worst thing among all is that we look at this as it was a normal situation...

We are not shocked. We don't condemn the sexual exploitation of men, women and children. We get a bit worried when it is related to pedophilia, but this is all! One can say that the people involved on this dirty world get a lot of money (more than most people do). Some others may say that this is a free world and that we can do whatever we wish of our lifes. Many others might say that prostitution is the oldest among all professions and that, in many jobs we lose our innocence and sell ourselves constantly what make us as good as men and women that sell their bodies...

I can't tell if the people that worked on the production of "8 mm" were concerned about presenting the underworld of explicit sex in a way they could generate a debate and some consciousness about the problem. I think that some readers might believe my thoughts are moralists. But, despite the intentions of the producers of "8 mm", the film can start debates about this theme and, because of that, should be used by teachers.

The Story

The discovery of a pornographic movie, in an 8 mm format, in the safe of millionaire that has just passed away, makes his wife hire a detective (Nicolas Cage) to find out what happened to the people involved in the filming. The tragic ending of the film makes the widow and the detective believe that fiction ended in real death.

Tom Welles (Cage) have to discover what really happened to the girl that appears dying in the movie. To do so he gets deep into the restrict and closed world of porno movies. Get to know producers that seems more like pimps, verifies how is the life of young men and women that work in movies like that, watches the self destruction of this people and suffer the consequences of having entered in a world in which he was not welcome. His personal drama contributes for us not to stay calm about all the sexual exploitation presented on the screen.

The movie has many qualities as a suspense thriller but goes beyond that spot because it brings a strong and general interest theme for discussion. Made by the secure hand of director Joel Schumacher and showing characteristics of a noir film, it counts with the talent of Nicolas Cage and Joaquin Phoenix, becoming a very good and interesting alternative to work in the classroom.

For Teachers

1- To discuss questions related to sexuality and reproduction on a normality level is an obrigatory reference to Biology and health programs. In this subject there should be opened the opportunity also to talk about the distortion of sexuality, when healthy relations are broken and in its place get installed perversity, exploitation and abuse.

2- In Philosophy we must talk about human body as a source of realizations, transformations and pleasure, as well. But, what pleasure exists when we go beyond what is acceptable and oblige our organism to live with excesses and the pain of getting out of control? "8 mm" opens space for us to see the fragile frontiers between sanity and pleasure in one side and madness and sexual auto-destruction in the other.

3- To open spaces for discussion about how human bodies can be exploited through prostitution and how this turns out to be a violation of privacy as well as a destruction of phisical and mental health of people is an essential task to be executed by teachers of all areas and knowledges.

4- What is morality? What does it mean to have ethical values? Until what point can we allow the growth and continuity of sex industry? When we talk about dignity, in which way can we relate this concept to the "8 mm" movie? With no false moralisms, can't we see the excesses made by the sex industry are far beyond what is acceptable by society? What about thinking a bit about this...

P.S. This movie should be used only with high school students or older; it is not suitable for younger audiences.

João Luís Almeida Machado
Master Degree in Education, Arts and History of Culture (Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, em São Paulo); Professor at Faculdade Senac in Campos do Jordão; Middle and High School teacher; writes weekly columns for the website Planeta Educação (www.planetaeducacao.com.br).

Send e-mails, comments, suggestions and critics for:
profjoaoluis@planetaeducacao.com.br

Technical Information

8 mm
Country/Year of production:- USA, 1999
Lenght of time/Gender:- 123 min., Thriller/Suspense
Director: Joel Schumacher
Screenwriter: Andrew Kevin Walker
Cast:- Nicolas Cage, Joaquin Phoenix, Anthony Heald,
Don Creech, Anna Gee Byrd, Myra Carter, Christopher Bauer.

Links

- http://us.imdb.com/Title?0134273 (in english)
- http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/8MM-1087372/ (in english)
- http://e-pipoca.ig.com.br/filmes_zoom.cfm?id=1176 (in Portuguese)
- http://www.adorocinema.com/filmes/8-milimetros/8-milimetros.htm (in Portuguese)
- http://www.cineinsite.com.br/filme/filme-fichatecnica.php?id_filme=2976 (in Portuguese)