Keira Knightley's Latest Comments, and the Constant Nonsense of Toxic Media
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
First off, no. Keira Knightley didn’t outright say she refuses to do sex scenes with male directors. Here’s what she said entirely before we continue with today’s think piece:
“It’s partly vanity, but partly also... it’s the male gaze. I feel like if I was making a story that was... about that journey of motherhood, that journey of body acceptance, I feel like I’m sorry, but that would have to be with a female filmmaker. I don’t have an absolute ban, but I kind of do with men.
...
I don’t want it to be that kind of... uhh... those horrible sex scenes where you’re all greased up and everybody’s grunting. I’m not interested in doing that. I’m too vain, the body has had two children now, and I’d just rather not stand in front of a group of men naked.
...
I always felt completely comfortable doing it when I was younger. I never did anything that I didn’t feel comfortable doing.
...
I’m really happy with my body. It’s done an amazing thing. But I also don’t want to stand there in front of a whole film crew. It used to be that you’d do a sex scene in isolation with the film, and it would make sense. But now, you can take the whole thing and put it in a completely different thing, and it’s on some porn site.”
That’s not the entire interview, but I’d like to present these statements (as much as possible) as they are. Knightley was talking with director Lulu Wang specifically during the Chanel Connects podcast, so she was speaking directly to a female filmmaker. We had two women discussing their industry. Take a look at the statement above and truthfully tell me this is a performer that is being sexist. I beg to differ. Let’s break some things down.
Knightley has performed in sex scenes before, and she went on to say one where she felt safe and comfortable during was in Atonement. In general, she is discussing her reluctance to perform these kinds of scenes ever again: a notion many performers have at the start of their careers. She brings up the condition: if she were to partake in sexual sequences, it would be preferably in a film made by a woman about womanhood and the female nature. That’s it. So what if she makes a statement about the male gaze? Why isn’t she allowed to?
It exists, and she — as well as countless other female artists — has been subjected to it and exploited by it. She’s speaking with a woman director who would understand her completely. Even if she wasn’t, I don’t see anything wrong with this statement at all. Film sets have been proven to be problematic in the past, including the issue of uncomfortable environments surrounding sex sequences. On the other side of the issue is, again, this idea of the male gaze: the shooting of content by men intended for men. How can that not be uncomfortable, when you’re the focal point of this kind of intention? Strictly male gazes can either be dangerous (with vicious fetishization) or just incorrect (misrepresentative of women and other non cis male genders). I’m not implying that all sex scenes directed by men feel this way, but clearly enough do, and Knightley feels this way too and doesn’t want to be a part of this possibility.
At the end of the day, it’s also her decision whether or not to partake in scenes of any nature. Riders exist for a reason: for filmmakers to request anything they want. I’ve seen many working in archives, though I will never disclose what they are, since I believe in confidentiality. Performers can ask for anything, whether it’s luxuries (a can of Pepsi at every shoot, a round of golf on weekends, or the refusal to kiss anyone on screen or partake in stunts of any nature). If someone like Keira Knightley doesn’t want to shoot sex scenes anymore, and will only do so in feminist pictures, that’s her right. This slant against her to make her look sexist is just pathetic, frankly. It’s not the first time, either; someone like Keira Knightly has been the sacrificial lamb of a number of slanderous articles meant to make her seem problematic. This is such the case with many entertainers.
Finally, there’s another legitimate concern here: adult websites using film scenes nefariously, which has become a legitimate issue for many film stars. Considering they are defaced by tabloids and gossipy websites to begin with, they have to worry about being fetishized as well. Don’t need to explain this much further. If you don’t see a problem with this, then I don’t know how to help you.
It’s 2021. Haven’t we had enough with the bullshit? Part of the reason why I made Films Fatale was to try and combat against clickbait nonsense, because it’s a complete waste of cyber resources, a lack of respect for any willing reader, and the constant dismantling of journalism as it once was. I don’t know how much I can do myself, but it’s worth a try. Just enough with the skewing, the lying, and the manipulations. Here, we could have had an open discussion about the problems within the film industry, but no. Instead we’re spreading around garbage to shift the blames on the recognizable faces, rather than have an industry take accountability for its demeaning ways.
Will this ever change?
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.