Kinsey: A Film Review

Only two things remain constantly present throughout history: violence and sex. As much as we feel the need to censor these two ideas, claiming it is practically taboo to talk about them (sex, especially), violence and carnal desire are innate in us as human beings. Whereas violence is a state of mind that comes out as a catalyst for defense mechanism, sex is the precursor to reproduction and giving birth. Numerous films that explore both the science and the art in violence and sex have been made to quench our ever-increasing curiosity, but what exactly in sex makes discussing it more taboo than war?

The 2004 film Kinsey, written and directed by Bill Condon, brings that question into light through the life of renowned sexologist Alfred Kinsey (Liam Neeson). Packed with a humorous script ("Any plans on a Hollywood picture based on the book?" a reporter asks, to which Kinsey replies, "I can't think of anything more pointless." This is, by the way, quite ironic) and an interesting tagline ("Let's talk about sex."), Kinsey had garnered numerous awards and was even nominated for a Grammy and three Golden Globes. The film received critical acclaim and its showing was even permitted in Japan where baring genitalia is strictly prohibited.

The film opens with Alfred Kinsey mentoring his research assistants on interviewing people about their sex lives. He is the interviewee. The scene is interposed by flashbacks that support his answers to the interview questions, such as the numerous instances of disagreement between him and his father involving the vocation Kinsey is to take. It is interesting how Condon decides to render the present in black-and-white, and the flashbacks in full color.

Professor Alfred Kinsey teaches Biology at Indiana University and specializes in gall wasps. Eventually he marries one of his students, Mac (Laura Linney); however, with Mac's medical problem, fulfilling their carnal needs has become quite a problem. This is quickly fixed by a minor surgery and they both realize how deeply they hunger for intercourse. Kinsey begins conversing with his students about sex and their problems with it. This prods him to take the initiative in conducting an open-forum sex education course. The dean eventually approves Kinsey's suggestion despite the health professor's anti-sex movement.

Kinsey develops a passion for sexology as the classes go on. He secures a financial grant from the Rockefeller Foundation and travels around the country with his research assistants to gather information about different people's sex lives tête-à-tête.

What I love about this film is how intimately it relates with the audience. At one point in his research, Kinsey discovers that human sexuality is not only limited to actions; after classifying himself a 3 based on his devised Kinsey scale, he has a sexual relationship with