Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies

2020 2h 11m EN

👍

6.5

SOLID

★6.5TMDB · 59

Documentary

Synopsis

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The definitive documentary on the history of nudity in feature films from the early silent days to the present, studying the changes in morality that led to the use of nudity in films while emphasizing the political, sociological and artistic changes that shaped that history. Skin will also study the gender inequality in presenting nude images in motion pictures and will follow the revolution that has created nude gender equality in feature films today.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Malcolm McDowell
Self
Shannon Elizabeth
Self
Sean Young
Self
Traci Lords
Self
Eric Roberts
Self
Kristanna Loken
Self
Pam Grier
Self
Cerina Vincent
Self

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Danny Wolf
Writers: Danny Wolf, Paul Fishbein
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 5

ERA

Did you know

Released 6 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 5

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Steven L. Austin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 5

CAST

Did you know

Malcolm McDowell and Shannon Elizabeth and Sean Young carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 5

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt11245776 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 5

WILD

Did you know

Only 59 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Danny Wolf directs. Steven L. Austin cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 6 years ago.
2Editor Steven L. Austin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
3Malcolm McDowell and Shannon Elizabeth and Sean Young carry the top of the cast.
4IMDB entry: tt11245776 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
5Only 59 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
6Classified under 18 themes, including "movie business", "interview", "archive footage", "social documentary".

The technical file

Editing: Steven L. Austin
Runtime: 131 min · 2h 11m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies (2020)

Also by

Danny Wolf

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Igbochild2022-07-07
★ 7/10
More of a "greatest hits" of nudity in film than a balanced examination of the subject. This is not surprising considering that one of the producers of the documentary as well as an interview subject is Mr. Skin, who operates a website that features clips of movie nude scenes. The documentary starts off reasonably well by discussing the earliest appearances of nudity in film and the forces inside and outside the motion picture industry that tried to suppress nudity and realistic depictions of sexuality on the screen. The time of the Production Code and its many restrictions on content is foundational to our understanding of the more permissive policies of today. However, once the film moves into the 1960s and the establishment of the modern rating system, it starts to lose its focus. Instead of selecting clips specifically to examine changing attitudes toward nudity and the disparate way that it is used in film, the filmmakers have chosen instead to highlight a series of "favorite" nude scenes through a mostly male gaze. Invariably this means a plethora of nude scenes involving young, attractive women with a few notable exceptions. For example, the famous fantasy pool scene from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" in which Phoebe Cates removes her bikini top in slow motion might delight fans of the female form, but it's not clear what it has to do with changing attitudes toward nudity. On the other hand, a clip of Kathy Bates baring all in a hot tub in "About Schmidt," or two men parading around naked in "Borat," seemed to be included only for amusement rather than to examine the various double standards and contradictions regarding who appears nude in a film and for what purpose. A welcome addition to the film would have been discussions with social scientists, feminists, educators, parents, intimacy coordinators, nudists, and religious conservatives to get a fuller and more nuanced look at the subject. Another important element missing was more basic. No one in the film really asks the question: "What is nudity?" The latter is particularly true as it relates to different definitions based on the age and gender of the subject. Nudity in film is certainly a worthwhile subject to be explored, because of all of its social, cultural, and political ramifications. The key is to find the right balance between different perspectives and explore them with a discerning eye. In the earlier part of the film, it is mostly successful, but in the modern section of the film, the filmmakers seem more interested in the visual appeal of (mostly female) nudity and not the many underlying issues around it.

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