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Xuanlin Tham, author of the new book Revolutionary Desires: The Political Power of the Sex Scene returns to the show to discuss the Wachowskis' debut feature - the sharp, sexy sapphic neo-noir Bound. Emboldened by brilliant performances from its two leads Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly, the film is both an assured and nimble stylistic calling card for the future Matrix directors and a carefully studied lesbian romance, rendered in considered motif and visual flourish.
We begin with an examination of the Wachowskis as filmmakers and how their work exists at a singular nexus of mass appeal and subversiveness. Then, we discuss the influence of feminist author and journalist Susie Bright, a key influence and collaborator on the film, and how she informed the Wachowskis' formal approach to formally conveying the slow burn of lesbian eroticism. Finally, we discuss the film's erotic sequences, how they transcend simple arousal, and what they tell us about the revolutionary capacity of sex and pleasure as a weapon against capitalism's confining homogeneity.
Buy and read Xuanlin's book Revolutionary Desires: The Political Power of the Sex Scene at 404Ink.
Read Xuanlin's Manifesto for the Modern Cinematic Sex Scene at AnOther.
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Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish