Basic Instinctinstantly proved to beone of the most controversial films of the 1990s, as the dark themes and extreme graphic content were virtually unheard of within a mainstream film intended for general audiences. Although the erotic thriller genre had been popular in the 1980s thanks to the success ofAgainst All OddsandAmerican Gigoloamong others,Basic Instinctpushed the genre even further with truly shocking moments thatPaul Verhoevenincluded in order to get an extreme reaction out of the audience. AlthoughMichael Douglaswas already a veteran of the genre thanks to his roles inFatal AttractionandDisclosure, it wasSharon Stonewho ended up benefiting most from the film due to her breakout performance. However,Douglas originally didn’t want to work with Stone inBasic Instinct,because he wanted a more established co-star.
Sharon Stone Wasn’t the First Choice for ‘Basic Instinct'
Finding a leading actor forBasic Instinctwas not an easy process, as several stars that Verhoeven considered for the role of Nick Curranfelt that the film was too racy.Douglas was attached early on after securinghis hefty salary requirements, butfinding an actress toportray femme fatale Catherine Tramellwas very contentious.Douglas suggested to Verhoeven that theycastKim Basinger,Julia Roberts, Greta Scacchi,andMeg Ryan,but they each turned it down. Verhoeven offered the role to such established stars asDebra Winger,Michelle Pfeiffer,Geena Davis, Kathleen Turner, Kelly Lynch, Ellen Barkin, andMariel Hemingway, but they all refused after reading the script.
The Director of ‘RoboCop’ Gave Us This Graphic Psychological Erotic Thriller With 100% on Rotten Tomatoes
Paul Verhoeven at his most serious and most subtle.
Verhoeven had begun considering Stone for the role after the two had worked together on the science fiction masterpieceTotal Recall, as he hadbeen very impressed by her performance. However,Douglas initially refused to audition with Stone because he felt that a bigger star was necessary.Douglas expressed his hesitationsabout the graphic nature of the film, and felt that having a more established co-star would have allowed him to “share the risks” if the response grew more critical. Despite his initial disapproval, Douglas would later state that Stone “was just perfect for the role.” While both performances were acclaimed, Stone was met with more serious backlash for her involvement,despite the fact that she was paid$500,000 for her role, where Douglas earned over $14 million.Stone has also allegedthat Verhoeven deceived her into performing the infamous interrogation room scene, but he has vehementlydenied any allegations of misconduct.
‘Basic Instinct’ Has a Complex Legacy
Like many of Verhoeven’s films,Basic Instinctwas met with an initial wave of backlash based on assumptionsthat the film should be taken entirely literally. He would experience similar controversies due to the explicit sexual content inShowgirlsandthe fascist themes inStarship Troopers, even though both films were intended to be heavily satirical. Despite the outcry from more conservative pundits that the film was “dangerous,”Basic Instinctweathered through the controversy to become one of the highest grossing films of 1992. It also earned Stone a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress, as well as Oscar recognition in the Best Editing and Best Original Score categories.Michael Canton-Jonesdirected the sequelBasic Instinct 2over a decade later, but it failed to become the same phenomenon that its predecessor did. Nonetheless, the acclaim that Stone received turned her into a very popular actress in the 1990s, as she would later earn an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her performance in theMartin Scorsesegangster filmCasino.
Although it is impressive that Verhoeven attempted to satirize the notion of sexualitywithin a noir film,Basic Instincthas many outdated elements that make it challenging to rewatchin a modern context. In addition to Stone’s disturbing account of what happened on set,Basic Instinctincludes a very upsetting sequence of sexual assault, as well as some offensive portrayals of homosexual characters. There have not been as many popular erotic thrillers in the last few years, but if the genre is to experience a revival, filmmakers will need to learn from the mistakes that were made within the creation ofBasic Instinct.
Basic Instinctis streaming on Prime Video in the United States.
Watch on Prime Video
Basic Instinct
