Pleasure (2021) is a controversial Swedish drama film that marks the feature-length directorial debut of Ninja Thyberg, who wrote and directed the film. Adapted from her short film of the same name made in 2013, the movie offers an unflinching and shocking reflection of the adult entertainment industry through the eyes of a young woman who aspires to be successful. Emotionally complex, bold, graphic, yet socially insightful, Pleasure blends raw realism with documentary filmmaking alongside a captivating commentary of identity and dreams, exploitation, and one of the most vigorously celebrated and vilified industries in the world.
Synopsis
The story centers around a Swedish petite beauty and aspiring porn star Bella Cherry who relocates to LA after turning 19 with hopes of claiming her spot as America’s leading porn star. Her confidence and curiosity in the profession does give her control over her finances and career initially, but soon proves to be an illusion. Bella realizes that with each step higher on the ladder, she approaches a more brutal and multi-faceted reality.
In her unique and captivating approach, the filmmaker explores Bella’s journey of devolving self-discovery through navigating complex workplaces. This includes dealing with relationships with fellow performers, the directors, the agents and wondering just how far they’re willing to go for popularity. Maintaining autonomy and sense of self comes at increased cost personally.
Bella’s daily life — from auditions and shoots to after-hours parties — provide viewers a glimpse of how the adult entertainment world functions, revealing its drowning power dynamics, exploitation, fervent ambitions, and vulnerability, seduction, and manipulation. As such, the adult industry proved to be a cruel territory to operate in.
Digging deeper into the character of the movie, we can see how Sofia Kappel portrays Bella Cherry. With no previous acting experience, Kappel stepped into the role with unmatched naturalistic presence, proving to be powerful anchor on screen.
Revika Anne Reustle plays Joy, a more seasoned performer, who Bella encounters and becomes her friend and mentor. Emerging as one of the emotional anchors of the movie, their friendship evolves and deepens with every frame.Authenticity and Archetypes
Evelyn Claire, Dana DeArmond, Kendra Spade, and a number of other real-life adult film actors are featured in minor parts of the film which lends credibility and authenticity to the storyline.
The supporting cast, who include both professional actors and real-life participants from the adult film industry, enhance the film’s fidelity to real-world events. Their portrayal helps to erase the distinction between drama and real life, enabling the audience to relate to the industry on a profoundly personal level.
Overarching Ideas and Analysis
In contrast to essentialist and erotic, Pleasure is not a film in its traditional sense. It is a drama centered around the themes of ambition, power, consent, and identity. As much as her journey is an extreme outlier that most often gets stigmatized, her very distinct search for fame resonates with the experiences of many young people.
The film handles a number of important concepts:
Empowerment versus Exploitation: One of the more enthralling questions that Pleasure poses is whether the character Bella is in complete control of her choices or whether she is slowly being forced to compromise them. Bella’s character Defined by an ever-discerning lens for consent, the narrative unfolds without insistent judgment but with a keen focus on the question of whether she is giving in to a performative portrayal of consent.
Ambition and Sacrifice: Bella is intent on achieving her goals and will go to great lengths. The film reveals the distortion of emotional and physical harm thatbold ambition seems to inflict through the blurring of ethical lines.
Contrary to casting Bella as a victim, the film allows her agency as an active player towards a particular end within a system that she hopes to achieve. At the same time, it demonstrates how that system of power can constrict and distord within the scope of those intentions.
The film also looks into the societal construction of identity around sex workers and adult entertainers and the impact it has to the persons concerned. Bella’s attempts to manage other’s perception of her is a relentless battle.
Pleasure is careful not to present simplistic binaries bybalance both attraction and exploitation within the industry. The film neither glamorizes nor condemns — it observes.
Cinematography and Style
Pleasure’s cinematography is intimate yet discomforting, and at times painfully close but never voyeuristic. The intimacy is unblinking and achingly close, yet still respectful. Sophie Winqvist Loggins approaches the film with a documentary style of realism. Rather than pointing the camera toward the sexual acts, she places it at the faces, gestures, and emotional reactions of the participants.
Every element such as lighting, setting, and sound design all contribute to the immersiveness of the experience. Aspects of Bella’s life are embodied in the environment — sterile studios, cramped apartments, and chaotic sets — both the reality and the aspiration. A clean and restrained editing style avoids melodrama, maintaining a smooth pace driven by the natural rhythm of Bella’s life experiences.
Reception and Impact
Pleasure stirred conversations during its premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film festival due to its brutally honest representation of an adult film actress’s life. Initially, it received much papar attention for its bold approach and Kappel’s captivating portrayal during her rise to fame. Unlike many films, Pleasure did not glamorize or sugarcoat the industry, offering a sobering portrayal of ambition, power, and survival.
Despite the critical acclaim, Kappel’s Pleasure does not shy away from grappling with explicit content. While some critics found several sequences unwatchable due to non-stop graphic violence, others strongly defended it claiming that the overt dramatization is its most powerful feature. Regardless of side taken, there is no denying that Pleasure fuels controversy and provokes thought, which is a hallmark of impactful cinema.
This film is characterized by a uniquely feminine lens by centering a woman’s lived experience and agency while critiquing the system designed to control her.
Conclusion
Pleasure is powerful, confronting, and a much-needed film that transcends stereotypes to provide a visceral examination of what pursuing a dream looks like in a world centered on performance and craving. It’s truly a unique coming-of-age story set in a world that very few set out to explore with such tenderness and complexity.
In the absence of judgment and sensationalism, Ninja Thyberg offers an empowering yet cautionary narrative. A film that encourages the audience to confront their preconceptions—surrounding the adult film industry, the superficial nature of stardom, and the multifaceted nature of freedom.
Pleasure is not for the faint-hearted, but certainly for those searching for bold, thought-provoking cinema. It is a landmark debut from Ninja Thyberg that opens a difficult, yet important, conversation.
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