Poor Things director Yorgos Lanthimos opened up about the judgment-free approach Emma Stone took when it came to filming her sex scenes.
Emma’s upcoming film is based on Alasdair Gray’s 1992 novel of the same name. It’s about a woman named Bella Baxter who’s brought back to life by a brilliant, yet unorthodox, scientist. Bella rediscovers the delights and dangers of the world — sex being one of them.
During a press conference on Friday at the New York Film Festival, Yorgos explained why the sexual exploration of Emma’s character was essential for her journey.
“It was a very important part of her journey. We felt that we shouldn’t shy away from it,” Yorgos said. “It would feel very disingenuous to tell this story about this character who is so free and so open, and then be prude about the sexual aspect of it.”
“It was clear from the beginning, but also from the novel, from the script, from my discussions with Emma, as well, and how we came up with those scenes. She had to be free; there should be no judgment.”
Yorgos added that Bella’s curiosity for learning about things like language, love, social cues, and politics, should also match the energy she puts into understanding sex.
Yorgos, who also worked with Emma in The Favourite, praised her performance in the new film and how she captured the essence of the character’s arc.
And Emma enjoyed playing the character just as much. She previously told Vogue, “She was the most joyous character in the world to play, because she has no shame about anything. She’s new, you know? I’ve never had to build a character before that didn’t have things that had happened to them or had been put on them by society throughout their lives. It was an extremely freeing experience to be her.”
