The movie, Secretary and masochism - Essay Example

The movie, Secretary and Masochism In this paper it is necessary to give a video analysis for the movie Secretary based on human sexuality, and specifically on masochism. First of all, it is necessary to mention that human sexuality is inherent in a man’s understanding of sexuality. Moreover, it is one of the main features, which distinguishes us from other animals. Thinking about the movie Secretary in this context we can mention that this film describes human sexuality in a full degree. Examining the film Secretary it becomes obvious that human sexuality is an expression of sexual sensations related to intimacy between human beings, as well as an expression of identity through sex or is based on it.

There are many forms of human sexuality and Secretary presents us one of them based on masochism.The main heroine of the movie is Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who is a weirdo woman. The plot shows us that Lee Holloway is a rather smart woman, who returns back to her hometown in Florida after a brief stay in a special mental hospital where she was treated from suicidal inclinations. In search of everything that surrounds Lee, we see that she takes a job as a secretary at a little local law firm.

Some spectators can suppose that Lee is not only a masochist, but also a perverted woman, but it is not true because Lee Holloway is so closed and oppressed person that she just cannot throw out her inner pain otherwise than through the physical pain. She cannot accept any scandal or hysterics, but she begins torturing herself, when she has some problems. Being the secretary Lee falls in love with her boss, Mr. Grey (James Spader), and pain already appears as a manifestation of his love for her, but at the same time, the pain loses its value for Lee, she needs Edward Gray to inflict her pain.

Analyzing the movie Secretary from the position of human sexuality and masochism we can understand that masochism, like sadism, goes beyond human sexuality, and being associated with a person shows a very complex and diverse sources of its development. Thus, this form of deviation very rarely becomes a subject of litigation. Sexual needs are usually met within a partner’s union for a psychological standpoint to implement manifested expectations. Various psychological observations show that unions between persons endowed with sadistic and masochistic traits are very strong and complementary.

They usually do not seek help and advice, but they feel good together, mutually satisfying their needs. This film demonstrates us that both Lee’s and Edward’s sadistic and masochistic traits occur simultaneously. In this case, main characters have more complex combinations of individual features and partnerships.In conclusion, analyzing the movie Secretary we have found that it is the same ‘classic’ love story which is just told a bit differently. The main heroine, Lee Holloway is a masochist.

She gets her sexual satisfaction in pain and humiliation. Her new boss is a sadist, his pleasure in causing suffering to Lee. However, Lee has finally found what she was looking for her adult life, where other girls in horror stopped to work with a strange boss. Even once, after a long ‘working’ day, she said that she found a job for which she was created.To sum up, we have discussed the movie Secretary with different details, giving its video analysis based on human sexuality, and specifically on masochism.

Work cited:Shainberg, Steven. Secretary. Double A Films, SloughPond Co., Twopoundbag Prods, 2002.