Consanguineous Lovers in Movies

Roger Nackerman, who is apparently not a fan of consanguineous sex and love, came up with a list of what is called “13 Steamiest Incestuous Relationships In Film” anyway. Some of them are spoilers, so don’t click the link or read the rest of this entry if you don’t want ant spoilers.

If these really are the steamiest, then this highlights the lack of portrayals of these relationships in the general media. What I would very much like to see is a serious major studio or accomplished independent production company develop a respectable movie, perhaps one involving Genetic Sexual Attraction, in which two people for whom we can root fall in love and make a life together. The conflict could be in accepting themselves and each other, and especially in dealing with the hostility, prejudice, and persecution of those around them and the law.

1. The Lion King - Based on this knowledge of how the animal kingdom works we can assume Mufasa is the daddy of both Simba and Nala. Nala and Simba are half-siblings.

Saw it. Didn’t think about it while watching, but this has been pointed out many times before.

2. The Devil's Advocate - Al Pacino [The Devil] plays match maker between his son Kevin Lomax and Christabella, his daughter. And it's at this point Keanu and Connie get into some heavy petting as brother and sister, with Keanu even uttering the line, "I've wanted you since the day we met." Sappy and sick.

Saw it. This is explicit. But it doesn’t go anywhere.

3. EuroTrip - As four friends made their way across Europe she and her brother had a number of misadventures, possibly the worst though is featured in the seen to the left when twins Jenny and Jamie end up getting so drunk on Absinthe they have no idea who they're making out with.

Didn’t see it. The television ads used this as a hook.

4. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back - The most famous case of incestuous relations in pop culture. Luke Skywalker was enamored with the idea of saving a beautiful princess and considered himself a rival of Han Solo's for Princess Leia's affections. Long before it is revealed to them that they are in fact brother and sister, the most famous twins in a galaxy far far away lock lips in the scene to the left, complete with reaction shots.

Of course, the audience didn’t know (nor did the characters) when they kissed in IV or V, but a lot of us have subsequently seen the film many times, so the kisses take on a different context. But the kisses are rather tame.

5. The Dreamers - Set in 1960's Paris, the movie is about an American who gets close to two people he at first thinks are a couple and then is told they are actually twin siblings. Over time the relationship between all three blurs into a weird sort of communal love, but the incestual boundary is definitely crossed. Eva Green stars in a pre-bond girl role where she makes love on numerous occasions to a guy while her brother watches and masturbates and then crosses the line and has relations with him.

Haven’t seen it. Sounds interesting.

6. Sleepwalkers - The cat people in this Stephen King adaptation (featuring King himself as a coroner) are mother and son, but also creepily enough, lover and lover.

Haven’t seen it.

7. Cruel Intentions 2 - The straight to video sequel, which featured a pre-oscar Amy Adams, one upped the original by not only featuring sister/sister incest, they did it with real life twins.

Haven’t seen it. Sounds interesting.

8. The House of Yes - The epitome of the incest movie, Parker Posey plays Jackie O. the twin sister of Marty. Marty has returned home for Thanksgiving and also to introduce his family to his fiancee. Jackie is more than upset at the news, considering she's IN love her brother and they've been sleeping together for years.

Haven’t seen it.

9. The Blue Lagoon - While it isn't fully clarified in the film, the two main characters are either cousins (okay for the time period it takes place, but still rather grody) or brother and sister (not cool).

Such bigotry. First cousins can get legally married in some states and many countries.

Either way the two are definitely related and the baby that they have together in the film is at a high risk for genetic defect.

Perhaps a higher risk than a child from a couple not closely related (unless they carry the same genetic problem), but certainly not a “high” risk. Saw the movie.

10. Chinatown - The most memorable line relating to incest on film is uttered in Chinatown. "She's my sister and my daughter!" is screamed by Evelyn upon being interrogated by Jack Nicholson.

See what I mean? Child abuse is “steamy?” Saw it.

11. Oldboy

Really long explanation about a tragic revenge tale. Haven’t seen it.

12. Spanking the Monkey - When forced to care for his mother after an accident, Raymond loses both his internship and his girlfriend. With no other emotional outlet he starts getting closer to his mother.

Haven’t seen it.

13. Kickboxing Academy - Most of the items on this list are actors PRETENDING to be related in film roles, in Kickboxing Academy it's the other way around. When she was 15, Grey's Anatomy star Chyler Leigh starred in this movie with her brother. They must have played siblings or best friends in the movie right? WRONG! They played a couple, a couple that gets some serious face time.

That is interesting. Haven’t seen it, but I should.

Do you have any thoughts on these movies? There are good ones that he missed; any thoughts on those?