thevoid99's Classic Films # 1: Secretary (Pt. 2)
Aug 18 '03 (Updated Apr 16 '04)
The Bottom Line thevoid99's Take on the Brilliance of "Secretary" Pt. 2.
thevoid99's Classic Films # 1: Secretary
Accepting “Secretary” or How I Fell in Love with Lee Holloway Part 2
Sadomasochism is a subject that is often considered taboo for some, particularly in pop culture. The concept of enjoy pleasure from pain seems to be too extreme for many people when it comes to sex and S&M is often the one many people aren’t very comfortable to talk about. Still, it is intriguing to see people getting off from being whipped or getting spanked relentlessly by someone wearing leather. Yet, there’s so many songs on the subject of sadomasochism dating back to the Velvet Underground’s “Venus In Furs” to Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer”.
In a recent rerun of an episode of the late-night talk show “Late Night with Conan O’Brien”, Maggie Gyllenhaal explained how she had researched, benignly, on S&M from books and found them to be disappointing since the people were either called Joe M. or Jane Doe, or some mindless name. She ended up turning to a hardcore S&M porn film she saw and was intrigued by the film on how she saw the submissive be moved, emotionally and mentally from being punished. It was the reaction Gyllenhaal said that really intrigued her and she’s admitted to be a fan of S&M porn films and finds nothing wrong with accepting sadomasochistic culture.
I honestly don’t have a problem with it either since I too, find the idea of getting pleasure from pain to be exciting and it’s something I’d like to experience and yes, I too on occasion enjoy a hardcore S&M porn film whenever I get the chance to watch. Personally, I also think music in a way or another is sadomasochistic. Listen to a loud album of feedback like Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, the Jesus & Mary Chain, or Lou Reed’s “Metal Machine Music”, put it at a loud volume and press it against your ears. It’s painful to listen to it at very loud volume yet, for something reason I found something very beautiful. Many would say you’re crazy to just listen to an album of noise but I found a certain pleasure of it for me, mentally and emotionally which is why I always consider “Loveless” by My Bloody Valentine to be one of the greatest albums of all-time. I think it’s more honest to accept the fact that people enjoy sadomasochism and pornography. It’s better than killing someone with a gun every day.
Now as Lee Holloway enters the dark lair that is Mr. E. Edward Grey’s office, she isn’t sure what is going to happen. He tells her to bend down, put both the palm of her hands both desks and read the letter. As she reads it, she slaps her in the *ss, she’s shocked at first until he tells her to continue. She reads as he keeps slapping her *ss at a very intense tone and when she finishes the letter the first time, she lets out an orgasmic gasp. She reads it again as he continues slapping her and suddenly, all of his frustrations are channeled through the new technique he does as he tells her to redo the letter. She walks out with the letter dangling from her hand as if it was some strange new experience is happening and then, she goes into a mirror and sees the bruises Grey put on her *ss and the next thing you know, a heavenly glow comes out. She then brings in a new letter, no typos or spelling errors, he’s quietly reading and not saying anything to her until she’s making copies for him at the copy room and he says, “Ms. Holloway, good letter”. There, she realizes “Hey, I don’t have to cut myself anymore. I can just have him slap me in the *ss and do all this sh*t and I can enjoy pleasure from pain, kick *ss”.
In the original script, many of the film’s sadomasochistic activities comes later towards the end of the film with background music from rapper Lil’ Kim. For me, it would’ve been a very bad idea since Lil’ Kim is by all means, not a very good rap artist and doesn’t carry what I think the sensuality or tone of sadomasochism. The credit should to go to the film’s music supervisor Beth Amy Rosenblatt for finding the right music for the film. First, there’s the jazzy, seductive score of composer Angelo Badalamenti who provides a sense of seduction to the film, especially the way the music moves in sequence to the body language of Maggie Gyllenhaal in the film’s opening scene as she is being crucified by a S&M gadget as she is carrying a paper with her mouth, another in her hand, and a cup of coffee in the other.
The other artist responsible for bringing the film’s sexiness in music is Canadian music legend Leonard Cohen. The song “I’m Your Man” just captures the sexiness of sadomasochism with Lee getting spanked, crawling on all fours, riding a saddle, and all of this stuff. The way the music moves with Cohen’s deep, seductive vocals just brings sensuality to the scenes as Lee is starting to come out of her cocoon and Mr. Grey is showing a bit of life from his brooding exterior. Even Cohen’s lyrics just capture the film’s sexy tone.
“If you want a lover, I’ll do anything you ask me to. If you want another kind of love, I’ll wear a mask for you. If you want a partner, take my hand or if you want to strike me down in anger. Here I stand, I’m your man”.
-Leonard Cohen, “I’m Your Man” from “I’m Your Man”.
I would’ve added more stuff to the film’s sadomasochistic scenes like a few Nine Inch Nails’ songs like “Sin”, “Closer” (remixes included), and their cover of Queen’s “Get Down, Make Love”. Also, I would put Depeche Mode’s “Master & Servants” for a bit of cheese and one of my recent favorite songs, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Black Tongue” for the crawling scene.
Lee starts to come out more not in her professional life, but at home as well as she calls Mr. Grey about what her family is serving for dinner. He gives her some specific instructions: A scoop of creamed potatoes, one slice of butter, four peas, and all the ice cream she wants. She does that, to the shock of her family but she doesn’t care anymore. While some people, including feminists might not be fond of Lee’s behavior, I think Lee is doing the feminist thing by just doing what she wanted and she eventually, takes on the dominant role in the film as opposed to the submissive she played early on. She takes that first step when she leaves a typo that Grey ignores and she then, gets his attention when she licks the envelope very seductive and he’s become overwhelmed by it.
In the film’s script book, director Steven Shainberg said that scene represents one stage. The stage of where Grey realizes in some cases, he’s created a monster and knows that Lee wants to get a spanking. She’s starting to reverse the role of dominant/submissive but Grey doesn’t give her what she wants and she’s getting frustrated about it. She becomes fonder of Mr. Grey and even fantasizes about him where she played the submissive role and repeat the line, “I’m your secretary”. The second stage that Shainberg mentions is where Lee comes to Mr. Grey’s home, after she is distraught over the result of her father’s alcoholism. What it represents is Grey being violated somewhat and Lee tries to tell him about her father but chickens out and he wanted to know but in the end doesn’t. There, the fun is over and Grey begins to treat her more like a regular old secretary, which she isn’t.
There, Lee becomes the dominant trying to make Grey spank her and here I think is where the sense of feminism comes. It’s not the act of Lee getting spanked; it’s her desire of getting spanked that’s the act of feminism. What she is doing is pushing Mr. Grey’s buttons and in some cases, becomes Mr. Grey. If that’s not an act of feminism, trying to get a man to please a woman, then I don’t know what is. Unfortunately, Grey doesn’t respond to her antics or her boudoir picture as she wonders if she can spank herself but doesn’t work. Then, she finds a worm and puts it in a letter. Grey begins to notice her being the perfect secretary and whatever repressed sexual demons he has, is haunting him.
Grey finally gets the worm and Lee loses some control. Lee is ecstatic that she might get spanked but what she finds out in that scene is something more. What she learns really is that Mr. Grey is what Lee was when in the beginning, a fragile, isolated individual who really is shy that Lee at first never thought he was. For Lee, it was another door opened, as she wants to be with Mr. Grey but Grey however, finds himself violated as a result of his openness to Lee’s antics. For E. Edward Grey, he had exposed himself to the world and felt more isolated and what he doesn’t know is that Lee doesn’t care that he’s a creep; she just cares about him. What Grey doesn’t want to realize is that Lee is his equal but because of his sense of isolation, he wants her out when she doesn’t want to leave. Towards the end of this film, she does say something in the film where she comes to an understanding about him.
“In one way or another I’ve always suffered. I didn’t know why exactly. But I do know that I’m not scared of suffering now. I feel more than I have ever felt and I’ve found someone to feel with. To play with. To love in a way that is right for me. I hope he knows that I can see he suffers too. And that I want to love him”.
-Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee Holloway in “Secretary”
Now the film in many respects is a coming of age love story with unconventional textures and it’s best not to tell what happens to Lee and Mr. Grey since like many love stories have the same ending. Originally, I intended to tell what happen but I would rather not since I don’t feel like spoiling anything else further about this film.
Will this film stand the test of time? I really don’t know but I hope so. Maybe, it will become an influential piece of art in the years to come since it made sadomasochism more accessible while retaining its extremities. One thing I know is that director Steven Shainberg and screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson will definitely looked at for the years to come and I just hope they remain in the independent film circuit since there’s now rumors that Lion Gate wants to do a sequel to the film, which easily won’t contain the emotional tone or the black comedy the original have. Plus, I doubt any of the original actors will be involved with the sequel knowing for the fact that it wouldn’t have the film’s original magic.
The parents played by Stephen McHattie & Lesley Ann Warren in some respect do capture the idea of what my own parents are like. My dad too, drinks but I wouldn’t say he’s an alcoholic, whenever he’s not drinking liquor. When he does, it’s very bad and I remember one time at a New Years Party some years ago in his drunken state, he just screams at me for not getting a driver’s license and blames me for making him and my family stays at one of my aunt’s house for the night. I was only seventeen at the time and clearly, wasn’t ready to drive at the time. I don’t mind if he drinks a couple of beers but when he goes too far, I stay away from him as possible and he gets very crazy which is one of the reasons I avoided to going to any News Years or Xmas parties with him because he would be under pressure into drinking and I can’t tolerate that.
My mother is a bit like Mrs. Holloway in some respects except she is very blind as far as her optimism is concerned and really keeps telling everyone to think positive and not negative. I can’t think of anything positive with her because I try to be more realistic about things and she just thinks its hogwash to be more realistic about things. Another character I can relate to in the film is Jeremy Davies as Peter. He just displays an awkwardness of my own personality and he is a weirdo in a lot of ways but a loveable one. The only difference is that he just doesn’t really understands about his own emotional needs as opposed to Lee’s but he clearly in the end, doesn’t understand her either. James Spader as Mr. E. Edward Grey is another part of my own personality since I at times, is brooding and can be very isolating to anyone including myself. I often isolate practically anyone whenever I’m vulnerable. Plus, the perfectionist of him is really more of my creative side at times as well as being specific on things.
The real soul of the film is Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee Holloway. Gyllenhaal captures the fragile, lanky young woman perfectly as she explores herself in this journey of self-discovery. Really, she brought a sense of myself in film since I too am insecure and strange sometimes. While the Lee Holloway has come out of her own cocoon, emotionally I haven’t yet. It’s really because I already feel for the fact that I don’t really belong in Georgia. I’ve also become fearful of the fact whether or not I’m mentally unstable at the moment due to my emotional mood swings. There’s not many people to talk about films, music, and art that I could relate to and there’s not of knowledge to discover there which is why I want to go to New York City, for its array of culture and variety of scenes and yes, more record stores to hang out.
It’s Gyllenhaal that really made me enjoy this film more than anything as I think she is one of the most promising actresses abroad. Already with standout roles in “Cecil B. Demented”, “Donnie Darko” and the obscure 2000 film “The Photographer”, she’s already got the talent to become a great actress. I’m already eagerly anticipated for her next films like “Casa de los Babys” with Marcia Gay Harden, Mary Steenburgen, Daryl Hannah, Lily Taylor, Susan Lynch, and Rita Moreno and the upcoming schoolgirl film “Mona Lisa Smile” with Harden, Julia Roberts, Julia Stiles, and Kirsten Dunst, on a lesser extent.
I think “Secretary” is just the beginning of what is to come from Maggie Gyllenhaal and I would like to support her throughout her career as a fan while giving out thoughtful commentary to her performances. Right now, with such other young great talents like her brother Jake and fellow actors and actresses like Elijah Wood, Kirsten Dunst, Natalie Portman, Jonathan Tucker, Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Jena Malone, Ben Foster, and James DeBello, Maggie right now exceeds them in performance and talent. I really hope she can make it, especially if she doesn’t go full on to Hollywood as I hope her craft gets greater and broader.
On a final note, I would really put “Secretary” in my all-time favorite film list. Probably in the top ten, I don’t know where. If it has stood the test of time, I would like to be involved with any foreword for a special edition or interview on how powerful the film has become. Finally, I would like to thank Steven Shainberg, Erin Cressida Wilson, the production team and cinematographer Steven Feirberg, and the actors including James Spader and Jeremy Davies. Most of all, to Maggie Gyllenhaal who stole my heart with that spellbinding performance and if I ever met her one day and have some strange chat with her, all I would really like to say to her is “Thank You” for her breakthrough performance in a small little movie called “Secretary”.
Part 1:
http://www.epinions.com/content_3458572420
“Secretary” Film Review:
http://www.epinions.com/content_101047570052
“Secretary” Screenplay:
http://www.epinions.com/content_108391992964
"Secretary" Soundtrack:
http://www.epinions.com/content_125943189124
Special Thanks to the people at Epinions.com, the gang at the Disc Go Round, Corissa (Maggie-Gyllenhaal.Net webmistress), the thousands (and thousands) of Gyllenhaalics for putting up with all of my bullsh*t.
© thevoid99/Okrad Publishing, 2003.
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