It’s no secret that Basic Instinct is one hell of an iconic movie. This can be chalked up to plenty of different elements, including the epic Sharon Stone and RoboCop director Paul Verhoeven. But when an iconic ensemble and taboo themes come together, there can easily be controversy thrown into the mix.
Basic Instinct follows a high-profile murder investigation. A plethora of femme-presenting people must defend their innocence to homicide detective Nick Curran — played by Michael Douglas — and one of these iconic women is Sharon Stone’s Catherine Tramell. She’s an illustrious and gorgeous crime novelist who is linked to the horrendous death of a wealthy rock star. As it turns out, she’s not the only woman at the center of this investigation. The investigation quickly turns unprofessional as Detective Curran begins a sexual relationship with his main suspect and shares a similar history with another suspect. With that said, it’s no wonder this movie has been controversial since its release in 1992 in terms of both subject and behind-the-scenes turmoil.
How Sharon Stone’s Interrogation Scene Was Filmed in Basic Instinct
From what has been revealed in the years following Basic Instinct‘s controversial theatrical release in the ’90s, it’s clear that there’s been plenty of drama. But in order to understand such tension, there’s a very specific scene to go over.
The scene in question takes place during an interrogation sequence between Stone’s character and a group of male police officers. This part of Basic Instinct is usually just referred to as “the interrogation scene.” Simply put, this scene features Catherine Tramell uncrossing her legs and revealing the lack of apparel under her skirt. While the scene features shots of Tramell from different angles, the shot used for this particular moment in the final film is very revealing, to say the least.
It’s extremely fair to say that the controversy surrounding the Basic Instinct interrogation isn’t contained to what’s shown on-screen for the audience. In fact, the main problems come with the way Stone was treated during the production of the film. While there have been a few different accounts that have come out in the years following Basic Instinct, Stone’s memoir, The Beauty of Living Twice, seems to paint a clearer picture of the injustice and mistreatment of the film’s female cast.
Basic Instinct’s Interrogation Scene Came With Controversy
Perhaps one of the biggest red flags laid out in Sharon Stone’s memoir is how she was gravely misled while filming the interrogation scene. She has been very adamant that she didn’t consent to such a graphic scene — instead, she was led to believe that any nudity in the scene would be strictly implied. The outrage she felt upon realizing what happened even had her consulting a lawyer. On top of this, Stone was frequently disrespected behind the scenes during Basic Instinct by director Paul Verhoeven. While there are plenty of examples to break down here, the unprofessional behavior of the director can be summed up in Stone’s claims that he refused to use her real name on set, instead referring to her as Karen. Based on what Stone has said, it’s clear that she didn’t feel very safe or welcome while she was filming Basic Instinct years before the #MeToo movement reshaped the film industry.
Unfortunately, even some of the most iconic movies in cinematic history are plagued with rumors of behind-the-scenes drama and overall controversy. The 1992 hit Basic Instinct is only one example of such a movie. The film undoubtedly crossed some boundaries in terms of showcasing taboo subjects in a mainstream movie. But so many more boundaries were crossed during filming.
