The treatment of child sexuality in films

Résumé du document

Childhood is traditionally associated with the idea of innocence and purity. Since it is the age before the development of sexuality, children are seldom portrayed as involved in sexual relationships. The current issue of pedophilia is particularly important and censorship can limit the films representing sexual children. However some directors do represent children as acting upon their own sexuality, sometimes suggesting it in a really powerful way. How does cinema represent children's sexuality? In most movies the directors show sexual relationships between children as pure and innocent; they have their own sexual desire, but it is still associated with the notion of innocent discovery and freedom.

Extraits

[...] This scene is particularly interesting. After a first shot showing Ignacio singing for the priest who plays the guitar, in the next ones we still hear him singing but see the other children playing in the water. We suddenly hear from Ignacio, and the next shot shows the young boy running from the priest and falling on a rock. The priest is following, putting back his pants and Ignacio's head hurts a rock and bleeds while he stares at us. [...]

[...] This difference in the age of the characters allows different interpretations of the book and a different treatment of the story. Here again, we will see that the younger character still keeps some purity and is not treated the same way than the older character. First the treatment of their own sexuality is different. We can compare the scenes of masturbation of the two main characters. Laurent, in Louis Malle's movie, comes back home. Jazz music is playing, a light-hearted and rhythmic music that will be present during the entire scene. [...]

[...] Then in a nervous smile and with greedy eyes he stares at Laurent's tight observing how much he grew up and put his hands on it. In the very next shot the two characters are together from the side and we can see the priest proximity as well as the nudity of Laurent's open legs contrasted with the dark clothes of the priest. This allows a perspective on the attitude of the priest: he associates sexuality with shame but seems shameless to put his hands on the nude leg of the vulnerable young boy. We find a similar situation in La Mala Educacion. [...]

[...] Louis Malle presents the overall sexual discovery of the young boy without judging it. But what stands out is the purity of the scenes when only children are involved. For example the relationship between Laurent and his younger blond friend involves desire, proximity and nudity, but in a very natural and innocent way. During the scout camp, they are playing one of Goethe's scenes, and the blond boy is sitting on Laurent's lap, half naked. The dark blanket covers them, which highlights their white young skin in the middle of the night. [...]

[...] They do that several times, and the close-up allows us the see the lips and the mouth fully suggestive of this sexual game. However the candy embodies their innocence; they are never shown on the same shot, showing this game, truly innocent even if sexual. Thus relationships between children remain associated with the pure ideals that allow the director to show particularly sexual scenes. As soon as adults get involved in these relationships, everything changes. Sexuality as we know it, as a private and intimate thing, or sometimes with the negative connotations of “something comes into play. [...]