Hays Code Hollywood
The Hays code (also known as the The Motion Picture Production Code) controlled the film industry in America from the years 1934 to 1968. Its focus was on the self-censorship of film, which included prohibiting the portrayal of suggestive nudity, sexual relations outside of marriage, any “sexual perversions” (including that of same-sex relationships, regardless of whether they were sexual or romantic), and others, which are similarly conservative. The common themes throughout the document were that of moral righteousness, as well as an emphasis on assuring that “the audience feels sure that evil is wrong, and good is right” (Yagoda 1980).
During the era of the Hays Code, societal attitudes toward sex were characterized by a sense of taboo and privacy. Cleopatra (1960) and Spartacus (1963), films produced and censored under the influence of the Hays Code, provide notable examples of how the cultural perceptions of the time influenced the film industry and cinematic content.
Cleopatra
1963
Dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Cleopatra is an opulent film about the life of Cleopatra, Egyptian queen, and her relationships with Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony. It is an exemplary Hollywood film, with each set carefully constructed to look lavish and expensive. The costumes (particularly those on Cleopatra herself) are detailed and luxurious, and its aesthetic is one of grandeur, fitting for a queen. The film is also a love story, telling the stories of both of Cleopatra's relationships, but Cleopatra remains the central figure of the narrative in both name and position. Cleopatra’s character is defined primarily by two things: her power and her sexuality.
Her wardrobe is largely hyper-feminine, revealing outfits that intentionally highlight her bust and waist, emphasizing her sex appeal. Cleopatra consistently dons heavy makeup throughout the film, enhancing her feminine and seductive appearance. She is inherently sexualized in essentially every scene, though she never once fully undresses or is even implied to have had sex (except, of course, when she reveals that she is pregnant). Even when she is in the bath, Cleopatra’s chest is tastefully hidden under the water, covered by the pale blue water, clearly sexualized by both the camera angles and those in the scene, but still never shown.
Despite holding considerable power, Cleopatra is consistently depicted facing demeaning treatment in the narrative. She is frequently portrayed as inferior to the male figures in her life, a depiction influenced in part by the way she is integrated into the storyline. Her character exists, in part, to sell the film as a passionate romance, which includes her oversexualization. This sexualization consistently has a certain allure to it, a “teasing” quality that is distinguished by its hidden nature. Cleopatra and Caesar never even kiss with anything but a close-mouthed, awkward embrace, and certainly never have sex (except when it is revealed that Cleopatra is pregnant, which would make intercourse implicit).
Despite using sex and sexuality in order to sell the film (and Elizabeth Taylor), the film purifies the more “unsavory” aspects in order to appease both the audience and the Motion Picture Association. There is a certain paradoxical nature to this view of sex: using it to sell a film, while still attempting to censor it, which the era of the Hays code is defined by.
Spartacus
1960
Dir. Stanley Kubrick
Although it came out three years prior, Spartacus (a film about a man named Spartacus leading the slave revolt of 73-71 BCE) functionally improved upon Cleopatra’s depiction of a sexual relationship between two characters, and it includes homosexuality explicitly, which had not been done before in these kinds of Hollywood blockbusters. While it is true that this film is not using sex as a “hidden tease” and hiding homosexuality—as is expected from a film of this era—it instead takes a similar, yet more realistic, take on the inclusion of sex as a storytelling tool. In addition, in regards to the inclusion of homosexuality, the version of the film that was released in 1963 is not the film that modern viewers see. In 1991, the American Cinematheque and Universal Pictures decided to restore the film, and several scenes that were cut from the original due to gratuitous violence and, more pertinently, homosexuality, were added back into the film.
Spartacus and Varinia
The relationship between Varinia and Spartacus is the most realistic and honest so far. It is clear that both characters have a great deal of respect and affection for each other. One of the most poignant themes of the film is that of human connection and love, which Varinia and Spartacus exemplify from their very first meeting onwards. They make an effort to be around each other and connect with each other, which includes sex. The sex in the film is far from gratuitous and overt (and is instead generally softly implied and romantic, rather than sexually passionate), which is in line with the standards of the time and makes for a very heartfelt relationship.
During one scene, she bathes in a body of water near the camp that the rebels have set up. She is still sexualized by the camera, and very assertively naked, but she is decidedly not sexualized by Spartacus. As stated in STARZ Spartacus: Reimagining an Icon Onscreen, “Although the couple embrace naked under the robe of [Spartacus], and Varinia confesses to being pregnant (intercourse thus being implicit), this is a “chaste” sexuality between a legitimate couple and not something promiscuous, perverse, or debauched” (Rodrigues 41). The sex shown in Spartacus is that of a real couple who have a romantic relationship, and that of an era which censored anything more than a three second kiss. This take on sex is particularly interesting, especially when compared to that of Ben Hur and Cleopatra. There is no association of violence or oversexualization; rather, their relationship is an explicit contrast to the violent Romans who made the pair slaves in the first place, and Spartacus is a “good” character, who wants to have sex with his wife, but never in a demeaning, possessive way.
Crassus' Homosexuality
Marcus Leniculus Crassus, one of the primary antagonists of the film, is a bisexual Roman senator. In the infamous “snails and oysters” scene, which was cut from the original 1960 release, Crassus attempts to seduce Antoninus, his male slave, by comparing sexual preferences to eating snails (men) and oysters (women). In doing so, he presents homosexuality as a matter of preference, rather than as a matter of morality. His sexuality becomes a tool for showcasing how he manipulates and controls those around him, illustrating just how abhorrent he is as a villain. It is not enough that he forces slaves to fight to the death and publicly crucifies an entire army; Crassus also has to be a “sexual deviant”. The inclusion of Crassus’ bisexuality is explicitly to villainize him even further and make the audience feel a sense of disgust and revulsion towards him.