Sharon Stone, who starred in Paul Verhoeven’s 1992 dramatic thriller, Basic Instinct, is not happy about the upcoming release of an enhanced director’s cut of the film. Stone’s popularity rose considerably after the initial release of the film, despite the fact that she had already been a working actress for over a decade by the time Basic Instinct was released.
Verhoeven had long since established his reputation as a filmmaker who didn’t (or wouldn’t) shy away from sex in the films he made in his native Amsterdam. But outside of Europe in 1992, audiences weren’t particularly aware of Verhoeven’s reputation. Both Robocop and Total Recall had arrived prior to Basic Instinct’s release, and although both those films had been hits, neither one of them caused the sort of mainstream stir that Basic Instinct did. This was arguably due in large part to one particular scene, in which Stone’s mysterious Catherine Tramell character exposes herself while being interrogated by police. The very brief moment had nothing to do with the actual plot of the film, but unfortunately, it has managed to overshadow practically everything else about it. In recent months, Stone has revealed that she did not consent to the scene and now that scene is set to return in a XXX director’s cut.
The enhanced director’s cut of Basic Instinct might be great news for fans of the controversial film, but Stone certainly doesn’t see it that way. As per Yahoo! News [h/t A Current Affair], Stone addressed the issue of the new director’s cut by saying that although newer, stricter rules have been devised by the Screen Actor’s Guild, they are not retroactive and therefore cannot help her Basic Instinct situation. Nonetheless, Stone refuses to dwell on the issue, and instead points out her belief that regrets are a waste of time:
They've decided to release the director's XXX cut for the 30th anniversary. There are new [Screen Actors Guild] rules about that that have been made and created but they were made after I, as a young lady, made this film, and so they don't apply to me. Regrets are like farts, you can't get them back. Once they're out, they're stinky and gone.
Despite Stone’s humorous views on regrets, she has previously taken the time to let the world know her side of how Basic Instinct’s most famous scene came to be. As for his part in the situation, Verhoeven has stated that Stone knew what she was getting into at the time – a claim that Stone denies. This isn’t the first time that Verhoeven has been accused of utilizing exploitation in his filmmaking, either. Back in 2006, controversy struck over the director’s use of sex in the World War II era drama, Black Book, and in 2016, Verhoeven was widely criticized for his depictions of rape in the critically acclaimed, Elle.
Regardless of how willing Stone is to let go of the past with regards to Basic Instinct, the fact that an anniversary edition that calls itself the “XXX cut” is being released, seems grossly out of place in 2021. It shouldn’t matter that Stone’s performance occurred before new SAG rules arrived, especially in light of the fact that she has spoken out about how certain scenes were filmed. At this point, to release a cut with a title that specifically glorifies the film’s sexuality is blatantly disrespectful to Stone.
Source: Yahoo! News [h/t A Current Affair]