10 (Blake Edwards, Warner Bros., 1979)

Growing up as a kid one of my parents steadfast rules was that we were not allowed to watch R rated films. Which of course had the effect of making them even more desirable to see. Such is the case with the great romantic comedy 10 (Blake Edwards, Warner Bros., 1979). The R rating aside, just having the amazing Bo Derek in the film in a bikini made the film a must see. That iconic imagery from the film aside, I am not sure how old I was before I finally saw the film so when it came on the other night I couldn't resist checking it out after so many years. My love and appreciation of film has grown and my love and appreciation of beautiful blondes has never wavered so I was interested to see my reaction watching the film present day, thirty plus years since its release. And thirty years later the film still holds up remarkably well. The great thing about 10 is what the film reflects, all of which holds through contemporary society. The film covers a wide array of themes, societal conventions and fetishistic behavior. It has some good acting, great music, the obscenely gorgeous aforementioned Bo, and the stellar writing and directing of Blake Edwards. The film is well done. The film deals with several themes and with Edwards deft touch it does so in an almost sublime way. Edwards tackles feminism, the easy openness of people's attitudes towards sexuality during the seventies and even how we deal with aging. Edwards crafts a great juxtaposition between Sam (Julie Andrews) as the mature loving career woman and Jenny (Bo Derek), the young antagonist our hero George (Dudley Moore) aspires to. Both are excellent representations of a burgeoning feminism of the period. Sam as the woman capable of being on her own and Jenny the free and open woman capable of a sexuality often limited to women in previous years. And in Jenny we see the most glaring example of the promiscuity of the seventies. When George finally gets his fantasy and is ready to bed his dream woman, he is crushed by her ease and ambivalence towards sex as an act and her attitudes towards fidelity and marriage. One can see a shift in generational outlooks towards sexuality occurring right on screen. Finally, we see how a generation reacts as we see George coming to terms with his own mortality. All the cliches are nailed by Edwards in his representations of George. The flashy and ostentatious car, partying in orgiastic style with his neighbor, becoming smitten with a woman half his age. And the casting and portrayal of Dudley Moore as George seals the deal when it comes to exactly what Edwards is going for. Moore gives a great performance, allowing us to be sympathetic to his childish overtures, no small feat. George is a philanderer, a womanizer, a child, yet we love him. We want him to be happy. Edwards also provides us with a glimpse into societal conventions and a look at how those conventions had been effectively turned on their heads by 1979. The institution of marriage (still being rocked today), ever changing gender roles and expectations and the role of sex and sexuality in our lives are all thrown under the Edwards microscope and used to great humor. As described previously, when George finally beds Jenny not only is his fantasy destroyed but it is done amidst the humor of the two constantly starting and restarting Bolero. Edwards hits on the open sexuality of the period all while poking great fun at it. He does the same to marriage and gender throughout the film. Finally, amazingly, he even includes a gay couple going through the same exact thing that George is pursuing with Jenny. What genius, looking back, as Edwards presciently sees that gay relationships are exactly the same as straight ones. I'd also like to talk about the role voyeurism plays in the film. Throughout the film there are two parties who continually watch each other in hopes of catching the other at some form of sexual congress. This is a brilliant reflection of our society then and NOW especially, as we have become deeply voyeuristic as a society. This also brings up the role Bo Derek plays in the film. Man or woman, she demands our attention. This speaks to the role a woman's body plays in our subconscious viewing of film. Think of it like this. How often are we as audiences allowed to gaze upon a woman's form, especially in a stylized manner such as slow motion. Now think of how often that happens with a male. Yep, huge disparity. My hyper critical viewing aside, the film is wonderful and full of so many great things, the physical comedy of Dudley Moore is so pleasing and entertaining. He plays the besotted fool so damn well. We are treated to the beautiful voice of Julie Andrews as well as getting to see her as an adult, a sexually active one at that. Even the character actor Robert Webber gives a great performance, highly emotional and poignant. In the end it is the sublime ability of Blake Edwards which rings this film together. His choices in casting, especially with Dudley and Bo, all hit. His writing is superb and his partnership with the great Henry Mancini just works. Musically the choice of Ravel's Bolero is a stroke of genius even making me want to download it after hearing it in the film. This film is great and works on so many levels. It may be a little dated for all tastes but I highly recommend it to anyone.