W omen's liberation might not be the first thought that comes to mind when considering the independent film "Secretary," which opened last Friday. In it, the audience sees an emotionally disturbed young woman (Lee Holloway, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal), in the office, trying her best to deliver coffee and mail to her boss (Mr. Grey, played by James Spader) though her arms are locked in a yoke across her shoulders. He, in turn, likes to spank and otherwise humiliate her whenever she makes a mistake. The tone is light, and the filmmakers say the movie is meant to be taken at least partly as metaphor. Even so, many psychologists would still recommend therapy for such a couple, and some pre-postmodern feminists are simply appalled. "There's nothing beautiful or wonderful about needing to be beaten to feel alive or, worse, wanted," writes Web film critic MaryAnn Johanson (www.flickfilosopher.com). There are, however, those who see a new sexual pragmatism afoot, one in which the personal has ceased to be political. It's just personal. Here, four women--the screenwriter, the star, her mother and a feminist film critic--talk about "Secretary" and what it says about current attitudes about sex.
Sexuality and the Single Secretary
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Erin Cressida Wilson, 38
A professor at Duke University, she has had a 15-year career writing plays, many of which deal with sexually complex women. She and director Steven Shainberg based the script for "Secretary" on a short story by Mary Gaitskill, from her collection "Bad Behavior":
"I've had such a hard time explaining the movie. I've had to learn how to talk about it. At first it was impossible. It can't be compared to anything. It's not an S&M film. I know that when she's spanked, there's often a laugh in the audience. It's very funny. It's also very sexy to me. A big part of the way I write is to combine humor with sex. It's not salacious. It can be fun.
" 'Secretary' doesn't politicize the sexuality or the relationship. It doesn't insist on taking sides. Also, it doesn't seek to solve problems. The secretary does not seek to get over her masochism as if it were a deviant problem. She actually embraces it. It also turns cliches on their heads. Instead of her running to arrest him and screaming equal rights, she falls in love with him. And he in turn gets afraid. She owns her submissive quality.
