3. Lust
Sex scenes. We've all seen 'em and we can't get enough of them. Young boys flock to the theater or wait for an illegal bootleg version of a Blake Lively movie to come out, in hopes that there is a sex scene in it. The sin of lust is an obvious one and it's even more apparent when the box office numbers come through. Sex sells and that's why most films have their lead actresses in a scene wearing either lingerie, a bikini, a short skirt, or some form fitting outfit (shower scenes notwithstanding, of course). Now, I find all the leading ladies in Hollywood attractive and must say they look great half-naked, but do we really need a scene of Kate Hudson or Eva Mendes changing blouses? What does it contribute, if anything, to the film as a whole? The same goes for men; do we really need to see Channing Tatum walk butt naked down a hall? Ladies, bite your tongue. Actors and actresses strip for the camera so often that there's a website entirely dedicated to showing every movie clip of an exposed celebrity. Have we, as a people, lost so much integrity and decency that we will fast forward to the "good parts?" The sin of this is that most films use sexuality, not for artistic purposes, but to make a quick buck and the next sin will deal with money, so bear with me a little longer. Let's use Blue Valentine as an example, a film where Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams play a couple whose marriage is disintegrating. There are a few sex scenes in the film, but each scene either moves the story along or it shows the emotional distance between the couple in various stages of their relationship. We could contrast Blue Valentine with films such as 9 Songs, which features real sex, but a movie featuring real sex will spark a debate on the fine line between art film and pornography, and the film's artistic intentions will get drowned out by the sex scenes. I believe the sin of lust will be one that films will continue to commit and abuse because of its success with audiences; let's just hope that directors will use the scenes to the film's advantage.