‘Showgirls’: The erotic thriller with “no true eroticism”, according to Roger Ebert
Film critic Roger Ebert hated a lot of movies. With the rate at which he was required to watch the newest cinematic releases, there’s no wonder he found himself having to view some genuinely awful movies. That was part and parcel of his job, and while he got to watch many fantastic pieces of art that he raved about during his time as one of America’s leading film critics, he wasn’t afraid to dish out some rather bold and ruthless opinions, either.
When it came to erotic thrillers, Ebert wasn’t opposed to the genre, having given Lawrence Kasdan’s Body Heat a full four out of four stars and praising many other titles that fall into the category, like Eyes Wide Shut, Dressed to Kill, and Body Double. However, one of the genre’s most controversial entries arrived in 1995, and for Ebert, the movie was a “sleazefest” with “no true eroticism.”
Showgirls, the year’s most polarizing movie, is credited with killing Elizabeth Berkley’s career – before it had hardly even begun. She played a young woman named Nomi who makes her way to Vegas, where her goal of becoming an erotic dancer leads her to meet various interesting characters, making her question everything. The movie was panned by countless critics, with the general consensus being that the nudity was far too excessive and that the performances were not exactly impressive.
The film’s director, Paul Verhoeven, was widely criticized, as was screenwriter Joe Eszterhas, leading Showgirls to earn several Razzie Awards. The film now holds cult status, loved by many for its campiness and being supposedly misunderstood. For Ebert, however, the film was an instant two stars, with the filmmaker describing it as little more than “Joe Eszterhas’ masturbatory fantasies.” He added, “The screenplay is the fevered product of a very limited imagination, brought to a high gloss in a slick, expensive soap opera.”
Evidently, the film’s gratuitous nudity and poor screenplay left Ebert wondering how anyone could actually enjoy such a movie. Rather scathingly, he wrote, “Showgirls is the first big-budget ‘adults only’ movie in a few years and, to be sure, it contains so much nudity that the sexy parts are when the girls put on their clothes.”
Interestingly, Ebert offered his thoughts on the movie’s lack of eroticism, stating, “I think it reflects a grounding in sexual fantasy: Eroticism requires a mental connection between two people, while masturbation requires only the other person’s image.” The critic thus believes that for Eszterhas, “images of women with knives (a switchblade appears in the first 60 seconds), lesbianism, sex for cash and violence” are what arouse him.
Showgirls challenged viewers with its depiction of female sexuality and misogyny from the male characters, and while it has since been embraced by many as a covert piece of feminist cinema, it’s unclear what Verhoeven and Eszterhas truly intended to make when they delivered the film. One thing is for certain, though – Ebert was not impressed: “Showgirls is such a waste of a perfectly good NC-17 rating.”
