Actor-director Vincent Gallo recently made a sarcastic comment about getting ready to film one of the most infamous scenes from his 2003 film, The Brown Bunny.
Written by, produced by, edited by, and appearing in the film made his immediate reputation on its explicit nature, including the graphic, unsimulated scene of oral s*x.
Commenting on the scene, Gallo said with tongue in cheek, “What I did was drink a lot of pineapple juice.”
The Brown Bunny caused a stir when it came out because of its very intimate and raw portrayal of a man’s emotional and physical journey.
The film follows the life of Bud Clay, a career motorcycle racer, as he embarks on a cross-country trip filled with loneliness, longing, and heartache over lost love.
He encounters several women along the way for brief periods, but he is fixated on Daisy, his lost love, who is played by actress Chloë Sevigny.
What made the film so controversial, though, was the emotional—and literal—culmination of Bud’s quest.
In a notorious scene, Daisy shares a graphic, unsimulated s*x encounter with Bud, and that played by Gallo himself.
Contrary to traditional Hollywood love scenes, which rely on special effects and camera trickery, the scene was raw, real, and uncompromising.
It shocked critics during the Cannes Film Festival, where the film was met with boos, walkouts, and some of the worst reviews in the history of the festival.
In spite of the outrage, Gallo has never been apologetic about the scene, stating that it was needed for the emotional depth of the film.
His recent one-liner regarding drinking pineapple juice brings a hint of humor to a subject which has been controversial for long in the film world.
Sevigny has had mixed feelings over the years but has ultimately defended her decision. In an interview with Playboy Magazine in 2011, she stated:
“The movie is gorgeous and heartbreaking, and I’m proud of it and my work. I’m disappointed that people perceive it in one fashion, but what are you going to do?”
At the time of the film’s release, Sevigny faced harsh career backlash.
There were some who forecasted that it would ruin her career, and she lost some potential acting work reportedly due to the scandal.
Nevertheless, she was able to rebuild her career and is still appreciated for her unyielding artistic choices.
Nearly two decades later, The Brown Bunny remains an incendiary film.
There are still those who dismiss it as self-indulgent and exploitative, but others have come to appreciate its spare narrative and emotional power.
No matter how much people can disagree, the movie is now a part of history, not only because of its explicit nature but also because of what it continues to invite by way of controversy regarding artistic freedom, boundaries in cinema, and the evolving dynamics between film and intimacy.
You can watch the trailer below:
