History Film / Shame

The film earned the dreaded [[UsefulNotes/AdultsOnlyFilmRating NC-17 rating]] in the United States due to the sheer amount of graphic nudity and sex depicted, though the filmmakers expected it and released it unchanged.

* HollywoodPsych: It's debatable whether sex addiction is a real disorder, or at least whether it's really an addiction or just an impulse control problem. The film portrays it more like drug addiction, with Brandon spending large amounts of money on his habit, putting a lot of effort into hiding and denying it, and becoming increasingly desperate when he can't indulge it (see AnythingThatMoves).

* AllMenArePerverts: Brandon's boss. It's played with in the case of Brandon himself: he's a sex addict who engages in all kinds of unseemly behaviour, but he is filled with self-disgust and self-loathing because of it, and he has no desire to be the way he is.

* AnythingThatMoves: Brandon seems to have no problem sleeping with men as well as women [[SituationalSexuality if the circumstances demand it]].

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Brandon's issues contribute to Sissy attempting suicide for what is likely not the first time.]] ''However'', [[spoiler: the thought of nearly losing his sister -- the only person he has something of a connection with -- shakes him to his core. At the very end of the film, Brandon is seen watching the same married woman that he flirted with in the very first scene of the film, only this time he doesn't initiate the flirt, the woman does, and he doesn't really respond to it, indicating that he could be trying to change his habits.]]
* BookEnds: The film opens with Brandon wordlessly flirting with an engaged woman on the subway, who reciprocates but then becomes uncomfortable. [[spoiler: The film ends on the subway once more with a flipped scenario; the woman initiates the flirting, and Brandon is uncomfortable.]]

* OutDamnedSpot: Brandon is rather compulsive about cleaning himself.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: We see Brandon engaging in this a few times. We get the impression he does it frequently at work.

** For example: Brandon takes Sissy's scarf and sniffs it after he discovers her in his apartment; they both show little disgust at him seeing her naked; after she catches him masturbating, he straddles her in nothing but a towel, and it slips off, leaving him naked on top of her (the scene is ''very'' reminiscent of attempted rape, including Sissy's panicked reaction); she tries to spoon with him in his bed after she's just had sex with his boss; he lovingly (and seemingly not in a brotherly way) watches her perform at a club; and he reacts to her having a sexual relationship with his boss as if he's jealous. Sissy also notes his odd behavior towards her in dialogue:

* AmbiguousEnding: [[spoiler: After dealing with the intense ramifications of his addiction on his life, Brandon encounters the [[BookEnds same woman he flirted with on the subway at the start of the film]]. While she eyes him with interest, Brandon remains hesitant. As she stands to exit at the next station, Brandon notably doesn't take his eyes off of her. As the train slows, the film cuts to black, leaving it uncertain as to whether Brandon will control his urges or give into them once more.]]

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Brandon, a few times. We get the impression he does it frequently at work.
* DevilInPlainSight: The files on Brandon's computer hard drive are so obscene, his boss doesn't even suspect him.

* ExplicitContent: Numerous unfulfilling sex scenes between Brandon and various women, not to mention the big time porn and masturbation habits, serve to illustrate the character's damaging and compulsive sexual behavior.

* FanDisservice: Lots and lots of nudity and lots of sex, but in every case the context kills the erotica.

** It's very, very quick, but after Sissy sings at the lounge, when Brandon leaves the table to get drinks (the only moment in the film when we're not with him), David notices the [[spoiler: cutting scars on Sissy's arm]] and asks about them, but she dismissively says that she was "bored when [she] was younger," and he doesn't press the issue. Later, [[spoiler: in the hospital]], Brandon notices them as well and realizes [[spoiler: that she has been suicidal for a long time.]]

* GayCruising: After getting beaten up at one nightclub and banned from another, Brandon cruises in a gay bar and gets blown by a guy.

* {{Improv}}: Several scenes were partially or largely ad-libbed, including Brandon and Marianne's date, leading to an endearingly awkward and realistic conversation.

** For example: Brandon takes Sissy's scarf and sniffs it after he discovers her in his apartment, they both show little disgust at him seeing her naked, he straddles her in nothing but a towel after she catches him masturbating (the scene is ''very'' reminiscent of attempted rape, including Sissy's panicked reaction), she tries to spoon with him in his bed after she's just had sex with his boss, and he lovingly (and seemingly not in a brotherly way) watches her perform at a club. He also reacts to her having a sexual relationship with his boss as if he's jealous. Sissy also notes his odd behavior towards her in dialogue:

* ItsAllJunk: Brandon has a breakdown after Sissy finds out about the extent of his porn addiction, including paying for camgirls, and throws out all his porn (including his laptop). It doesn't seem to help because he's back out trawling for sex with prostitutes soon after.

* NoodleIncident: Whatever happened in the Brandon's and Sissy's childhood is ambiguous, but it was traumatic, as it leaves Brandon an almost emotionless sex addict, and Sissy a [[spoiler: suicidal]] wreck.

The film earned the dreaded NC-17 rating in the United States due to the sheer amount of graphic nudity and sex depicted, though the filmmakers expected it and released it unchanged.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Brandon's issues contribute to Sissy attempting suicide for what is likely not the first time.]] ''However'', [[spoiler: the thought of nearly losing his sister -- the only person he has something of a connection with -- shakes him to his core. At the very end of the film, Brandon is seen watching the same married woman that he flirted with in the very first scene of the film, only this time he doesn't initiate the flirt, the woman does, and he doesn't really respond to it, indicating that he could be trying to change his habits. Not a life-changing situation, but, hey, still better than nothing.]]

* GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex: The protagonist Brandon is a sex addict, masturbating and browsing porn in the time between screwing random women, and sometimes even ''during'' said screwing. But when he's finally able to have sex with someone he actually has an emotional connection with, he can't get it up. Commitment is a turnoff to him, so he remains trapped in his shallow lifestyle.

* SexIsEvilAndIAmHorny: {{Subverted}}. Though Brandon has no religious conditioning to view extramarital sex as sinful or forbidden, it is generally compulsive and emotionally unhealthy for him. And he's pretty much always horny. The trope is also inverted when Brandon finally [[GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex beds a woman to whom he has an emotional connection]] [[TheLoinsSleepTonight and can't get it up]].

Not to be confused with [[Film/{{Skammen}} the 1968 Ingmar Bergman film]] of "The Shame", at least when translated.

* AmbiguousEnding: [[spoiler: After dealing with the intense ramifications of his addiction on his life, Brandon encounters the [[BookEnds same woman he flirted with on the subway at the start of the film]]. While she eyes him with interest, Brandon remains hesitant. As she stands to exit at the next station, Brandon notably doesn't take his eyes off of her. As the train slows, the film stops, leaving it uncertain as to whether Brandon will control his urges or give into them once more.]]

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Brandon's issues lead to Sissy attempting suicide for what is likely not the first time.]] ''However'', [[spoiler: the thought of nearly losing his sister -- the only person he has something of a connection with -- shakes him to his core. At the very end of the film, Brandon is seen watching the same married woman that he flirted with in the very first scene of the film, only this time he doesn't initiate the flirt, the woman does, and he doesn't really respond to it, indicating that he could be trying to change his habits. Not a life-changing situation, but, hey, still better than nothing.]]

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: Sissy, although she survives.]]
* DysfunctionJunction

** For example: Brandon takes Sissy's scarf and sniffs it after he discovers her in his apartment, they both show little disgust at him seeing her naked, he straddles her in nothing but a towel after she catches him masturbating (the scene is ''very'' reminiscent of attempted rape, including Sissy's panicked reaction), she tries to spoon with him in his bed after she's just had sex with his boss, and he lovingly (and not in a brotherly way) watches her perform at a club. He also reacts to her having a sexual relationship with his boss as if he's jealous. Sissy also notes his odd behavior towards her in dialogue:

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE2NuKD-U4g Let's not forget this moment]]. Despite that they are in a heated argument, it starts with Sissy resting her head on Brandon's shoulder. At some points, their faces are ''very'' close each other to the point that they could've just kissed anytime if they ever wanted it. Really, if they weren't siblings, the scene can be very easily mistaken as an argument between a couple with an AwfulWeddedLife.

* ThereAreNoTherapists: And ''boy'' are they needed.

* NiceHat: Sissy has a bold red hat which she wears with a [[PrettyInMink fur coat]].

Brandon Sullivan (Fassbender) is a 30-something yuppie New Yorker with a respectable job, a charismatic personality, and a dark secret that controls his life: he suffers from SexAddiction. As a result, he lives a private life full of porn and fixes from anonymous women, his compulsive desire for physical exchanges as strong as his shunning of emotional intimacy. When his little sister Sissy (Creator/CareyMulligan) shows up unannounced and insists on staying with him, Brandon's carefully cultivated world is thrown off balance, and his life spirals out of control.

* AnythingThatMoves: Brandon seems to have no problem sleeping with men as well as women if [[SituationalSexuality the circumstances demand it]].

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: One of the most forward examples of IncestSubtext in the film is the sequence where Brandon pins Sissy to the couch and yells at her. Due to the fact that he's naked and she's screaming at him to get off and that he's hurting her, the whole thing comes off as eerily similar to a rape.

Not to be confused with the 1968 Creator/IngmarBergman film of the same name.

* ContemptibleCover: One of the alternate posters for the film features its title written ''[[{{Squick}} in semen on someone's body]]''. [[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ff/da/3e/ffda3e408ac7593051040b9bc9125788.jpg No, really]] (NSFW).

Brandon Sullivan (Fassbender) is a 30-something yuppie New Yorker with a respectable job, a charismatic personality, and a dark secret that controls his life: he suffers from SexAddiction. As a result, he lives a private life full of porn and fixes from anonymous women, his compulsive desire for carnal exchanges as strong as his shunning of anything close to emotional intimacy. When his little sister Sissy (Creator/CareyMulligan) shows up unannounced and insists on staying with him, Brandon's carefully cultivated world is thrown off balance, and his life spirals out of control.

Fassbender won multiple awards for his role, including the prestigious Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival. The film earned the dreaded NC-17 rating in the United States due to the sheer amount of graphic nudity and sex depicted, though the filmmakers expected it and released it unchanged.

''Shame'' is a 2011 British erotic psychological drama film directed and co-written by Creator/SteveMcQueenDirector, starring Creator/MichaelFassbender (in his second [=McQueen=] lead performance after ''Film/{{Hunger}}'') and Creator/CareyMulligan.

Fassbender won multiple awards for his role, including the prestigious Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival. The film earned the dreaded NC-17 rating in the United States due to the sheer amount of nudity and graphic sex depicted, though the filmmakers expected it and released it unchanged.

* AbusiveParents: Never stated, but heavily implied to be the case for Brandon and Sissy. Most notable is the fact that their parents aren't even mentioned in the film at all. In addition, when Marianne asks Brandon about his family, he hesitates for a second before simply saying, "I have a sister." Then there's the page quote.
* AllMenArePerverts: Brandon's boss. It's played with in the case of Brandon himself: he's a sex addict who engages in all kinds of unseemly behaviour, but is filled with self-disgust and self-loathing because of it, and has no desire to be the way he is.
* AmbiguousEnding: [[spoiler:After dealing with the intense ramifications of his addiction on his life, Brandon encounters the [[BookEnds same woman he flirted with on the subway at the start of the film]]. While she eyes him with interest, Brandon remains hesitant. As she stands to exit at the next station, Brandon notably doesn't take his eyes off of her. As the train slows, the film stops, leaving it uncertain as to whether Brandon will control his urges or give into them once more.]]

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Brandon's issues lead to Sissy attempting suicide for what is likely not the first time.]] ''However'', [[spoiler:the thought of nearly losing his sister -- the only person he has something of a connection with -- shakes him to his core, and at the very end of the film Brandon is seen watching the same married woman that he flirted with in the very first scene of the film, only this time he doesn't initiate the flirt, the woman does, and he doesn't really respond to it, indicating that he could be trying to change his habits. Not a life-changing situation, but hey, still better than nothing.]]
* BookEnds: The film opens with Brandon wordlessly flirting with an engaged woman on the subway, who reciprocates but then becomes uncomfortable. [[spoiler:The film ends on the subway once more with a flipped scenario; the woman initiates the flirting, and Brandon is uncomfortable.]]

** When Sissy first takes the metro with Brandon, she's awfully close to the edge of the platform and Brandon grabs her, prompting her not to do something silly (such as committing suicide). At the end of the movie, [[spoiler: Brandon's train gets stopped a few meters before reaching the end of its platform by a person throwing themselves under its wheels (and the train gets evacuated for 'police investigation', with firemen et. al.). We get a very moving sequence in which Brandon realizes his sister probably was under the train, and he rushes to his home, expecting to find a goodbye note from her, but finding her instead. She was attempting suicide, alright, but had chosen a different, slower method.]]
** It's very, very quick, but after Sissy sings at the lounge, when Brandon leaves the table to get drinks (the only moment in the film when we're not with him), David notices the [[spoiler:cutting scars on Sissy's arm]] and asks about them, but she dismissively says that she was "bored when [she] was younger," and he doesn't press the issue. Later, [[spoiler:in the hospital]], Brandon notices them as well and realizes [[spoiler:that she has been suicidal for a long time.]]

* GreyRainOfDepression: A heavy rain noticeably comes down on Brandon as [[spoiler:he breaks down at the thought of almost losing his sister]].

* ItsAllJunk: Brandon has a breakdown after Sissy finds out about the extent of his porn addiction, including paying for camgirls, and throws out all his porn (including his laptop). It doesn't seem to help, because he's back out trawling for sex with prostitutes soon after.

* LeaveTheCameraRunning: [=McQueen=] loves these; multiple scenes (Brandon jogging, Brandon and Marianne's date, Sissy's performance, Brandon and Sissy's argument, etc.) are shot in one long take.
* TheLoinsSleepTonight: [[spoiler:Brandon has no problem achieving arousal for the most part - except when in emotionally intimate circumstances, as his second "date" with Marianne demonstrates.]]

* TheOner: There's actually a fair number of long takes. The three most notable are when Brandon jogs along 31st St. at night while [[spoiler:Sissy and David are hooking up in his apartment]], Brandon and Marianne's date and the scene with him and Sissy on the couch.

* SexIsEvilAndIAmHorny: {{Subverted}}. Though Brandon has no religious conditioning to view extramarital sex as sinful or forbidden, it is generally compulsive and emotionally unhealthy for him. And he's pretty much always horny. The trope is also inverted when Brandon finally [[GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex beds a woman to whom he has an emotional connection]], and can't get it up.

* SoundtrackDissonance: Lots, such as when Brandon listens to gentle piano music when out running while [[spoiler: Sissy and David have sex on his bed]], and similar piano plays non-diegetically when [[spoiler:he discovers Sissy bleeding out]].

* ThreeWaySex: Brandon has this with two prostitutes while [[spoiler:a tearful voicemail from Sissy plays over it]], [[MoodDissonance to jarring effect]].
* WallBangHer: As he's out in the night, Brandon sees a couple engaged in this against a large glass window for the world to see, and it seems to symbolize a sexual freedom that he desires to attain. [[spoiler:He ends up doing this with a prostitute later.]]

Brandon Sullivan (Fassbender) is a 30-something yuppie New Yorker with a respectable job, a good sense of charisma, and a dark secret that controls his life: he suffers from SexAddiction. As a result, he lives a private life full of porn and fixes from anonymous women, his compulsive desire for carnal exchanges as strong as his shunning of anything close to emotional intimacy. When his little sister Sissy (Creator/CareyMulligan) shows up unannounced and insists on staying with him, Brandon's carefully cultivated world is thrown off balance, and his life spirals out of control.