"Ana," he says infuriated.
"Christian," she responds dejectedly.
I can honestly say that at the end of "Fifty Shades of Grey" I was not the only one with a heavy heart. I remember watching the end and hoping so badly that they were not going to end it like that, but it did make me cling to it.
It is now six months away from the premiere of "Fifty Shades Darker" which I cannot wait to see. "Fifty Shades of Grey" was the erotically sensational best-selling novel turned blockbuster. The movie made $81.7 million opening weekend according to Variety, the most trusted source in all things entertainment. It is estimated that due to the rise in influence and curiosity, "Fifty Shades Darker" may bring in even more of a gross.
"Fifty Shades of Grey" was a literal roller coaster of emotions. Being someone that has read part of the trilogy and then watched the first movie, I'm proof that E.L. James created a love story that most of us wouldn't dare put down on paper... although quite a few of us may love to live it out. James took some of our most darkest desires and turned them into an erotically satisfying story with an underlying storyline which was the first thing to catch my eye.
Ana and Christian, the two main characters in the book and movie, have the most intense love for one another, and that is what draws so many people in. Christian's devotion to Ana is only what every woman could dream for, even though he shows it best through sex, chains, and whips, which isn't too bad either.
In the first movie and book we get the understanding that Christian was abused at one point in his life which is what brings forth this burning desire for control. Many people thought the trilogy was nothing, but "mommy porn," but honestly it's pervasive sexual and mental abuse in every action between the two main characters. Ana suffers from Christian's past.
Activists in the BDSM community, specifically Sophie Morgan, who is a BDSM practitioner, have even stated that the nature of their relationship is, more times than not, sexually abusive, rather than caring, safe, and a part of consent. Many times it seems as if Christian rapes Ana into situations of sex.
Something that the movie only touches lightly on is the contract in which Ana decides not to sign in regards to the dominant and submissive relationship they share. To someone that has only seen the movie it could seem that some of the actions that Christian partakes onto Ana are abusive and reckless, but as someone who has read the book, in chapter 11 it lays out the entire contract for you from precautions to restrictions. Yes, Ana decides not to sign it due to the statements of having to obey in all things, but it gets Ana thinking. Ana knows what she'll be entailing going into a relationship with Christian. She knows what his mind and body are capable of. I mean he laid out a dom/sub contract for her, so she knows his limits, which are few. She decides not to sign it in way of saying that she doesn't want that all, but she still stays with him knowing the positions (pun intended) she could get herself into.
Christian Grey was sexually abused as a child, and the story that the "Fifty Shades" trilogy portrays is one of, of course sex, but even more prominent are the shadows that hang over Christian, as someone who never received any help from his sexually abusive childhood. Grey literally reaches a breaking point in these novels and movies which is why I'm excited to see "Fifty Shades Darker" and eventually "Fifty Shades Freed." I want to visually see the transition that Ana helps Christian make from someone who fears intimacy, friendship, and vulnerability. I want to see how the movie world will recreate this emotional pathway in the "Fifty Shades" trilogy. Christian abuses the power he holds over Ana in the kinky sex he enslaves her in and I want to see how Ana overcomes that.
Christian has all of these toys, such as cars, ropes, women, planes, handcuffs, flogger, etc. that he collects, but none of them ever healed the place where he is missing peace, serenity, and security. His abuse as a child followed him into adulthood, and as time grew on, he turned his past abuse into a power that he uses within dominant and submissive situations.
Many people blame Christian for treating Ana wrong, but due to him not getting the help he needed when he was younger, he is not able to love and endure the genuine feelings of a healthy relationship. Ana tries to get through to him, but because of how broken he is, and how deep within his shadows -- his shades of grey -- he is incapable of emoting as day-to-day people do
These are the reasons that I cannot wait for "Fifty Shades Darker" to come out. I want to see the storyline of the trilogy come to life. The trilogy is not all about sex, but rather holds a more darker meaning that comes out very strongly in the sequel as Ana tries to come to terms with all the other women Christian has been with all while trying not to be killed by one of his estranged crazy ex-lovers. In this movie Christian and Ana want to move their relationship a step further, but it's here where we find out that with Christian's demons it may be too much for Ana and himself to handle.
"Fifty Shades Darker" is more heartfelt and a whole lot hotter. It turns up the heat to touch on unexplored fantasies, and knows how to pull on your heartstrings to the point where you'll be begging for "Fifty Shades Freed" to be released faster.
"Fifty Shades Darker" is to be released Feb. 10, 2017.
"Fifty Shades Freed" is to hit theaters on Feb. 9, 2018.
As a little something to help the ones who are waiting for the movie to premiere I give you this iconic quote.
"I can't bear to hurt you because I love you." -- Christian Grey "Fifty Shades Darker"
