Even if you’ve never seen Paul Verhoeven’s “Basic Instinct,” you’re likely familiar with the scene that shocked the world where the film’s star, Sharon Stone, seductively opens her legs while wearing a dress and allowing everyone to see that she wasn’t wearing underwear. It’s a scene that overshadowed the entire film and became a pop culture touchstone that was referenced for years to come. But the way that scene came together behind the scenes is told in two very different stories, depending on if you talk to Stone or Verhoeven.
You might remember that Sharon Stone recently released a memoir, titled “The Beauty of Living Twice.” And in that book, she talked about the controversial scene from “Basic Instinct.” According to Stone, she wasn’t aware that her vagina would be shown on screen and she was misled by Verhoeven.
“That was how I saw my vagina-shot for the first time, long after I’d been told, ‘We can’t see anything — I just need you to remove your panties, as the white is reflecting the light, so we know you have panties on,’” Stone wrote in her memoir (via Indiewire). “Now, here is the issue. It didn’t matter anymore. It was me and my parts up there. I had decisions to make.”
Speaking to Variety, Verhoeven was asked about this story and the director gave his side.
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“My memory is radically different from Sharon’s memory,” the director explained. “That does not stand in the way and has nothing to do with the wonderful way that she portrayed Catherine Tramell. She is absolutely phenomenal. We still have a pleasant relationship and exchange text messages. But her version is impossible.”
He continued, “She knew exactly what we were doing. I told her it was based on a story of a woman that I knew when I was a student who did the crossing of her legs without panties regularly at parties. When my friend told her we could see her vagina, she said, ‘Of course, that’s why I do it.’ Then Sharon and I decided to do a similar sequence.”
So, you have two sides to the story, with Stone saying that Verhoeven essentially tricked her into showing her vagina on screen and then you have the filmmaker saying that it was something discussed well before it was shot. Either way, it still is one of the most famous moments in cinema history.
Verhoeven’s latest feature, “Benedetta,” is debuting at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
