Dissecting Halle - Swordfish

Swordfish, released in 2001, is the third installment in the Dissecting Halle series. Halle Berry is the same as she was in the previous two films highlighted for this series, Die Another Day (2002) and Perfect Stranger (2007). The films selected for the Halle Berry highlight have been selected completely at random. Turns out, the first three are the same pic, featuring Halle Berry in the same role. LOL. I had seen Die Another Day before I began this series, but I had not seen Perfect Stranger or Swordfish. So, this is all unraveling for me for the first time. Damn, I picked probably three of her worst –- one after the next. I know y’all done wit me. LOL.

The good news?

We know Halle Berry is better than what we’ve seen so far. This means, the better stuff is yet to come. That’s good. Thank God, cuz I’m bout done with this bi---.  Oops. Halle, I didn’t mean it. I didn’t.

Commonalities of the first three pics

In all three pics, we have:

     Halle – the sex kitten – focus on her as sexual, hotness
     Halle – sex or other physical intimacy with white men – three pics – four men
           Pierce Brosnan, Bruce Willis, John Travolta, Hugh Jackman
     Halle – hot dresses, often red, always fitting

In two of the pics, we have:

     Halle – driving a red (or variation of red) sexy, shiny, perfect car
     Halle – mouth open, so she can be sexaaaaaaaaaay for us (tee hee hee)
     Halle – unmistakable camera focus on her azz
     Halle – black lingerie – black thongs, black panty/black bra

{sigh}

Anyhoo, lemme get this out of the way before I go any further…

Halle Berry’s performance…  Halle Berry didn’t have a whole lot of screen time.  Nevertheless, I thought she was just fine in the pic.

There are two things I want to point out in Swordfish.

The Azz… again

The first time we meet our sexiness, we hear vrrrrrrrroooooooom, as she is driving that fast, red convertible leaving a trail of dust behind her. Ginger (Halle Berry) exits the car -– wearing a salacious, fitting, red mini-dress (and high heels) and approaches a ratty old trailer occupied by Stan (Hugh Jackman). Our goddess delivers beautifully sculpted, bronze legs and a perfectly made up face, the open mouth and the perfect hair.

I liked her hair in this pic. I really, really liked her hair in this pic. I prefer her with short hair. I –- Oops. I digress.

Moments later, our flirty sex kitten proves to us that she can swing a golf club. So she sets the golf ball on the tee. Of course she had to bend over to do this and it was at that moment -- though we couldn’t see her azz -- we could imagine its presence, since the dress was a mini-dress and when she bent over we were only an inch or two away from what was under the dress. And so she steps up to the tee, assumes her golfer’s stance, shakes and wiggles her azz for us as she gets into position and prepares to make the shot. Then she swings the golf club and hits the ball… um, somewhere far.  This shot, served no cinematic purpose whatsoever and does nothing to move the story forward.

The purpose of the scene -– for us to want look at her azz.

{Yawn. Tired; tired of seeing this.}

There was something noteworthy, however, about Swordfish.  Y’all know what it was.

I suppose the industry decided Halle Berry wasn’t quite legit -- since she hadn’t yet shown tit. So, in order to be initiated into the A-list club, she needed to show us her ta tas. I figure white men wanted to see them and the industry, one way or another, demanded this of her. I figure she went along with it to secure her place as an A-lister. She definitely ain’t the only one. Many top actresses expose their breasts.  Hell, they all do. It’s hardly a big deal anymore.

I remember when the film was released. I didn’t really know what it was about or even who was in it. All I remember was the yapping and buzz about the film -– that it would feature Halle Berry baring her breasts.

And so she did. And it was really kind of interesting, the way it happened and all. I just had to chuckle. I found the scene pretty comical because, all of a sudden -– there they were -– out of nowhere. BOOBS!!! Poof! BOOBS!! ROTFLMAO.

Her boobies were shown to us for no other reason than for us to gaze upon them.  There was absolutely no cinematic reason for us to see them. The scene was so bogus. It was crystal clear that the shot was contrived -– and completely disconnected from the story’s needs or dictates. And so it is interesting to note that when Halle Berry ultimately decided to give the world tit, the scene –- its very existence driven by shock value –- was cheapened. If she were going to expose her breasts, it would have been nice if it had happened some other way. Oh well.

The scene opened with Stan (Hugh Jackman) walking up to Ginger, who was sunning.  He approaches her as she is reclining in a beach chair, clad in bikini bottoms, reading a book, which is up against her chest. Stan calls her name, she lowers the book, and BAM! There they were. LOL. I was like, “Oh.” I  mean, they totally came out of nowhere. LOL. The previous scene ended. And then this, the boob scene -- which lasted less than one minute -- it was so… so… sudden. Boom. Breasteses. LMAO. 

And I watched the scene, absurd as it was. I watched her say her lines. I watched him say his lines. It was idiotic and juvenile; he -- like a boy, gazing upon his first boobies. And she, unsuccessfully going against the grain, coy and nonchalant, masquerading as if she were not topless, and conversing with a man who was startled to see her bare breasts before him. In the end though, she grinned -– as if triumphant -– as if pleased, pleased that she moved him (caused him to bump into a chair, like a boy might) by showing him some tit.

I guess there’s a third thing I wanted to mention. There was the scene where we see her disrobing down to matching black panties and bra. (See photo on post). This scene was cinematically relevant. But still. Nevertheless, it is a scene showing Halle Berry stripping taking off her clothes. The viewer could have gotten the relevant information out of the scene in any number of ways. But... oh well. I’m just sayin’.

And yes, one other thing about the boobies. It is interesting to note that the first time she showed us boob, the person who was "treated" to the boobs was a white man... not a black man. I’m just sayin’.

Q:  For Goddsakes, theblackactor.com, WHAT IS THE NEXT HALLE BERRY film you will be highlighting?

A:  theblackactor.com:  HelifIknow; whatever is next in the Netflix queue, I suppose. I’m not sure yet. I haven’t looked. I hope it’s one of those that show her as a woman –- and not as a gotdam slab of sex.

Geez!

Well, with the first three pics highlighted, I’m sounding like a broken record broken record broken record broken record; I mean, skipped CD skipped CD skipped CD skipped CD skipped CD skipped CD skipped CD skipped CD skipped CD skipped CD skipped CD skipped CD skipped

It’s not my fault. It’s Halle Berry’s!

And my last two cents...

Yes; I get the notion, if you got it, flaunt it. I also understand that Halle Berry is beautiful and sexy and all those things and why not get paid for it. Okay. I suppose my personal viewpoint is that a woman's sex appeal is often -- if not always -- limited when it is so obviously contrived. It's not really sexy, but instead, clown-like. I do believe the most compelling manifestation of a woman’s sexual persona calls for some modesty. After all... it’s far more sexier; is it not? I think so. And I’m not talking about prudes... or homely, matronly women, cuz that ain’t cute. I… Anyhoo, I'll refrain from burdening readers with my personal musings about things not related to the blog. LOL.

Comments

[johnny wishbone]

i would like to start by saying I MISS WHEN YOU DON'T POST.. second.. its a dirty business this show business. It's like the story Whitney Houston told when she told her moms she wanted to be a singer. Cissy asked her.. "do you want to be a singer? or do you want to be in show business, cause the business is dirty." I understand completely your points and what you are getting at. Its a crime what black people are subjected to and have to perform to try and break the glass ceiling. I do have to say the game does appear to be the same as it was 50 years ago when Dorothy Dandridge (whom Halle portrayed) also had to lower? herself to love stories and scenes with European-Americans to continue a "mainstream" career. This is the world we live in. WE must work together to destroy these practices. It might even have to go as far as us boycotting the entire system that works against us. I realize my statement is very Garvey and X-ish.. thats my stance though.. thanks for the forum.

[Madame Zenobia]

I enjoy your rants on Halle Berry. LOL. In regards to Swordfish and 'that scene'...MY GOD, it was such an unnecessary drama! I say that meaning it was rumored she was paid so much to show her tittays. Fine, whatever. But in that scene, showing her tittays, it was like, ummmm okay Halle, ummmm AWKWARD! LOL I think it was awkward for HER and for Hugh and for the cameraman and the rest of everybody. LOL. The way she held that book, even as she uncovered her lovely ladies, seemed as if she still meant to 'cover' them as she displayed them for the paltry 2/3 seconds of camera-time. Why did she do it? Why did they want her to do it? It really wasn't that necessary for the story. Had she been in a slinky bikini (i.e. Die Another Day), and lowered the book to reveal her heavenly chest, then, vwallah! Same affect! But better and less tacky, less uncomfortable, less awkward, I think. Swordfish is a guilty pleasure for me, but only because of another 'awkward' scene...that of Hugh's character being "serviced" as he tried to hack some code on the computer. What can I say? I got a thing for Jackman. LOL. ;)

[theblackactor.com]

@ Johnny Wishbone

Ah... yes; if only some mysterious benefactor would fill up my tipjar, I could write in this blog every day. Regrettably, work gets in the way. :( But thank you for the kind words, Johnny. I appreciate that. No, I feel your statements. We will likely have to resort to draconian measures, I think. You're right. It's been going on since forever.

@ Madame Zenobia

(that has a nice ring to it, I might add :)) Anyhoo, yup -- this scene was very strange, wasn't it? I agree -- it was awkward. Very awkward. But I kinda liked the pic. That Hugh Jackman scene you speak of, LOL, yeah, it was definitely memorable. I wonder if that was what made him figure out the code. LOL.

[Madame Zenobia]

@ THEBLACKACTOR,

I think his ability to focus 'in spite of' what was being done to him, helped him figure out the code. And that's what Travolta's character was testing him on. LOL. Madame Zenobia's "Uptown Saturday Night". ;)

[johnny_wishbone]

oh.. my.. god.. HALLE IS PLAYING A WOMAN WITH SPLIT PERSONALITY DISORDER.. THE OTHER PERSONALITY IS A WHITE RACIST WOMAN.. I CAN"T MAKE THIS STUFF UP.. I THINK I MAY BE DONE WITH HALLE... DAMMIT BLACK ACTOR.. HOW DID YOU KNOW?!

[rawdawgbuffalo]

u are good, exceptionally good.

[theblackactor.com]

@ Madame Zenobia

Thanks for setting me straight! LOL.

@ Johnny Wishbone

And so now... THE TRUTH IS OUT!!

[regina]

I remember watching this mess and seeing her bare her ladies for no good reason and I remember being sad and disgusted. It was senseless and took away from the story, and she did NOT look natural! she looked very, very uncomfortable.

[theblackactor.com]

@ Regina

Yes. I thought she did, too. That's prolly why she played the scene awkward. Something sad about all that, isn't there?

[jazzyphile]

All yall are too negatively rapped up in Halle's panties and tits.

Who goes to the movies to actually see Halle act...? Anytime you can see Halle's panties or tits, it's a good thing.

[Orville]

Swordfish is the movie I really believe Halle sold out for the mighty dollar. Halle claims she wasn't paid extra money but the story is she got paid extra cash for flashing her breasts. Now I must admit Halle Berry is a gorgeous woman but I wonder if she cares the damaging stereotypes she is pushing into society? Black women got it hard enough without Halle Berry playing a slut in this movie. Halle's character really had no purpose or real role in the movie other then being fit and beautiful. Yes, Halle got a $2.5 million dollar cheque for movie but making out with John Travolta I mean yuck.

[Orville]

I hope you review Losing Isaiah, and Dorothy Dandridge honestly I think those two films are perhaps Halle's strongest performances. Also "Their Eyes Were Watching God" was good too. I have to admit I see a "theme" in these reviews that relates to my Women's Studies courses. The Black Actor thank you for highlighting the issue of black female sexuality and blackwomanhood on this blog. This is a wonderful thought provoking series.

[theblackactor.com]

@ Jazzyphile

LMAO. :) That's cool -- if she were marketing herself as a porn actress or nude model but if she say she be an actress, then...

@ Orville

You say, "I wonder if she cares the damaging stereotypes she is pushing into society? Black women got it hard enough without Halle Berry playing a slut in this movie."

I doubt if she gives a sh*t about that.

Thank you for the kind words, Orville. And yes, I will be discussing those films. Halle Berry has a large body of work and Ima get to all her stuff (or the vast majority of it, anyway). We will talk about her "good" performances.

LOL @ Yuck, John Travolta. :)

[THE OBENSON REPORT]

Guess I'll have to rent Swordfish and watch it again. I did see it when it was released, but I can't even remember what they hell it was about. Aside from Halle's "revealing" scene, what else was there to anticipate? Ha! Actually, maybe I'll see if I can get it for free on Limewire!