Editing Basic Instinct (section)

{{short description|1992 film by Paul Verhoeven}}
{{About|the 1992 film|other uses|Basic Instinct (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Basic Instinct
| image          = Basic Instinct.png
| alt            =
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Paul Verhoeven]]
| writer         = [[Joe Eszterhas]]
| producer       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Alan Marshall (producer)|Alan Marshall]]
* [[Mario Kassar]]
}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Michael Douglas]]
* [[Sharon Stone]]
* [[George Dzundza]]
* [[Jeanne Tripplehorn]]
* [[Wayne Knight]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Jan de Bont]]
| editing        = [[Frank J. Urioste]]
| music          = [[Jerry Goldsmith]]
| studio         = {{Plainlist|
* [[Carolco Pictures]]
* [[Le Studio Canal+]]
}}
| distributor    = {{Plainlist|
* [[TriStar Pictures]] (United States theatrical, Latin America, French-speaking Belgium and Scandinavia)
* [[Guild Film Distribution]] (United Kingdom)
* [[UGC (cinema operator)|UGC Distribution]] (France)
}}
| released       = {{Film date|1992|03|18|Los Angeles|1992|03|20|United States|1992|05|08|France and United Kingdom}}
| runtime        = 128 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 128:02--><ref>{{cite web|title=''Basic Instinct'' (18)|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/basic-instinct-1970-1|publisher=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|date=March 18, 1992|access-date=April 19, 2013|archive-date=September 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919034630/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/basic-instinct-1970-1|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| country        = {{Plainlist|
* United States
* United Kingdom
* France
}}
| language       = English
| budget         = $49 million
| gross          = $353 million<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0103772/ |title=Basic Instinct (1992) |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=April 14, 2024}}</ref>
}}
'''''Basic Instinct''''' is a 1992 [[erotic thriller]] film directed by [[Paul Verhoeven]] and written by [[Joe Eszterhas]]. Starring [[Michael Douglas]], [[Sharon Stone]], [[George Dzundza]], [[Jeanne Tripplehorn]], and [[Wayne Knight]], the film follows the detective Nick Curran (Douglas) as he investigates the murder of a wealthy rock star in San Francisco. He begins an intense relationship with [[Catherine Tramell]] (Stone), an enigmatic writer and the prime suspect.

The script was developed by Eszterhas in the 1980s, and it became the subject of a bidding war. [[Carolco Pictures]] secured the rights to the film and brought Verhoeven on board to direct. Stone was cast as Tramell after the role was rejected by several actresses. Production was plagued by protests and intense conflict between Eszterhas and Verhoeven.

''Basic Instinct'' premiered in Los Angeles on March 18, 1992, and was theatrically released in the United States by [[TriStar Pictures]] on March 20, 1992.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url = https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59185-BASIC-INSTINCT?cxt=filmography|title = Basic Instinct|website = [[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]|access-date = July 28, 2019|archive-date = June 9, 2019|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190609021521/https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59185-BASIC-INSTINCT?cxt=filmography|url-status = live}}</ref> The film received mixed reviews upon its release, with praise for the performances of the cast, score, and editing, while its writing and character development were criticized. It also generated controversy due to its sexually explicit content, violence, and depiction of homosexual relationships.<ref name ="Linowski">{{cite journal | last1 = Leistedt | first1 = Samuel J. | last2 = Linkowski |first2 = Paul | title = Psychopathy and the Cinema: Fact or Fiction? | journal = Journal of Forensic Sciences | date = January 2014 | volume = 59 | issue = 1 | pages = 167–174 | doi = 10.1111/1556-4029.12359 | pmid=24329037| s2cid = 14413385 }}</ref><ref name="Fredricks">{{cite web|url=http://psychitect.com/blogfilm/archives.cfm/category/narcissistic-personality-disorder|title=Dr. Fredricks Cinema Therapy Blog - Narcissistic personality disorder|publisher=Dr. Randi Fredricks, PhD|access-date=April 18, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130915022411/http://psychitect.com/blogfilm/archives.cfm/category/narcissistic-personality-disorder|archive-date=September 15, 2013}}</ref> Despite the public protest, ''Basic Instinct'' was a commercial success, grossing $352.9 million worldwide and becoming the [[1992 in film|fourth-highest-grossing film of 1992]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3997533697/|title=Basic Instinct (1992) - Box Office Mojo|website=Boxofficemojo.com|access-date=November 22, 2017|archive-date=July 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170720003853/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/|url-status=live}}</ref> Due to its success and controversy, it inspired many imitators, and has been labelled as "perhaps the quintessential erotic thriller of the 1990s."<ref>{{cite web |last=Raftery|first=Brian|date=March 17, 2022 |title=The Rise and Fall of the Erotic Thriller |website=[[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]]|url=https://www.theringer.com/movies/2022/3/17/22981776/erotic-thriller-hollywood-history-basic-instinct}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Hudson|first=David|date=March 27, 2023 |title=Erotic '90s |website=[[The Criterion Collection]]|url=https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/8107-erotic-90s}}</ref>

Since its release, ''Basic Instinct'' has undergone a critical reevaluation. The film has been recognized for its groundbreaking depictions of sexuality in [[Cinema of the United States|mainstream Hollywood cinema]], and was described by one scholar as "a neo-[[film noir]] masterpiece that plays with, and transgresses, the narrative rules of film noir."<ref>{{cite book|title=Feminist Film Studies: A Teacher's Guide|author=Murray, Terri|year=2008|publisher=Auteur}}</ref> Numerous versions have been released on home video, including a [[director's cut]] with extended footage previously unseen in North American cinemas.<ref>{{Citation|title=Basic Instinct (1992) - IMDb|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103772/alternateversions|access-date=October 8, 2020|archive-date=April 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170407040206/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103772/alternateversions|url-status=live}}</ref>

A sequel, ''[[Basic Instinct 2]]'', was released 14 years later in 2006. The film stars Stone, but was made without the involvement of Verhoeven or Douglas. It received negative reviews and was relatively unsuccessful.<ref>{{cite web|title=Moviefone Top 25 Box Office Bombs of All Time|publisher=Moviefone.com | access-date=September 5, 2008 |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/basic-instinct-2| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723010419/http://www.moviefone.com/insidemovies/2007/11/15/biggest-box-office-bombs/ | archive-date=July 23, 2008 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/guides/worst_of_the_worst/2/|title=Worst of the Worst 2009 - Dragonfly|publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|date=March 16, 2010|access-date=November 22, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100316051550/http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/guides/worst_of_the_worst/2/|archive-date=March 16, 2010}}</ref>