“The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.”
VIBE CHECK:
Bohemian / Literary / Sensual / Period Piece / Obsessive
THE PLOT:
Set in Paris in 1931, the film tells the story of Anaïs Nin (Maria de Medeiros), a writer yearning for an escape from her conventional marriage. She becomes fascinated by the American author Henry Miller (Fred Ward) and, eventually, his enigmatic and breathtakingly beautiful wife, June (Uma Thurman). Anaïs finds herself caught in a whirlwind of creative and sexual liberation as she navigates an intense, multi-layered relationship with both Henry and June, documenting every forbidden feeling in her now-legendary journals.
THE QUEER & RADICAL ANGLE:
Bisexuality as a Muse: The film is radical for its unapologetic exploration of Anaïs Nin’s bisexuality. Her attraction to June is portrayed as a profound awakening—an intellectual and physical fire that fuels her art and her sense of self.
The Gaze of the Woman: Unlike many films of the era, the story is told entirely from Anaïs’s perspective. It is her desire, her observation, and her growth that drive the narrative, placing female agency at the center of a complex sexual web.
Breaking the System: Its "NC-17" rating was a radical moment in film history, signaling a shift toward treating adult, queer-inclusive sexuality as a subject for serious art rather than just exploitation.
WHY IT KILLS:
The aesthetic of the film is pure, intoxicating Paris. Director Philip Kaufman creates an atmosphere so thick with smoke, jazz, and rain that you can almost smell it. Uma Thurman is otherworldly as June, capturing a magnetic, dangerous vulnerability that makes it easy to see why someone would upend their life for her. It’s a film that celebrates the "immoral" as a necessary part of the human experience.
Henry & June 1990 movie poster Uma Thurman Maria de Medeiros
SENSUALITY SCORE: 9.4 / 10 🖋️👄
