It was hard to learn that one of the most iconic, raciest scenes in modern film history hadn't been exactly planned between its director and its protagonist.
This was the case with the infamous questioning scene in 'Basic Instinct', the 1992 erotic thriller directed by Paul Verhoeven. During the interrogation sequence, Sharon Stone character, Catherine Tramell, is being questioned by police following the murder of her boyfriend, retired rock star Johnny Boz, played by Bill Cable.
At one point, the character uncrosses her legs to reveal she isn't wearing any underwear, flashing the detectives who are asking her questions. Following claims from Stone that she hadn't been told what would show on camera, Verhoeven has recently weighed in on the controversy again, saying he had no idea that shot would turn out to be so scandalous.
Paul Verhoeven On That 'Basic Instinct' Scene
"We had no idea that shot, showing a little bit of vagina — not more than a stripe — would be a problem," the director, now in cinemas with erotic drama 'Benedetta,' told 'The Sunday Times'.
In the scene in question, Stone's labia and vulva are on camera for a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, long enough to cause quite a stir at the time of release.
Last year, Stone revealed in her memoir that she initially shot the scene with her underwear on, but the filmmaker later asked her to remove it, so it would not show on camera. She agreed, being assured that nothing would be visible.
"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.
She ultimately agreed to keep the scene in the film "Because it was correct for the film and for the character; and because, after all, I did it."
In his recent interview, Verhoeven said he and Stone still have a good relationship.
Paul Verhoeven On 'James Bond' Movies
The filmmaker also weighed in on the most recent James Bond film, 'No Time To Die', complaining it wasn't sexy.
"There was always sex in Bond! They did not show a breast, or whatever. But they had some sex," he said.
"I'd go back to reality. Cars that don’t leap up into the sky," he then explained when asked what he would do if he were in the director's chair.