I think that this movie shows that if one engages at intense sexual activity, especially with an older adult, at a very young age, the results can be damaging for the rest of that young person's life. The movie shows how the main character never really got over his romance with the woman he went to see and read to. He was not even able to keep his relationship with his wife. In the end, he was alone and bitter.
I had read the CS Media review & knew what to expect. The friend I went with was shocked by the graphic sex scenes. They were a little more than I expected, too. I wonder how this movie slid by with an R-rating, rather than an NC-17. Kate Winslet bares all (often), as does the young male star (just not as often). Their affair leaves little to the imagination. The story jumps back and forth between time periods, so make sure to watch for the indications of time changes. Maybe knowing the basic story premise helped, my friend got confused some of the time changes: artistically cool, but not necessarily viewer friendly. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO.
The Reader....WAAAY Too Much Sex, just not necessary for the movie
The graphic, leave-little-to-the-imagination sex scenes went way beyond the realm of standard R-rated material. It was very uncomfortable to watch. And when you consider that we are basically watching statutory rape on screen, that makes it that much more reprehensible. When the two characters are experimenting with a new sexual position, the viewers are allowed to see the position unfold and hear Ms. Winset's pleasure. This is borderline soft pornographic. And the irony is that I'm not an old prude! I'm a 30-thing male who enjoys a good sex scene as much as the next guy. But it shouldn't permeate through half the show. And it shouldn't be so explicitly graphic and it should not glamorize statutory rape in any way. If it were a male nazi prison guard with a 15 year old girl, would the reaction be the same? I doubt it.
This was a very good movie for an adults. The theme in general is about the suffering and after affects affects of a child who is basically molested by an ex Nazi solder.