The Catholic Church and Lutheran Church persecuted people with different ideas of Christianity.  Those who desired to exercise their own freedom of religion sought refuge in America where they could exercise their freedom to express their own ideas of religion.  After the War of Independence, the founding fathers formed the Congress that drafted the 10 amendments.  The first amendment brings the people freedom of speech, which includes religion.  However, the very same ideas that sought freedom in America later turned from being the persecuted to the persecutor, as these notions harassed new different thinkers.  The notion of cyclical history comes to mind when scientists like Alfred Kinsey are being silenced based on morality and unfounded facts.

Kinsey (Liam Neeson), a biologist, was brought up under strict puritan rules, as his father consistently proclaimed being the ultimate source of knowledge.  In a sense he grew up with similar persecuting standards as Galileo, but instead of conforming to the rules he broke the bond with his father when he accepted a partial scholarship to Bowdoin to study biology.  Kinsey’s father wanted him to become an engineer, which has a certain level of irony to it, as his father believed that all modern inventions at the beginning of the 20th century were evil.  The pursuit of the biology degree brought him through Harvard to Indiana University where he took a position as an assistant professor while studying stag beetles and later the American Cynipidae also known as the gall wasp.

Years of research and collecting the American Cynipidae allowed Kinsey to meticulously catalogue his gall wasp library.  During this time Kinsey met his wife Clara (Laura Linney) with whom he had three children.  However, before having the children they had difficulties in the bedroom, as Clara assumed it was because they physically would not fit together.  This was an unacceptable answer for Kinsey who approached the problem, as if there were an answer, which there was.  It simply was painful for Clara to have sex as her hymen was too thick, and with a quick procedure by a doctor she had this fixed.  Consequently, Kinsey continued to help other couples with problems of sexual nature, but realized that he did not have any real answers to the questions that were posed to him.

In the 1940s, Kinsey got his chance to do teach a marriage course in regards to sex and the social aspects of sex between husbands and wives.  As the class went on his interest deepened through the vast number of questions people asked in regards to sex.  This concluded in Kinsey beginning to research the taboo ridden topic, which so many have been taught to avoid at all costs except for the purpose of having children.  Kinsey opposed the abstinence with his statement, “society has interfered with what should be a normal biological development…”

The sex research forced Kinsey to travel uncharted waters, as he had to find a way to collect data that were valid and reliable.  Through this process he design an interview style that had to be nonjudgmental in order for the interviewee to reveal everything without having to feel any negative feelings.  This process gave them surprising facts about sex, as they also encountered homosexuality, extramarital affairs, and premarital affairs.  They also found evidence of deviant sexual practices, which most of the society rightfully did not tolerate such as pedophilia.  An important note to this is that Kinsey was only collecting data, he did not advocate harmful sexual practices.  However, in the eyes of the society Kinsey was in the end drawn into the mud, as much of his intentions was misunderstood.

Nonetheless, Kinsey helped breaking the ice of the forbidden issue that in the end opened up the society to understanding this hushed, but normal behavior.  If Kinsey did not push the envelope the society might have continued its intolerance towards sexual issues, an intolerance that would force many to hide their true identity in the fear of repercussions and prejudice based on hatred and fear.  For example, John Edgar Hoover created a profiling center for homosexuals and other undesirables.  The very same intolerance would function as a shield that would have protected many of the Catholic priests that have been uncovered to molest children.  It is thanks to Kinsey and researchers alike that it has become acceptable to discuss this taboo topic in media, where horrendous crimes such as child molesting can be caught.  Yet, there are still many who believe that Kinsey was wrong to do what he did, and they are naturally free to have their own opinions.  As they should let the truth be unveiled from darkness and not let erotophobia, i.e., learned negative emotional response to information of sexual nature, affect any decision-making that could help human beings discover a better future.

Kinsey is a political and potent film that will undoubtedly make many feel awkward and uncomfortable.  Yet, it is also an important film, as it displays the importance of learning the truth and not hiding behind groundless rules and laws based on fictionalized morality.  The film also has historical value to our contemporary society where many laws often are passed based on morality, which ends up hurting a fraction of the society and slows the progress of humanity.  When this happens, history seems to be have drifted into oblivion as prejudice and intolerance continues to haunt the society.  Hopefully, the film Kinsey offers an opportunity for debate and insightfulness, and not continued narrow-mindedness.

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COUNTRY

USA

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