George Webber and Jean Baudrillard

As Jean Baudrillard states in "The System of Objects", "...90 percent of the [United States] population experience no other desire than to possess what others possess".  His profound claim not only describes the brand-fueled consumerism of America but is also an ideology found in the 1979 film "10".  George, played by Dudley Moore, is caught in a mid-life crisis.  But after a short-lived affair with Jenny, played by Bo Derek, George finds that the chase was actually better than the catch and that the grass just seemed greener on the other side.Although the movie may seem radical at first, it actually takes on a traditional standpoint, especially regarding the institution of marriage.  Masculinity, femininity, and homosexuality are explored, but George eventually goes back to Sam, and Jenny is in a negative light.

Jenny's character, played by Bo Derek, is first portrayed as an idealized "10", not just because of her looks, but because of her seemingly "perfect" life.  However, when George finally gets her, he realizes how imperfect and idealistic she is - maybe he was more in love with the idea of her than her actual persona.  In this way, Jenny is shown as resisting the idea of love to the mere physical pleasure she gets from a classical piece of music.  On the other hand, Sam, played by Julie Andrews, is depicted as the real "perfect" woman - what men should want.  Thus, she is the protector of romance; the extreme opposite of how Jenny is portrayed.  The angry conversation they have with each other in bed even shows Sam as trying to get George away from degrading comments towards women.  Sam is a feminist - classy, independent, yet sexually-conscious.

Baudrillard, Jean. "The System of Objects." Literary Theory: An Anthology. Ed. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. Malden: Blackwell, 1998. 408-19. Print.

---------------------------

A montage from the movie "10".