Julianne Moore and Mark Wahlberg in Boogie Nights | Image: New Line Cinema
In Vulture's list of the 30 most important sex scenes in the history of film, the word "important" has various meanings, which the writer clearly states. To quote him, he means important in the following ways:
- "Used in the development of the cinematic idiom"
- "Sparking controversy"
- Breaking new ground in the depiction of intimacy
- "Seminal moments in film history (for better and for worse)"
- "Flash points that wound up changing our culture in interesting ways"
- "Represented nefarious, exploitative trends"
- "And some are just unforgettable scenes that informed what came after them"
With those descriptions in mind, let's take a look at this writer's pick for the most important sex scenes in movie history. (Some screen shots used are NSFW-ish.)