http://www.elephantjournal.com/2015/02/let-me-explain-50-shades-of-grey-bdsm/
HOW ‘9 1/2 WEEKS’ PUSHED AN ACTRESS TO THE EDGE (1986)
The film is about an art dealer named Elizabeth and her sexual obsession, domination and finally degradation by a man named John, whom she meets by accident. As shot, the film, from the novel of the same name by Elizabeth McNeill, contains some explicit scenes with none-too-subtle overtones of sado-masochism, as the two engage in sexual games that become more and more uncontrolled…
Perhaps the most glaring example of using this strategy to draw out the effect the director wanted occurred during the shooting of a phony lover’s suicide pact. John convinces Elizabeth, who is totally under his spell, to swallow pills with him, matching him pill for pill. The episode is another of John’s games; the pills that Elizabeth thinks are killing her are made of sugar. The realization that their game-playing had actually come to the brink of death, and that she was ready to die for him is what motivates her to finally leave him. The entire scene, however, was later cut from the movie. Mr. Lyne said that audiences at previews found the scene simply too strong to take…
”We were shooting the suicide scene, and this woman was supposed to be totally devastated at this point. But Kim looked dewy and lovely. I stopped and called Mickey aside. I told him that the scene wasn’t working, that Kim had to be broken down.” He said that Mr. Rourke returned to the set and helped extract the effect the director wanted. He said Mr. Rourke grabbed Miss Basinger’s arm and held it tightly, refusing to let go. Miss Basinger began to cry and then shouted and struck Mr. Rourke. He then slapped her in the face. She began to weep hysterically. Mr. Lyne then said, ”Now let’s start the scene.”
All Things Chronic 