Narrative technique · used in 3 films
Using dialogue, glances and cutaways to hint at what the censors would not allow on screen. You fill in the gap yourself.
Examples
Fred Zinnemann · 1953
To satisfy the Production Code Office and the Army, the film changed Lorene from a prostitute to a club hostess and altered the reason for Karen's hysterectomy. You are expected to read the truth in small hints, and the adulterous romance gets by on suggestion.
Where to see it: Warden and Karen: First Sergeant Warden begins an affair with Captain Holmes's wife, Karen, who wants him to become an officer so they can marry.
Billy Wilder · 1955
The stage play had Richard and the woman sleep together. Under the Hays office, the film reduced it to suggestion, with 3 kisses and a lot of nervous talk. Your imagination does the rest, and it is funnier because of it.
Where to see it: Night in the apartment: Richard invites the woman to spend the night in his air-conditioned apartment, with him on the couch and her in his bed.
Stanley Kubrick · 1962
The Hays Code, a set of Hollywood rules, led Kubrick and producer James B. Harris to tone down the novel's disturbing elements. Lolita's age is left vague. The film suggests the relationship, and you have to fill in what isn't shown.
Where to see it: Humbert's scenes with Dolores at the Haze house. The film hints at his desire without spelling it out.
Questions