Michael Douglas is all set to be awarded the Honorary Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for his “brilliant career and commitment to cinema.” Ahead of his moment of glory, which was announced in March, the Disclosure star got candid and shared his previous experiences at the French film festival. One of the most memorable of those moments was when his 1992 neo-noir erotic mystery thriller, Basic Instinct was premiered at the festival. According to the 78-year-old legend, saying that the audience was left speechless would be an understatement.

Michael Douglas’ erotic neo-noir film Basic Instinct left the audience at Cannes Film Festival speechless

Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct
Basic Instinct directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone was ahead of its time, mostly because the explicit intimacy and intercourse depicted in the film was a bit much for the audience in 1992. But it is because of the guts that the work of art has continued to live in the minds of people.

The Fatal Attraction star recalled the time when Basic Instinct premiered at the Cannes Film Festival over 30 years ago. He acknowledged how the high camp film was “unique, even for France.” He went on to reminisce,

“Seeing a lot of those s-x scenes on the Grand Palais’ huge screen, it was a little overwhelming for a lot of people. We had a very quiet dinner afterwards, everyone was sort of digesting it.”

One can only imagine the awkwardness that the Wall Street actor is describing here.

Michael Douglas getting honored at Cannes for an illustrious career in Hollywood

A young Michael Douglas
Basic Instinct is about a police detective named Nick, played by Douglas, who is investigating the murder of Johnny Boz. The prime suspect emerges to be Boz’s girlfriend, Catherine, a seductive crime novelist. Things escalate as Nick falls for Catherine, and what follows are intense sensual scenes that elicit the response Douglas described.

Other than this erotic classic, the Falling Down actor also recalled other Cannes controversies he has experienced during his long career. The 2013 film, Behind the Candelabra, where Douglas co-starred with Matt Damon was an HBO original but to be accepted into Cannes as an official competition, the film was given a French theatrical release.

Michael Douglas will be honored at Cannes Film Festival

He shared,

“There was a little controversy over [that] because it was made for cable TV and it was released as a feature film here in France.”

In addition to Basic Instinct and Behind the Candelabra, Douglas has brought films like The China Syndrome and Falling Down to the French film festival.

His career can boast of several embellishments including two Academy Awards. The first as a producer for the Best Picture 1976- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and the second as best actor for the 1987 film Wall Street.

Source: Variety