Liberty in Restraint (2005)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

Michael Ney

Genre:

Documentary

Tagline:

A look at freedom of expression and daring to follow one's visions, this documentary follows fetish photographer, Noel Graydon, in his quest for authenticity, showing his work in progress, a passion for his art and its themes, and the transgressive activities of the community he moves within.

Plot:

"Liberty in Restraint" is a look at freedom of expression and the daring to follow one's visions, this documentary follows fetish photographer...

Plot Keywords:

Fetish | Leather | Bdsm | Rope | Photography

Cast

Noel Graydon

...

Himself

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:R (High level sexual themes, high level sexual activity, high level sexual references) | Australia:R

Filming Locations:

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

Company:

Sensory Image

Quotes:

Noel Graydon: I find real abuse dark. I find real fetish very light. In fact the amount of dark images that I've done with fetish are minimal because I'm actually trying to show the light and the beauty and the love. I've always been trying to show how love is expressed in a fetish context because I think that's what the untrained eye misses.

Interesting look at one man's art and journey in and around the fetish scene

For me the documentary stands out for both its humanity and its non sensationalist look at the fetish/BDSM scene. Noel Graydon's story and art are artfully interwoven with the world of fetish, showing the play scenes and environment which has inspired much of Noel's work. The commentary from various scene players is intelligent and articulate. The only downside for me was a little too much emphasis on play piercing. Whilst its graphically very interesting and a "wow" factor I find needles a bit yukky. There again some may find scenes such as the flogging one not to their taste. However the play scenes are just a small component of the documentary. Its worth seeing for many things but the stand out part for me is the documentation of "Suffer the Children", Noel's statement against the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church.