The tension between religious guilt and sexual liberation is a staple of cinematic storytelling. Directors frequently use the visual language of religion to explore sexual awakening or, conversely, use sexual intimacy to explore spiritual ecstasy.
offers a physical and emotional bridge to another soul, dissolving the boundaries of the self.
At their core, religion and sex both deal with transcendence. They are among the few human experiences that can make an individual feel connected to something vastly larger than themselves.