Emma Stone stands up for her role as Bella in film 'Poor Things'

Emma Stone stood up for her role as Bella Baxter in the newly released film, Poor Things after producers of the motion picture were pressured to re-edit a controversial clip ahead of its UK launch.

The 35-year-old actress spoke with BBC Radio 4 over the issue and defended the controversial scene of the film saying that her character is “completely free.”

This  particular scene addressed in her conversation is an explicit shot in the movie, involving two young boys watching Bella (Emma Stone) work as a prostitute.

“Bella is completely free and without shame about her body. So much of this was about being true to Bella's experience. It [the sex] is obviously a huge part of her experience and her growth, as it is, I think, for most people in life,” Stone said reflecting on the nature of her role.

She further noted, “But I see it as just one aspect of many - her discovery of food, philosophy, travel and dance. Sex is another aspect.”

Also Read: Emma Stone secures 2024 Critics Choice Award for 'Poor Things'

Explaining Bella’s personality the Cruella star continued, “She doesn't know to be embarrassed by these things or to cover things up or not dive into the full experience when it comes to anything.”

“So for the camera to sort of shy away from that, or to say, ‘well, we'll just cut all of this out because our society functions in a particular way,’ it felt like a lack of being honest about who Bella is,” she stated addressing the scene that was re-edited in Poor Things.

As the actress clarified her personal stance she said, “I'm not a person that just wants to be naked all the time, but I am someone who wants to honour the character as fully as I possibly can. That's part of her journey.”

British Board of Film Classification’s take on Poor Things:

The British Board of Film Classification issued a statement over the film, Poor Things released on January 12, 2024.

It read, “We originally saw this film for advice. We informed the distributor we would be likely to classify the film 18 on condition that changes be made to one short sequence depicting sexual activity in the presence of children.”

“This is in accordance with the Protection of Children Act 1978. When the distributor submitted the film for formal classification, the scene had been re-edited, and we were able to classify the film 18,” the note further stated.