Top 10 Most Important Nude Scenes in Movies

Annette Kellerman was a pioneer, both in the swimming world and on the silver screen. In A Daughter of the Gods, she was the first woman to appear nude in a Hollywood film – a moment that was both controversial and groundbreaking. At a time when bare ankles were already causing a stir, Kellerman showed off her full body in a scene where she swam through a waterfall. It is a piece of film history that was almost lost, but that paved the way for what we take for granted today.

Catherine Deneuve's appearance in this classic is the epitome of refined sensuality. As a woman who secretly works as a prostitute to fulfill her sexual fantasies, Deneuve brings a mix of elegance and provocation to the screen. The nude scenes in Belle de Jour are subtle, but all the more powerful for their suggestive nature.

In Ecstasy, Hedy Lamarr appeared naked in a swimming scene and experienced a (simulated) orgasm – something that was shocking in the 1930s. Lamarr set a standard for how cinema dared to approach female sensuality. Her nude scene, long before Hollywood allowed such a thing, was nothing short of groundbreaking.

No one did it like Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct. During the famous interrogation scene, Stone's character Catherine Tramell takes the game of seduction and power to a completely new level. The subtle but explosive moment in which she crosses her legs and the room falls silent made her an iconic femme fatale.

“Draw me like one of your French girls.” That one sentence, followed by the scene where Rose poses for Jack, is both romantic and intimate. Kate Winslet's nude scene is one of the most praised examples of how vulnerability and sensuality can enhance each other. It's not about lust, but about love and trust – a moment that makes Rose feel completely free, in a time and world in which she is trapped.

When we talk about iconic moments in American pop culture, the pool scene with Phoebe Cates is indispensable. In slow motion she steps out of the water, her red bikini sliding away in a fantasy image that is etched in the collective memory of adolescent boys growing up in the 1980s. It is not complex art, but pure teenage imagination at its best.

This film caused a firestorm of controversy, largely due to the explicit oral sex scene between Sevigny and Gallo. Sevigny's choice to fully commit to a role that focused on intimacy showed her dedication to the craft - although it divided the film into two camps: cult classic or pure scandal.

Although the film is completely stripped of sensual glamour, Johansson's choice to go nude for this role is telling: it is introspective, clinical, and yet intensely attractive. But let's be honest: it's Scarlett Johansson, and her presence alone makes this scene iconic.

Demi Moore turned the world upside down with her role as strip dancer Erin Grant. Not only did she earn a record amount of money for her role at the time, but her scenes were also a powerful statement about the female body and control. Although Striptease received mixed critical reception, Moore showed that she was willing to push boundaries, and that made the film legendary.

In the role of Naomi Lapaglia, Margot Robbie immediately became an icon. Her nude scenes are not only seductive, but also a reflection of her character's power and control. The scene in which she manipulates Leonardo DiCaprio's character by using her sexuality is unforgettable and showed Robbie's acting talent to the world.