What is a ‘fade to black’ romance?

‘Fade to black’ is a film-making technique that came to books from screenwriting, where this technique is used to intentionally omit explicit details of a scene, particularly one that involves intimacy, sex or violence.

To understand the origins of this technique, we have to go back to Old Hollywood (and a bit besides).

The Hays Code, or the Motion Picture Production Code, was established in the early 1930s as a response to things that were causing concerns within American society.

During the early 20th century, the United States underwent significant social changes, including the shift from rural to urban lifestyles, which brought about a more diverse and interconnected society.

This led to concerns about the influence of cinema on the public, particularly on the younger generation.

Certain controversial and provocative films of the 1920s, such as “The Immoral Traffic” (1931), which depicted prostitution and drug use, prompted public outcry and debates about the influence of such content on societal morals.

And pressure from various religious and community groups for stricter control over the content of films grew.

The film industry itself recognised the need for self-regulation to avoid potential government intervention or censorship.

Will H. Hays, the president of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA), was instrumental in creating the Hays Code to demonstrate the industry’s willingness to address concerns about the moral content of films.

The film industry also faced economic pressures, as the Great Depression of the 1930s led to increased scrutiny of the entertainment industry.

In response to the economic challenges, the film industry sought to ensure that its content would not alienate audiences or provoke further criticism.

The Prohibition contributed to the cultural climate.

The Prohibition era (1920-1933) in the United States, had a significant influence on the cultural and social landscape of the country and contributed to the environment that led to the establishment of the Hays Code.

The Prohibition was the nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages.

Before the implementation of Prohibition, the consumption of alcohol was high, and it was not uncommon for people to suffer from associated causes.

Alcohol abuse was linked to a range of public health issues, including alcoholism, liver diseases, and other physical and mental health problems, which were a significant burden on the healthcare system and detrimental to worker productivity.

Excessive drinking was often linked to family strife and disrupted community harmony, as its consumption was associated with a range of social problems, including domestic violence, crime, and poverty.

There were limited regulations on the production and sale of alcohol, which sometimes led to the distribution of contaminated or improperly distilled alcohol, resulting in health risks and even deaths.

While the intention with the Prohibition was to reduce the social issues associated with excessive alcohol consumption, the ban led to a significant increase in illegal alcohol production and consumption, often in the form of unregulated and dangerous moonshine.

The 19th century saw the rise of the temperance movement.

It was a social and political campaign advocating for the reduction or elimination of alcohol consumption, because the proponents of the movement saw alcohol consumption as a significant contributor to societal issues such as poverty, domestic violence, and crime.

The temperance movement, rooted in America’s Protestant churches, first urged moderation, then encouraged drinkers to help each other to resist temptation, and ultimately demanded that local, state, and national governments prohibit alcohol outright.

Alcohol in the 18th and 19th century was widely available.

In cities, saloons dotted most street corners and urbanisation was increasing at a rapid pace as industrialisation moved people out of the countryside and into cities.

Public drunkenness was common in the 19th century, but as the notion of appropriate behaviour in public shifted, public drunkenness became outlawed.

Industrialisation needed people to appear to work every day on time, for as much as 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, and alcohol consumption cut into productivity.

The economic impact of alcohol sales and the alcohol tax provided a steady stream of cash into government coffers, and gave rise to the image of industry and politics being attached at the hip.

The Anti-Saloon League (ASL), held that establishments where alcohol was sold were unofficial lobby rooms for industry, and therefore breeding grounds for political corruption.

Immigrants, Irish and German immigrants particularly, came with the tradition of alcohol consumption as a part of their social life, and as bars and pubs became focal points for political organising, some of the temperance reform was about taking away control from immigrants.

These immigrants came at the same time America was enthusiastically embracing the temperance movement, so they were decried as running counter to the great trend in America at that time.

The beer industry, centred primarily around German-Americans, attempted to put up a fight against the ASL, but their resistance was soon overshadowed by the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, as the US and other countries were pitted against Germany.

The war effort also gave the prohibition movement a boost, as advocates argued that conserving grain used in alcohol production for food purposes was crucial for supporting the war effort and ensuring an adequate food supply for soldiers and civilians.

Women were disproportionately victimised by alcohol and became one of the largest lobbies that contributed to the success of Prohibition.

The temperance movement gained momentum due to concerns about the impact of alcohol on family life and societal morals.

Carrie Nation (1846-1911) became a well-known activist for the Prohibition due to her experience being married to an alcoholic husband. She would enter bars and sing hymns, destroy liquor bottles and furniture in the bar with a hatchet.

She was arrested 30 times, and paid her penalties and fines with money earned from lecture tours, as well as by selling hatchets with the words “Death to Rum” engraved on the handles.

Even after Carrie Nation’s death, women in America played a large role in the prohibition movement.

In an attempt to whip up the votes of pro-prohibition women, the ASL supported women’s suffrage.

What was originally a morally based position quickly picked up support from progressives, who were also proponents of women’s suffrage.

The 19th Amendment (women’s right to vote) was secured in the year following the passing of the 18th amendment (prohibition).

Influential religious and social groups supported the temperance cause, viewing the regulation of alcohol as a means to foster a more virtuous and upright society.

Anti-immigrant sentiment also fuelled the Prohibition, as the immigrant communities were associated with alcohol consumption, particularly with regard to saloons and drinking establishments.

Prohibition was seen as a means to curb what some considered the excesses of immigrant culture and to promote “assimilation”.

The Progressive Era (1896–1917), sought to address various social issues and improve working and living conditions, saw Prohibition as part of a broader reform agenda.

Many progressives believed that banning alcohol would lead to a more productive and healthy society, free from the negative social consequences associated with excessive drinking.

The unintended fallout of Prohibition.

Prohibition was not ultimately successful in achieving its intended goals.

While it did lead to a temporary reduction in alcohol consumption, it also resulted in a series of unintended consequences that proved to be detrimental to society.

Some of the reasons why Prohibition was considered unsuccessful include:

1. The rise of organised crime: A lucrative black market for alcohol lead to the rise of powerful criminal organisations, such as the mafia, that profited from bootlegging, speakeasies, and illegal alcohol distribution.
2. Increased crime and violence: The illegal alcohol trade resulted in increased crime, including smuggling, gang wars, and violent conflicts among rival criminal groups vying for control of the alcohol market.
3. Corruption: Corruption became widespread among law enforcement officials, politicians, and other authorities, who were often bribed or coerced by organised crime syndicates.
4. Public health issues: The consumption of unregulated and often poorly produced alcohol led to an increase in public health issues, including alcohol poisoning and the spread of dangerous, contaminated, or adulterated alcohol.
5. Economic impact: Prohibition resulted in significant revenue losses for the government, as the taxation of alcohol sales was a substantial source of income before Prohibition. Instead, it was the criminal elements of society that profited and grew in power.
6. Social backlash and non-compliance: Prohibition faced significant opposition from the public, leading to widespread non-compliance and the growth of a speakeasy culture where people continued to consume alcohol in secret.

During Prohibition, the illegal alcohol trade enabled organised crime syndicates to accumulate substantial wealth and power, which they used to diversify their illicit activities.

Many criminal organisations established and controlled illegal gambling operations, including casinos, betting parlours, and underground card games.

They used their wealth and influence to dominate the gambling scene and manipulate the outcomes of various games, leading to significant profits and further entrenching their control over the gambling industry.

They also took advantage of the demand for illicit services and established prostitution rings, brothels, and human trafficking networks.

They exploited vulnerable individuals, often engaging in human trafficking and forced prostitution, profiting immensely from the exploitation of human beings.

With their existing networks and resources, organised crime syndicates gradually expanded into the illegal drug trade.

While Prohibition primarily focused on alcohol, the experience gained from evading law enforcement and establishing distribution networks during this period facilitated the transition into the illegal drug market, including the trafficking of narcotics such as cocaine and heroin.

Given the failure of Prohibition to achieve its intended goals, the 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified in 1933, repealing the 18th Amendment and effectively ending Prohibition.

This repeal restored the legal production, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages, allowing for the implementation of more regulated and controlled measures to address the issues associated with alcohol consumption, such as taxation, licensing, and regulation of the alcohol industry.

The public image of the Hollywood movie industry had started to take a turn.

The increased government intervention and regulation during the Prohibition era set a precedent for greater control over certain aspects of public life.

This climate of increased regulation contributed to the public and political pressure for the film industry to self-regulate and prevent the portrayal of content that was deemed morally objectionable.

Scandals about movie stars were featured frequently in popular newspapers and magazines, and film directors and producers were beginning to test the limits of what could be shown on screen.

It was pushing these boundaries that prompted calls for censorship.

The Hays Code was written by a Jesuit priest and Catholic publisher, was designed as a code regulating the moral content of feature films, designed so that Hollywood could police itself and thus avoid or minimise outside censorship.

It began as advisory, but quickly became more obligatory thanks to outside pressures.

The Hays Code required all major and minor film producers and distributors to submit their scripts in advance of production for censorship and to submit their films for code approval before release.

Without this approval, their films would not be released, or they were forced to pay expensive fines.

The code aimed to regulate and censor depictions of violence, sexuality, and crime, in order to ensure that movies adhered to a certain standard of decency and morality.

The enforcement of the Hays Code significantly impacted the content of Hollywood films, leading to the omission or alteration of scenes and themes that were considered objectionable according to the guidelines.

It imposed strict limitations on the portrayal of subjects such as adultery, nudity, drug use, and criminal behaviour, among others.

The Hays Code was in effect until the late 1960s when it was gradually replaced by the modern film rating system.

The changing social and cultural landscape, along with the demand for more creative freedom in film-making, eventually led to the erosion of the Hays Code’s influence.

Its replacement with the film rating system allowed for a more nuanced and flexible approach to content regulation, providing audiences with a better understanding of the themes and content of the films they were about to watch.

While the Hays Code was abandoned in the late 1960s, the ‘fade to black’ technique has persisted in cinema as a stylistic choice, even in the absence of stringent censorship.

Film-makers continue to use it to imply the occurrence of intimate scenes, violence, or other sensitive content without explicitly showcasing them on screen.

This technique allows directors to maintain a certain level of discretion, leaving aspects to the viewer’s imagination while still conveying the essence of the scene.

‘Fade to black’ has also become a narrative device, employed to create an emotional impact or to transition between scenes, evolving into a creative tool that writers use to control the pacing and tone of a story, leaving room for audience interpretation and emotional resonance.

Used effectively, it conveys certain moments with subtlety and artistry.

In film, it’s commonly used to suggest that something significant has happened without explicitly showing it. In literature, it serves a similar purpose, allowing the writer to maintain a level of discretion while still conveying the essence of the scene.

The use of ‘fade to black’ in romance books.

Not that explicit sexual scenes have been widely available since the printing press made it easier than ever to reproduce works, its existence is a more modern issue.

While erotica and porn have been around since forever, it was women who pioneered smutty literature as we’d recognise it today.

Sweet romances offer readers the emotional depth and intensity of a romantic relationship without explicitly detailing the physical intimacy between characters.

Authors skilfully build tension and chemistry through emotional exchanges, character development, and nuanced storytelling, but leaves the goings on in the bedroom to the imagination.

This genre not only caters to a wider audience seeking more wholesome romantic narratives, but also speaks to readers who prefer a focus on emotional connections and character development rather than graphic content.

The ‘fade to black’ effect continues to be a powerful tool for writers, enabling them to convey pivotal moments with tact and finesse, whether it’s with explicit sex or not.

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