dunbarbarian0 wrote: Thu Mar 12, 2026 10:15 pm
Spring Symphony (1983)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=l93Uia-SU ... IDE5ODM%3D
18:30 in the video
12 year old Clara Schumann, played by Anja Christine Preussler, stands naked in a tub while her father thoroughly and attentively rubs soap on her newly developing body. In his right hand is a sponge which seems to be doing most of the washing, but in his left hand is nothing and you can clearly see his left hand slide across her breast bud before he tells her to sit down. Brief full frontal nudity. He then puts down the sponge and begins to rinse her naked body with his bare hands.
I have always been very disturbed by this very brief scene. I believe it is meant to depict the domineering relationship Clara’s father had over her. It is part of a montage of four scenes lasting about 5 seconds each. First, Clara is sitting on her father’s lap while the two are riding in a carriage. Then, the bath scene. Next, he holds her in his arms in bed and pecks her lips good night before blowing out a candle. Finally, Clara moves and stands still on his silent command while he does her hair.
What disturbs me the most is the actress Anja Christine Preussler, who looks age 13-14 but possibly 12 herself, had to take off all of her clothes and stand in a bathtub while a man put his soapy hands on her, taking the liberty to cop a quick feel of her budding breast. It’s bad enough if this happened to Clara Schumann. They filmed it happening to a girl who had to submit to being bathed by a man not even related to her. It makes me wonder how her parents ever agreed to this, and if the girl knew she would have to do this before agreeing to take the role. I looked up the actress and there’s very little information about her, and this was her only role in film ever. I would venture to guess the experience was traumatizing.
While I understand your feelings and how the scenes connect, I feel I should point out there exist hundreds of movies with boys of similar ages being bathed naked by "maids", their movie "mother's" or "sisters", orphanage matrons, fathers, brothers, just about anyone you can think of.
And it is often for far more prolonged scenes than a brief 5 second shot (that admittedly, shows everything).
So I don't believe this is anything especially traumatising from the acting perspective. Embarassing, of course, having to get naked and be bathed. But given the lack of contact with her genitals, while in many movies the boys' genitals are clearly seen being washed and held by the adult, I don't find it particularly troubling.
Of course, it can be disturbing from the relationship of the characters in the film, showing how she has to obey him. But from an acting perspective, I'd say it isn't anything special.
% Freesub. I can speak at least for the U.S areas. Nudity, regardless of age is not ilegal here. Heck there are some family nudist colonies throughout the country. For some reason over the decades society has twisted things to make people think that child nudity will get you in trouble when it will not. Like you said, pressure is meant to make you think that something is ilegal or wrong when it is not. I completely support this thread and enjoy it..carry on 
