Heat and Dust (1983)

Heat and Dust (1982) is one of these Merchant and Ivory productions, an early one, that gives a fine veneer on film but doesn’t neglect the dirtier stuff we crave. How could it? With the heat and the dust, it’s only natural for the clothing to come off and the nudity to get us up. It stars Greta Scacchi in her film and nude debut. She travels to colonial India to be with her husband. She doesn’t mix well with the expatriates, but the Indian court is exotic and alluring. Julie Christie plays her niece in present time, and their dual stories chart the plot of the movie. But let’s get back to Greta and her boobs and butt. They’re exposed behind a mosquito netting, but you see everything. Swat that!