"We had a lot of discussion, up to and including the idea of whether she would touch his penis or not," Shepard told Vulture. "For me, it was deeply important that she do that. It complicated things in a very real way — this idea of power and what people are supposed to or expected to do, and how that can be manipulated in such terrible ways. For me, it was very key that she does touch it. Society has brought up people to think if this presents itself, this is what you’re supposed to do. She almost falls for it, and then, of course, realizes this. In my mind, his character’s doing it not so much to be pleasured but to prove that he can do it. Which is why he’s got that smile on his face in the last scene when his daughter’s playing the flute, because he’s won."