The advent of the "Smoker" or "Stag Film" beginning in the early 1900s has provided us with an excellent opportunity to examine explicit depictions of sexuality over an extended period of time. Besides tracing the development of the technology and techniques of the medium, erotic films also provide a window into the prevailing tastes and proclivities of society at the time they were produced.

Aside from the technical differences, the themes and presentation of sex in Stag Films from 1915 through 1970 were remarkably consistent. Except for the occasional unusual subjects (i.e. bondage and spanking in The Whip from the late 30s, and bestiality in Beauty and the Boxer from 1956) the films focus on fairly straightforward sex acts: fellatio, cunnilungus, and vaginal intercourse. They commonly feature heterosexual couples and threesomes, with an occasional lesbian scene here and there. Story and character development are minimal if present at all. The earlier films tend to have a short lead-in before the sex begins, with titles to convey dialogue or setting. Later films might simply have the characters meet, undress, and have sex (or, as in the case of the popular "wet dream" vignette, the woman may suddenly appear, completely naked and ready to go). In some, the female character makes at least some effort to preserve her modesty and propriety, struggling for a minute or two against the amorous advances of the male lead before eventually succumbing to complete abandonment and cooperation. In virtually all of the films, the woman is portrayed as a willing and active sex partner, liberated and uninhibited.

The uniformity observed across these films may be attributed to three factors:

• The limits inherent in the medium (time limited by length of the reel, lack of sound);
• Their limited scope of distribution; and
• Their intended audience.

The Stag Films’ limited length and lack of sound necessitated a simple and succinct depiction of their subject. They could not afford to dwell on complex plots or motivation of characters. The fact that they had very small and clandestine distribution, mainly among men’s clubs and fraternal organizations, meant that budgets were low and pleasing film critics was not a priority. And being aimed primarily at men for the purposes of amusement and titillation, any further artistic merits would have been superfluous. Nonetheless, one can still discern differences within the genre; in particular, The Payoff from the 1940s shows a level of craft that is distinctly more refined than the majority of its peers, with creative use of shadow, better lighting, creative editing, and more sophisticated camera work. On the other hand, similar examples from the same period exhibit minimalist production values, not even bothering to put a sheet on the bed!

That Stag Films remained so consistently similar over a period of 50 years, even as society underwent tremendous changes during that time, reflects the relative stability of the conditions under which they were produced, i.e. the film medium, limited clandestine distribution, and intended audience remained the same. But these conditions began to change dramatically in the early 1970s. Technical improvements added sound and color to film, and allowed longer running times. Social norms had relaxed to the point where distribution to adult movie houses in metropolitan areas was now tolerated. And makers of pornographic films began to believe that they might actually have a shot at reaching mainstream audiences, or at least a much broader demographic than they could expect during the "Smoker" era. The result of these changes were such films as Deep Throat and The Devil in Miss Jones, which enjoyed widespread popularity and household-name recognition throughout America. Instead of using anonymous actors (some of whom had even appeared masked in Stag Films), the burgeoning adult film industry had new movie stars such as Linda Lovelace and Harry Reems. The Stag Film had evolved into the X-rated feature.

With the parameters of sex films now expanded, their producers set out to document a wider range of sexual behaviors, from the specialized fetishes to the just plain bizarre (e.g. the scenes in Deep Throat in which a glass is inserted vaginally and the characters drink from it using a tube). It was almost as if the producers thought, "everyone is bored with straight sex; the only way they’ll come to see our films is if we show novel or unusual things onscreen." The creativity which emerged during this period was unparalleled. However, this cycle would some come to an end with the advent of the video revolution. Once more, the conditions that shaped the content of the medium had changed. By the mid 1980’s, the VCR had replaced the adult movie house as the primary delivery medium for porn, and the target audience narrowed from one of mass appeal to that of the solo consumer in the privacy of his home. It was soon discovered that creativity and clever plots weren’t necessary to reach this demographic, and the X-rated fare of the period became bland and formulaic. As long as explicit sex was being shown, it didn’t seem to matter how artistically or interestingly it was done. Thankfully, as the industry matured, and the consumer base widened to include more women and couples over the last decade or so, the trend toward better story and production values has reasserted itself. The genre has expanded to accommodate many different niches, ranging from the "extreme hardcore gangbang" segment to "romantic couples fare". Directors such as Michael Ninn and Andrew Blake emphasize artistic values and high quality.

Through all of these changes, however, the basic depiction of pure sexual acts—the mechanics in motion of fucking and sucking—remains at the core of erotic filmmaking. We can readily recognize the positions (missionary, doggie, and the ever-popular "reverse cowgirl"), camera angles, poses, and gestures from the earliest grainy Stag Films in the slick x-rated DVDs of today. Although the quantity of material has dramatically increased, and as a result, a huge variety of different styles and forms is now available, virtually all of these can find some precursor in an early Smoker film. The money shot, split beaver, extreme closeup, sex toys, anilingus, bondage, lolitas, foot fetishes, etc. all can be found in movies that pre-date the VCR by decades. This attests not only to the presence and prevalence of these behaviors in society long before the so-called "sexual revolution", but also to their enduring power to allure and captivate audiences who want nothing more than to watch.