Review of Pretty Baby (1978) by Ben R — 27 Jan 2015

I didn't love this movie, and I'm not quite sure why. It wasn't that dull, but I found myself a little bored throughout, rarely that interested in what was going on.

Honestly, I think a lot of it is just because I had trouble getting past the relationship between Violet and Bellocq. The film isn't that controversial by today's standards, but I didn't love how we were asked to almost support Violet and Bellocq's coupling at parts. Well, it was probably actually well-done in illustrating the complexity of the relationship; we, as viewers, know that it's wrong, and recognize the uncomfortable father-daughter-like dynamic between them, but we can also sort of understand why they would have this connection. But I couldn't help but hate watching Bellocq be so sexually tempted by this 12-year-old girl. And I didn't like watching the scenes where they were 'happy' together. Maybe this was all uncomfortable by design, but it was weird to watch him playfully mimicking her and the two of them kind of flirting.

Violet and Bellocq's relationship forms most of the narrative, which is probably why I was put off by a lot of this movie. Pretty much everything else, though, I really liked. It was excruciating to watch Violet get auctioned off, but it was the kind of uncomfortable that I knew was intentional. I also liked how much nuance there was throughout the movie; prostitutes weren't portrayed in a negative light, and hardly anyone commented on how uncomfortably young Violet was for sex (especially with men triple her age). It would've been reductive to have the whole movie indicting prostitution and constantly treating Violet like a victim, but instead it gives her agency while simultaneously acknowledging how immature she ultimately is. I like all the bits of humor, treating Violet's first sexual experience with a lighter tone than a lot of other oppressive dramas probably would. And the depiction of Violet's big family is really nice. All the women there have very distinct, interesting personas. It's a pity, in my opinion, that so much time was spent on Violet's relationship with Bellocq.