Hillary and Will Discuss Mary Harron's The Notorious Bettie Page

On Friday night, Hillary and I went to see "The Notorious Bettie Page," directed by Mary Harron who co-wrote with Guinevere Turner. Following the film - which also starred Gretchen Mol in the title role - we had a rather interesting discussion.

Will: What Mary Harron has done again, as she did so well in I Shot Andy Warhol and American Psycho, is defy expectations and find new and different ways to be subversive. I love the way it references so many genres of cinema, from the film noir opening to the early documentary style to technicolor drama, as well as the use of file footage. It flows from each different style so smoothly, you don't even really think about it until after the film. That's the way her films always seem to work - even though this one seemed far more accessible - there's so much depth, you don't entirely get it until you've thought about it for a while.

Hillary: I totally agree. This is by far my favorite Harron film (and I liked the other two, as well as her Six Feet Under episode). What really gets me about this film so far is the critical reaction to it. I have read a number of reviews (AV Club, NPR, even Entertainment Weekly) that miss the mark entirely. Is it worth mentioning that all of these reviews are written by men? Their main critique is that the film is "wholesome" where the critics apparently expected sex-drenched scandal. The film is a tremendous accomplishment for women in film on so many levels. The most notable breakthrough, I think, is the effective disaffiliation of sex and female sexiness. The critics seem to have pinned their hopes on an extension of their fantasy - a glimpse into the imagined sexual life of one of America's most iconic sexualized and fetishized female characters. The movie glistens with sexy - but there is no sex on screen. In fact, the closest we really come to that is the horrifying entrapment/kidnapping of a young Bettie which leads to an unseen gang rape. The movie is totally humanizing and it exposes a fun, quirky and ultimately mundane behind-the-scenes look at the creation of these famous images.

Will: Good point on the critics; I hadn't read any of the reviews. That to me is a major part of her work - they provoke, and subsequently the reactions they provoke tell us a lot about our society. The film approaches the nudity in the same way it's arguing Bettie did. She didn't feel exploited in the business, nor did she allow herself to be exploited. Furthermore, the photos and films Bettie participated in are looked at not critically (why should they?) but as fun and campy, making the senate hearings intercut all the more humorous. To get back to the old film aesthetic - the dialogue, the characters and how they are portrayed are not striving for realism, but instead are based off the acting and writing styles of that era. This is not a biopic per se - but a period piece, or a film about Bettie Page, based off the aesthetic of her photographs, as well as the aesthetic styles from the era in which the film takes place. In doing so, the film is able to use nudity in the storytelling, but also manages to deny the pleasure of seeing young women naked. The joke's on them, as Bettie (and subsequently Mol) approach the images with a sense of shame-free humor. When Page ultimately stops working as a model, it is simply to move on. "I'm not ashamed," she says. I think Harron pointed out the critic's fantasy of being a voyeur into Bettie's life, with the hope of seeing her guilt upon realization that they were watching. But that just didn't happen.

Hillary: You're right about the form and the aesthetic. I think it is a really effective and clever creative choice. I think that the story of Bettie Page could so easily be cast into the virgin/whore dichotomy and I think it is really hard to disengage from that type of conversation. We all know that American culture and pop culture is so saturated with that mode of thinking. I think Bettie's lack of shame and the fact that for the most part she doesn't see a big conflict between her religious beliefs and her work are really remarkable and poignant decisions. This gentle shattering of madonna/whoreism should productively inform conversations that we have about women today ("wild" girls on spring break, raunch culture, etc.) The absence of any cause-effect argument about the abuse she suffered as a young woman leading to her work in the porn industry is also refreshing. What led to her work in the industry, according to the movie, was nothing more complex than economic necessity and a chance meeting with a photographer. I know many people would argue that a madonna/whore thing is going on since she is so "innocent" as so many have described her. I really disagree with that. She is depicted as a complex human being. I love it - it is so refreshingly authentic. The nympho/sexpot/seductress archetype is not permitted any other aspect of life. That's so flat and boring anyway. The film doesn't focus on her sex life but it doesn't deny it. As Will said, this alleged omission is also in keeping with the film's form and the period in film history that it pays homage to.

Will: She is a complex human being - and even a bit ahead of her time. The first time she is photographed on the beach, onlookers disapprove of the fact that the photographer is black. When her boyfriend sees the s&m photos, he finds them disgusting and wonders who could enjoy such an image. In both cases, she is not judgmental or prejudiced, using basic common sense to find acceptance. Stepping away from the film theory (though that is a blast to discuss), I think it is just a fantastic film. It looks great, and the performances (not just Mol) are delightful - Lili Taylor as no-bullshit, s&m photographer Paula Klaw and David Strathairn in a bit of a role reversal from Good Night and Good Luck as Estes Kefauver. I really need to pick up the soundtrack, as well.

Hillary: Yes, I agree. I loved it and it is definitely my favorite film of 2006 so far and definitely one of my all-time favorites. I just wish there were more women producing and directing films - while they certainly wouldn't all be of this caliber, I know I would have a lot more to look forward to at the box office. I would recommend this movie to anyone, not just fellow film theory weirdos like Will and I.