Director:
Mary Harron
Cast:
Gretchen Mol”¦”¦”¦.Bettie Page
Lili Taylor”¦”¦”¦.Paula Klaw
Chris Bauer”¦”¦”¦.Irving Klaw
Jonathan M. Woodward”¦”¦”¦.Marvin
David Strathairn”¦”¦”¦.Estes Kefauver
Cara Seymour”¦”¦”¦.Bunny Yeager
Jared Harris”¦”¦”¦.John Willie
Picturehouse Films presents The Notorious Bettie Page. Written by Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner. Running time: 90 minutes. Rated R (for nudity, sexual content and some language). DVD release date: September 26, 2006. MSRP: $27.98.
Remember the days when sex on television was considered taboo? In sitcoms, a nightstand would have to be placed in between two twin-size beds so that no lovemaking allusions could be inferred. Though we all know that once Dennis (the Menace) is sound asleep, the nightstand is moved out of the way and the two beds are pushed together. What we may not have known is that underneath the husband’s bedspread are magazines with sadomasochistic images of women in bondage. Okay, maybe not.
Back in the 1950s there was an underground market for these types of images. And the market’s premier model was Bettie Page. A southern lass from Nashville, Bettie would dress up, or down depending on the type of picture, in black stockings, corsets, garter belts and stiletto heels. She would be chained and restrained, and eyes covered leaving her blinded to the action around her. Yet, the way Bettie posed, her look is unaffected. Her charming personality and cheerful disposition made her an easy mark by horny teenagers or overzealous photographers eager to take advantage of her natural “assets”.
Prior to seeing The Notorious Bettie Page I knew nothing about her. She went from being a sweet, if not promiscuous, southern beauty to becoming a cult figure. In this biopic by Marry Harron (American Psycho), natural blonde and relative unknown Gretchen Mol dons a jet-black wig to become the “Notorious” Bettie Page.
But was Ms. Page really notorious, like the title suggests? Perhaps. Her well-proportioned figure made her infamous. Nevertheless, she thought of nude modeling as a means to make a living. She didn’t find the costumes or action degrading; she just liked to have her picture taken. Most of her bondage photos were taken by a brother-and-sister duo, New Yorkers Irving and Paula Klaw. For the men looking at the photos in adult publications, most were paying attention to the boots and shoes (their fetishes run deep), not the real revealing parts. Or so they would admit if accosted by an authority figure.
As the photographs grew in scope, and adult magazines gained more notoriety, the U.S. Senate stepped in, determined to quash pornography. Irving Klaw was an easy target for Senator Estes Kefauver (played by David Strathairn in the film). Some believed the sadomasochistic images, in both photographs and on film, gave the adolescents impure desires that could lead to suicide. They were obscene to a degree, but pale in comparison to some of the stuff that passes for entertainment on broadcast television. Bondage sequences were of women only and most involved playful petting — the spanking doesn’t even make contact. The actions are so far removed from anything that could be considered hardcore. The Klaws had their niche, and Bettie was their star. They didn’t glamorize what they did. They made a product and found a market. It became popular, some got scared, and the government intervened.
Years of work had to go up in smoke, as the Senate hearings concluded that all negatives were to be burned. Irving Klaw had to retire from being a photographer. Bettie left the black-and-white ambiance of New York in favor of sunny, Technicolor Miami. She did a little modeling for world famous photographer Bunny Yeager, but soon drifted away from the camera and became a born-again Christian. She never apologized for the pictures taken of her, believing God should be proud of his creation of the female form. (It is a body to be lionized, after all.) Even Yeager goes as far to say, “When she’s nude, she doesn’t seem naked.”
Gretchen Mol, an actress some considered to be the next big thing (having acted alongside Matt Damon in Rounders), has been overlooked and gone unrecognized by numerous casting agencies. Her performance as Bettie Page is a major work, and one that could make casting agents take notice. Like the character she plays, Mol is uninhibited while exemplifying her demure quality. Smiling with that impish smile of hers, we see the world through her perspective. There’s a stark difference in the dirty streets of the Big Apple and the sandy beaches of Miami, Florida. But no matter the setting, innuendo and sexual proclivities thrived. They still do.
Director Mary Harron doesn’t present a positive or negative stance on the topic of smut. Her film is more a nostalgia trip at the pornography that was. The Notorious Bettie Page, indirectly, is about female empowerment. The film suggests that Bettie was sexually abused by her father as a child and gang-raped as a teenager. Hopping on a bus from Nashville to New York, she found her calling in the world of nude modeling. Before she was the victim, now with skin-tight leggings she gets to administer her own form of punishment, make-believe as it may be.
Way to be notorious, Bettie.
THE VIDEO
(Presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen)
The idea to shoot most of film in black-and-white, and let Bettie’s trips to Miami give the film its only color, makes for a nice contrast in styles. The transfer is top-notch, with little disparity. The video definitely showcases Mott Hupfel’s beautiful cinematography.
THE AUDIO
(English — Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0)
The audio may not have an ear-splitting presentation, but the 5.1 track immerses the viewer with music by the likes of Art Pepper and Patsy Cline. Mark Suozzo’s original score also has a bit of everything: cool jazz, church organs, and music typical of a Dragnet episode.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Getting modest acclaim from some critics, The Notorious Bettie Page sadly doesn’t get the royal treatment as far as extras go. Considering the subject of this biopic is not as well known as say Ray Charles, the most obvious extra should have been a documentary that further explores the life and times of Bettie Page.
It could have been cookie-cutter fluff and it still would have been a benefit to the features included.
We are treated to a commentary track featuring director Mary Harron and star Gretchen Mol. It’s entertaining to an extent, but offers little insight. Standard stuff, I’m afraid.
Another extra is a 15-minute promotional featurette entitled An Inside Look at the Pin-Up Queen of the Universe. This would have been a small sampling if a full-blown documentary had been produced of the notorious one. What we have is look at the phenomenon that was Bettie Page. The filmmakers and cast are interviewed, but again give little insight on the “real” Bettie Page.
Presenting Bettie Page (2:18) has the photogenic Queen engaged in one of her stripteases. And completing the extras is the film’s theatrical trailer.
THE INSIDE PULSE
The Notorious Bettie Page is a very good movie because of Gretchen Mol. Her depiction of the adult Bettie Page seems so natural, it could be her birthright. In the land of make-believe, she dresses up and dresses down with relative aplomb. Her performance combined with the writing and directing talents of Mary Harron makes this an easy recommendation for a rental. Even the less-than-stellar extras can’t diminish this evocative look at smut, the way it was.
