The thread title was stated towards the warped ending of Identity. An uneven movie, relatively intriguing and replete with subpar horroid Craven-mannerisms; in fact, it's relatively uneven in an horridly intriguing manner of subpar Cravenisms.
But the particular statement about whores promises more intriguing thoughts than the entirety of the movie itself: how have the movies depicted whores? Answers on this thread please. It is no great surprise, no grand revelation, to state that the cinematically depicted whores often suffer under and from the righteously searing, watchful eyes of the dominant religions. But just how far do the depictions go? Do all the prostitutes go to hell for their impurity? And in foreign films where the religious views differ somewhat from Christianity, how is the trade looked upon? And are men (American Gigolo -- which I can't remember much from -- and Deuce Bigolow, Male Gigolo) treated differently than women?
Pretty Woman needs no introduction and it is on surface value something that subverts the notion of prostitution as a bad, bad thing. However, Jennifer Jason Leigh was originally attached to the movie and had she gone ahead with it, it not only would have been different but the subsequently drugged up prostitute would have died at the end. Truly a sure-fire recipe of a smash hit monster if ever there was one. Quite. If one looks closer at the thematic twists of the movie and analyse where the sympathies lie, there are several telling instances that indicate the movie isn't as subversive when it comes to prostitution as it seems to be.
The Roberts-whore is a resourceful woman: an excellent driver, a fast learner and with a natural charm that warms everyone up around her, even though she obviously is an ugly duckling (lower class) attempting to spread her feathers in a snobbish environment. The fact that she isn't (yet) damaged goods gives her an advantage in her efforts to blend in with the rich crowd; she is, after all, still minimally experienced with prostitution (she cried the whole time during her first experience) and she doesn't do drugs. It is essentially a make-over movie, and the sympathy duly shifts to her side as her ordeals against eeeeeevil salespersons and a hotel manager begin. But they either learn to see her for the beautiful person that she is, garbed in expensive wear, or they get what they deserve. She can get away with it because deep down she is not a prostitute, she is a princess -- would she not otherwise have accepted the advances from handsome Gere's ugly, short, balding lawyer? Do you see? In sharp contrast to Roberts' pure whore, there is her roommate who's a total washed up slut and who could never conform to the higher classes. Her eventual destiny is blurred but the -- by now -- snobby Roberts offers advise that whatever she dreams, it can come true (which the slutty whore takes further to another slutty prostitute) because by gosh, when Roberts can climb the social ladder in such a short timespan, then who can't?
It is therein, in the sales pitch of the American Dream, one can find the hidden stance towards prostitutes. |
