After years of hearing about this movie, I finally saw it yesterday. To say that i didn't feel uncomfortable and disturbed by certain scenes in this movie would be an outright lie. The tale of a 12 year old girl named Violet (played by a stunning preteen Brooke Shields) growing up in a New Orleans brothel in the 1920's with little to no parental supervision, and surrounded by adult female prostitutes as her "role models", is a truly interesting, well done movie that sure leaves a lasting impression on the viewer.
Now, on one hand, the movie is honest in that it shows how children living in America were used and abused in the past (and still happens today). That is the honest part of the movie. What is so terrible about this movie is that the character of Violet doesn't much mind that she is being constantly pimped out by the Madame of the brothel, Nell. In one shocking scene, we see Violet being asked to sit in the lap of an adult man in front of her mother, who is also in the room. He then proceeds to practically feel her up all the while Madame Nell watches. For the first time in the movie we see Madame Nell view Violet as a commidity despite her extremely young age. The following scene shows Nell putting Violet into super skimpy dress, then painting her lips bright red, and finally giving her heels. The Madame then puts Violet in a smoke filled roomed with literally dozens of men leering ar her like a piece of meat. What girl of 12 is not going to not be scared to death of being in a room filled with a bunch of dirty old men, while dressed in just high heels and a transparent nightgown, with clearly no underwear on? Yet the movie shows Violet as being relaxed and cheerful about being auctioned off to a group of amoral pedophiles, and this is what is so ojectionable about the film. This is what makes the film damaging to the culture in a way no movie has ever done before. In other words, it legitimizes the sexual exploitation of a child. Not explicitly but covertly. In a romantic gloss of pretty visuals. Yes, the movie is well done and gorgeous to look at. But it hides something very disturbing (not to mention just plain false) at the heart of it: sexually violate a pre teen girl and maybe, just maybe, it might not be such a serious crime afterall.
Even scarier is the potential for this movie to influence a young girls' outlook on sex in a way that opens up for her to be sexually exploited. Think about it, a pre teen girl is watching this movie about a beautiful and glamorous 12 year old girl who is a prostitute, and many if not most of the male clients at said brothel find her extremely desirable. There is a suggestion made to a pre teen girl that if they really wanted to make some money, there are men who would pay her lots of money if they got together in a private place, and then take off her clothes. After watching this movie and seeing how almost all the adult males featured here can't stop being utterly fascinated by Violet, would the experience THEN be viewed by the young girl being exploited in REAL life as something horrible, or a good way to make a lot of money in a short period of time? It's something to seriously think about.
Now, on one hand, the movie is honest in that it shows how children living in America were used and abused in the past (and still happens today). That is the honest part of the movie. What is so terrible about this movie is that the character of Violet doesn't much mind that she is being constantly pimped out by the Madame of the brothel, Nell. In one shocking scene, we see Violet being asked to sit in the lap of an adult man in front of her mother, who is also in the room. He then proceeds to practically feel her up all the while Madame Nell watches. For the first time in the movie we see Madame Nell view Violet as a commidity despite her extremely young age. The following scene shows Nell putting Violet into super skimpy dress, then painting her lips bright red, and finally giving her heels. The Madame then puts Violet in a smoke filled roomed with literally dozens of men leering ar her like a piece of meat. What girl of 12 is not going to not be scared to death of being in a room filled with a bunch of dirty old men, while dressed in just high heels and a transparent nightgown, with clearly no underwear on? Yet the movie shows Violet as being relaxed and cheerful about being auctioned off to a group of amoral pedophiles, and this is what is so ojectionable about the film. This is what makes the film damaging to the culture in a way no movie has ever done before. In other words, it legitimizes the sexual exploitation of a child. Not explicitly but covertly. In a romantic gloss of pretty visuals. Yes, the movie is well done and gorgeous to look at. But it hides something very disturbing (not to mention just plain false) at the heart of it: sexually violate a pre teen girl and maybe, just maybe, it might not be such a serious crime afterall.
Even scarier is the potential for this movie to influence a young girls' outlook on sex in a way that opens up for her to be sexually exploited. Think about it, a pre teen girl is watching this movie about a beautiful and glamorous 12 year old girl who is a prostitute, and many if not most of the male clients at said brothel find her extremely desirable. There is a suggestion made to a pre teen girl that if they really wanted to make some money, there are men who would pay her lots of money if they got together in a private place, and then take off her clothes. After watching this movie and seeing how almost all the adult males featured here can't stop being utterly fascinated by Violet, would the experience THEN be viewed by the young girl being exploited in REAL life as something horrible, or a good way to make a lot of money in a short period of time? It's something to seriously think about.