Perhaps even more controversial than it was on its first release, Louis Malle’s drama of a 1917 New Orleans brothel as seen through the perspective of a young, pre-pubescent girl is evocative, occasionally disturbing, utterly absorbing, and visually sumptuous.
Violet (Brooke Shields) can’t wait to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Hattie (Susan Sarandon), her mom, is one of a dozen prostitutes working from a house always bustling with action. As everyone counts down to Violet’s entry into the oldest profession, Hattie moves out to find a new life with a former customer. When a photographer (Keith Carradine) joins the household to document the ladies, he becomes protective of Violet.
The casting and performance of Shields have overshadowed the film and were a cause célèbre right from the start. Some moments are difficult to watch with modern sensibilities, but the director doesn’t stoop to exploitation techniques. The interview with the actor on Imprint’s Blu-ray sheds more light on this.
Look beyond the controversy, and Malle’s film is one to savour. He takes his European filmmaking sense to a lavish, US production that sympathetically treats the subject and has tender moments amongst the salacious situations.
Imprint’s Blu-ray presents the film well, with an informative commentary from Kat Ellinger and a video essay on Malle’s other American films alongside the aforementioned interview with Brooke Shields. While not as exhaustive as some of their other releases, it’s still worth checking out.
