10/13/06 The Notorious Bettie Page

The Notorious Bettie Page (2005), directed by Mary Harron

watched solo; DVD rental (Netflix) @ home; suggested by Jason

Definitely one of America's most enduring sex symbols of all-time, Ms. Page was by far one of the most estranged from her own creation. Landing on the scene from small town Tennessee, this country girl went to New York with the hopes of becoming an actress. What she soon fell into was a modelling career, sparked by her friendship with pin-up photographer and filmmakers Irving Klaw and his wife Paula. The rest as they say is history, as many of us by now know the famous dalliances of Ms. Page and the feverish cult following and trendsetting styles that it would still have in this modern day. Her life is one of a compelling and titillating nature, where her infamous posings with various pin-up attire, bondage queens, jungle motifs and S&M themes will forever be remembered and imitated. Her sexual iconic figure has influenced everything from photography, art, filmmaking, pornography, fashion, hair-styles, and sexual freedom. During a tumultuous time of the 1950's, where government was constantly fighting artistic expression with blatant censorship (see the "Kefauver Hearings" on leading to juvenile delinquency)...Page (played here black-haired by otherwise blonde bombshell Gretchen Mol) drove a rocky road towards fame. In the end, whether it was burnout from the industry or her reconnection with her Southern religious roots...Bettie basically vanished off of the face of the earth (in the public eye anyway). With strong female director Mary Harron ("American Psycho" and "I Shot Andy Warhol"), Bettie's life gets the Hollywood re-treatment. Her status as cultural icon is forever set, and continues to produce tributes to her style as with this feature film. Often imitated but never duplicated, Bettie Page is an American icon (and I think Jason is a bit obsessed with her...but can you blame him, she's hot).

4 out of 5 stars