WHORE
US, 1991, 85 minutes, Colour.
Theresa Russell, Antonio Fargas.
Directed by Ken Russell.
Whore was written by a London tax driver, David Hines, but his play, Bondage, has been transferred to the streets of Los Angeles for movie purposes. The film was also a Ken Russell film - he also appears as a supercilious waiter in a restaurant. The film has Russell's style: he does not believe in simple naturalistic presentations, rather he interprets. He is also loud with the touch of the vulgar. His sensibility interprets the material and bluntly presents it to audiences. It would have been interesting to see this material presented by a more subtle director.
Teresa Russell gives a strong performance. However, in comparison with her role in Impulse, made just previous to this film, the performance in Impulse is much more subtle and moving. At times she is natural, at times she is quite contrived in this film. Perhaps direction, the screenplay and the actors' interpretation were at odds rather than coming together in a strong presentation.
The title tells all. Teresa Russell portrays the prostitute on the Los Angeles streets. She talks straight to the camera, she reminisces about her past, she has touches of self-pity though is a much more resilient character. We see her with family, with husband, with clients, with her pimp, with an eccentric black man on the Los Angeles streets - who ultimately saves her.
The screenplay is commonplace in many ways, not portraying anything more about prostitutes than has been in any other movie. In fact, Ken Russell himself probably explored the theme of prostitution, sex, male drives, even with a religious touch, in his Crimes of Passion (1984) starring Kathleen Turner and Anthony Perkins.
1.Impact of the film? Interest value? Entertainment value? The theme, the director?
2.The screenplay and the observations of a male author, the taxi driver observing and communicating the life of his passengers? The transfer from England to the United States, to the streets of Los Angeles?
3.The Los Angeles streets and environment, the hotels, the aqueducts? Tunnels? The contrast with the flashbacks? The American atmosphere? The musical score, the songs - and the credits songs even with their brash and blunt vulgarity?
4.The work of Ken Russell, naturalistic and non-naturalistic? Vulgar and crass touches? Sensationalism? His flamboyant sensibility and perceptions?
5.Teresa Russell and her performance, natural and contrived? The artificial screen presence, talking, walking - an actress at work? The contrast with the scenes where she was natural and audiences forgot the actress? Her talking straight to the camera and taking us into her confidence? On the Los Angeles streets, her clothes, manner, performance with potential clients? Her presuppositions about being a prostitute, amoral stances? The initial customer, the lead-on - and his abuse? The derelict man vomiting? Rival prostitutes in the streets? The Asian man with his bike, not wanting to use a condom - and reflection about AIDS, safe sex? Her wandering the streets? The story of her pimp, leaving him, his pursuit? The red car, chasing her, the hotel? The West Indian man and his following her, wanting to walk on glass, her giving him the money? Her going to the bar, thinking, remembering? The pimp catching up, his demands, the customers, the sexual encounter in its crudeness, her performance, raising her eyebrows to the camera? The customer's death? The arrival of the pimp, his brutality - and the West Indian killing him? Setting the whore free.
6.Her story, memories of growing up, the gang rape - with the innocent young boy luring her in and the brutality in the back of the van? The old man as her client, his friendliness, avoiding the family, sexual favours, the old people's home? The kind teacher who looked after her after she had been raped, her returning the money to him? Playing pool with her girlfriend, seeing Bill, the dare with the beer-guzzling, the outing, the wedding? The years passing, the birth of Chris? His infidelities, coming home, being sick all over the salad? Her leaving? Leaving the baby with her mother? The foster parents - and her going to watch her son at the school, rationalising about his chances and not going to see him? Meeting with the pimp, thinking she was special, the tattoo and his hold over her, the restaurant farce, the French menu, the people watching, the supercilious waiter? Her being moulded by the pimp?
7.Her revealing her attitudes towards men, despising them, towards sexual experiences, the differences with love, wanting feelings? Her non-moral stances? Seeing her work as work? Her own self-image, not having self-pity?
8.The pimp, his crassness, the attraction towards her, his control, the tattoo, the restaurant and his humiliating her? The waiter and his calling him "Sir"? Her running away, his chasing her, checking on the customers, demanding the money? His violence and his sudden death, left on the ground to die?
9.The West Indian, wandering the streets, the broken glass, the money, reappearing, friendliness towards her, killing the pimp and smiling as she went free?
10.The ugly portrait of men, their using women? The young innocent-looking boy and his luring her for the gang rape? Bill as handsome, cute - but crass? The variety of customers with their abuse, using the whore, the man in the car and his vanity being fed, dying? The old man and his gratitude?
11.The attitudes dramatised in the film, men's drives, their use of women? The explicit sequences, language - in docu-drama style rather than erotic?
12.How much insight into prostitution, the oldest profession, the life of the prostitute, the attitudes of the clients - exploring the theme, characters and the effect on the woman?
