BOOGIE NIGHTS
US, 1997, 155 minutes, Colour.
Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore, Luis Guzman, John C. Reilley, Nicole Ari Parker, Don Cheadle, Heather Graham, William H. Macy, Joanna Gleason, Robert Ridgley, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Mellora Walters, Philip Baker Hall, Thomas Jane, Alfred Molina, Robert Downey Sr.
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
Both emotive and thoughtful. 1996 saw Larry Flynt, the crass founder of 'Hustler' magazine given large screen treatment involving issues of free speech and censorship. 1997 a look at the Los Angeles porn movie world of the late 70s, early 80s, an unfamiliar world that makes most audiences uncomfortable. However, director Paul Thomas Anderson avoids the prurient gaze and shows us characters who live by a code, value the family closeness in their chosen industry and search for some meaning in their lives. It is a bizarre and amoral world.
Very well acted, especially by Mark Wahlberg as the 17 year old would-be star journeying to the 23 year old almost burnt-out has-been. Burt Reynolds and Julianne Moore, both Oscar-nominated, give us more than easily dismissed caricatures. The screenplay (also Oscar-nominated) and performances help us understand while being alienated from their world. Of course, not everybody will want to go to Boogie Nights. Insights into a sordid world.
1. The impact of the film? Critical acclaim? The place of this film in the career of its director?
2. A 90s perspective on the 70s and 80s, film, Los Angeles, the pornography industry, the transition from film to video, changes in attitudes?
3. The film and its multi-story structure, its length, the interweaving of the stories and characters?
4. The strong cast – and the reappearance of many in the films of the director?
5. Pornography as a reality, the people involved, their background lives, behaviour? Directors and stars, producers? Distributors? Audiences? An amoral/immoral world?
6. Sex and the exploitation, the American industry, the role of the law, morality, community standards? The consequences of involvement in the industry?
7. Los Angeles in the 1970s, the disco look, the clothes, the clubs, hair? Their transition from the opening up and the permissiveness of the 60s? Sexuality, sexual violence, the increase of drug-taking? The effect on individual lives? Families? Health? Collapses? The cycle of success, failure – and complete failure or recovery?
8. The focus on Jack, his studio, his staff? The company? Working as a team, a sense of family, the bonds between them, loyalties and relationships, difficulties leading to differences, change?
9. The opening with the club, Rodriguez and his management, life, his brother? The Hispanic presence in Los Angeles? His being host, talking, finally appearing in the films, prospering and his brother joining him?
10. The range of customers, Jack, Amber Waves (and her real name as Maggie)? The club as a refuge? A meeting place? Jack and his companions, rivals? Reed and his naivety, Roller Girl and her gliding around? Jack and his watching Eddie, Eddie at work, seventeen, Jack going to the kitchen, the chat, the offer?
11. Eddie as an ordinary young man, naïve, quite nice, his work, his going home by bus, his nagging mother, weak father, the arguments, his mother putting him down all the time, his room and the posters, his decision to leave? His friends, sexual relationships, girlfriend, his mother’s criticism of the girl? The discussion about gifts, achievement, his ambitions? Saying yes to Jack, the contract?
12. Little Bill, his role in the team, his wife and her blatant sexuality, partners, in the open, the parties, people watching, Little Bill and his desperation? His work, lighting the scenes? Naïve and weak? His coming with the gun, shooting his wife, killing himself?
13. Kurt, the camera, the matter-of-fact observer of everything and everyone?
14. Scotty, naïve young man, at work with the team, chatting, his friendship with Dirk, infatuation, the new car, the New Year’s Eve party, drinking, the kiss, ashamed? Yet continuing in the job?
15. Roller Girl and her background, in the films, uninhibited, testing Eddie for Jack, her being comfortable with this world? Relationships, surviving over the years?
16. Amber, as Maggie, having a son, leaving her husband and son, the drugs, her acting, wanting to be the mother of the family at the studio, her friendship with Dirk, love, the taking of the drugs with the women? Her documentary, praising Dirk? Going to the court, with the judge, her husband and his condemnation, her wanting custody of her son, the visits, her failures?
17. Reed, friendly, being a magician, in the films, straightforward attitude, his partnership with Dirk, the series of films, the action shows? Uninhibited? The interviews, on Amber’s film? His keeping the peace? The friendship with Todd? Their being down-and-out, Dirk and the lack of money? Their going to the house of Rahad Jackson, the swindle, the shooting, running away? His resuming his magic shows?
18. Eddie, his name, Dirk Diggler? The films, his eager to film, the sex scenes, the detail? The verbal details? More prominent than visual? His success, the awards ceremonies, the years, his speeches? His taking the drugs? The friendship with Todd, with Reed? The film series with Reed, the interviews, justifying his work, the sexual violence? His saying that he was saving marriages with these films?
19. The passing of the years, his getting older, his vanity, dependence on drugs, his outbursts, at the pool party, wanting to film, his fearing his rival, Jack and his halting him, his firing him?
20. The pickup, the sex scene in the car, the homophobic bashing?
21. The drugs, with Todd, going to Rahad Jackson, the five thousand dollar swindle, Jackson and his bodyguards, the shooting and the fireworks, the music, Jackson’s eccentric behaviour, the guns? The shooting, running away, Dirk driving, Reed being left?
22. The way of life in the 70s, the way of life in the 80s? The parties, yet people becoming older, their inability or ability to sustain this life?
23. The character of Floyd Gondolli, the rival, the discussions with Jack, the introduction of video, the discussions about video and film? Money-making? The sinister character? Jack and his finally having to accept that video was coming and that there was a change in filming, marketing and distribution?
24. The finale, the focus on each of the characters, success or failure?
25. The value of this kind of film in learning about such an industry and assessing it?
