Pretty Baby (1978)
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A young girl's life is shaped by the complexities of her environment in a 1917 New Orleans brothel.
The story
Set in 1917 during the final months of legal prostitution in Storyville, the red-light district of New Orleans, the film follows Hattie, a prostitute living in an elegant brothel run by the elderly Madame Nell. Hattie has a 12-year-old daughter named Violet. When a photographer named Ernest Bellocq arrives to document the sex workers, he becomes a fixture in the brothel. His presence and the artistic process of photography begin to captivate the precocious Violet, who finds herself navigating the complexities of her environment while her mother seeks a way to escape her life of prostitution.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1917 New Orleans, Hattie is a prostitute in the Storyville district. Her 12-year-old daughter, Violet, is raised in a brothel managed by Madame Nell. When photographer Ernest Bellocq arrives, he begins photographing the women, and his presence fascinates Violet. As the era of legal prostitution nears its end, Nell decides to sell Violet's virginity. Hattie eventually marries a customer and leaves for St. Louis, leaving Violet behind. Violet eventually flees the brothel and seeks refuge with Bellocq, who takes her in and begins a sexual relationship with her. After a period of conflict and a forced marriage to Bellocq, Hattie returns from St. Louis to claim Violet, arguing that her marriage is illegal. Ultimately, Bellocq allows Violet to go with her mother and brother, and the film ends with a family portrait where an upset Violet stares into the distance.
- First release year
- 1978
- Runtime (minutes)
- 109
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Louis Malle
- Writers
- Polly Platt · screenplay; Polly Platt · story; Louis Malle · story
- Cast and characters
- Brooke Shields · Violet; Keith Carradine · Ernest Bellocq; Susan Sarandon · Hattie; Barbara Steele · supporting role; Diana Scarwid · supporting role; Antonio Fargas · supporting role
- Genres
- historical drama; erotic drama
- Themes
- child sexual exploitation; loss of innocence
- Tone and mood
- somber; controversial
- Premise and plot tags
- historical drama; period piece; prostitution
- Content notes
- nude scenes; sexual exploitation
- Reception
- The film was mostly praised by critics but caused significant public outcry and media controversy due to its depiction of child sexual exploitation and nudity.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 71% · scale: percentage · review count: 28; Metacritic · score: 66 · scale: 100 · review count: 10
- Awards and nominations
- Technical Grand Prize · Cannes Film Festival · 1978 · win; Academy Award · Best Music · 1978 · nomination
- Production trivia
- The title is derived from a Tony Jackson song.; It was Malle's first American film production.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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