Rent The Notorious Bettie Page (2005)
3.1 of 5 from 126 ratings
1h 30min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
From Mary Harron comes THE NOTORIOUS BETTIE PAGE, a provocative exploration of sexuality and pop culture taking us into the fascinating world of famous pin up girl, Bettie Page. Gretchen Mol plays Page who become a photo model sensation in 1950s New York. Bettie's legendary fetish poses made her the target of a senate investigation into pornography, and transformed her into an erotic icon who continues to enthrall fans to this day. Depicting Bettie's often accidental journey to celebrity, THE NOTORIOUS BETTIE PAGE captures a vanished but not entirely unfamiliar America, where sex is a secret obsession that can incite furor at the highest levels of government. In a stylistic tour-de-force, Harron recreates the look and feel of the films of Bettie's 1950s heyday, variously evoking the era's gritty black & white noirs, lush technicolour melodramas, even its Super 8 home movies. We step into the past to follow the life and career of Bettie Page, a quiet, good-natured Southern beauty who found her calling in front of the camera and radiated vitality and joy in every single pose and every costume. Though her fetish tableaux may now appear more quaint than shocking, BETTIE PAGE remains a wonder to behold. - Actors:
- Gretchen Mol, Lili Taylor, Chris Bauer, Jared Harris, Sarah Paulson, Cara Seymour, David Strathairn, John Cullum, Matt McGrath, Austin Pendleton, Norman Reedus, Dallas Roberts, Victor Slezak, Tara Subkoff, Kevin Carroll, Ann Dowd, Michael Gaston, Jefferson Mays, Peter McRobbie, Dan Snook
- Directors:
- Mary Harron
- Writers:
- Mary Harron, Guinevere Turner
- Studio:
- Icon
- Genres:
- Drama
- Collections:
- Cinema Paradiso's 2023 Centenary Club: Part 1, A Brief History of Film...
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Reviews (2) of The Notorious Bettie Page
Interesting look at American attitudes to pornography in the 1950's - The Notorious Bettie Page review by CP Customer
Gretchen Mol plays the title role really well, capturing the vulnerability and sweetness of Bettie Page. We look at her life and upbringing and while there are some awful things that happen to her, they are not exploited or overly dwelt upon. Bettie soon finds she has an appeal to the 'underground' pornography market, which seems quite amusing by today's standards when the photos are compared. The ridiculous attitude of the US Government is examined and the senate investigation sets out to prove that looking at pictures of women in underwear is subversive and weird.
1 out of 2 members found this review helpful.
Precisely the kind of Film you’d Expect from Mary Harron - The Notorious Bettie Page review by griggs
The Notorious Bettie Page is precisely the kind of film you’d expect from Mary Harron. Who better to give voice and agency to one of the most recognisable faces of the 20th century? Page’s image has been endlessly—and continues to be—replicated, exploited, fetishised and sold. Still, this film focuses on her reasons for being in front of the camera, her faith, her boundaries, and her quiet confidence. Gretchen Mol is splendid in the lead, portraying Bettie not as a victim but as a woman who made her own choices, even when those around her didn’t understand them. One moment that struck me was how she wasn’t even allowed to speak at the Senate hearings investigating pornography—her forced silence speaks volumes. My only gripe is that the film doesn’t go into her later life. Bettie struggled with severe mental health issues and, as a result, became reclusive for decades. I wish we’d seen more of that journey. Without the brief coda at the end, we learn very little of what Bettie Page actually thought and even less of what had been her ambition and goals.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.