…and then they all went to the seashore. – Ilya (Melina Mercouri)
We recently watched several movies, three of which were sent to me as gifts by readers (I picked up the last one on a double-feature disc at Big Lots for $3). If you’re interested in seeing other reviews I’ve done in the past two years, take a look at my filmography page.
Never On Sunday (1960) Ilya is the most popular whore in Piraeus, the port of Athens; she entertains the sailors by swimming near the ships, and every Sunday she has an open house with music and food for her friends and clients. She loves her life until she meets Homer Thrace, a moralistic American busybody who views her as a symbol for the decline of Greece and sets about trying to “save” her, with his efforts bankrolled by a local landlord who would love to see Ilya out of the business so she stops trying to organize the other whores in a rent strike against him. My description cannot possibly do this movie justice; you just have to see it for yourself. It’s one of those films that just makes you feel good, and unlike most American films on the subject it does not end with the “rescue” of the “fallen woman”, but rather a declaration that Ilya and her life are just fine as they are. Highly recommended!
New Orleans (1947) This movie is worth seeing for the performances by jazz greats including Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, “Kid” Ory and Woody Herman, but it could’ve been so very much better than it was that I just can’t give it a good review. First of all, though the first half of the movie takes place in Storyville, the face and fate of the District is whitewashed (both figuratively and literally). The film tries to make it seem as though the District was mostly casinos and music clubs with prostitution as but one seedy component (that the other businesspeople look down on); in reality the music and bars revolved around the brothels. Here, the District is closed down by local pressure from “society” snobs; in reality, most New Orleanians were happy with the system and the pressure was externally applied by the prudish Secretary of the Navy. And though the story should’ve been about the inhabitants of Storyville it’s instead a sort of “Lady and the Tramp” thing where a Yankee opera singer falls in love with the “scoundrel” club owner. And though I love the song “Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans”, once or twice would’ve been enough.
Pretty Baby (1978) This movie, which presents a far more realistic view of life in Storyville than New Orleans does, is a perfect example of how much more repressive and anti-sexual our culture has become; there is simply no way it could be made in the United States today. 12-year-old Brooke Shields is Violet, the daughter of a prostitute who was born and raised in a brothel; though her virginity is auctioned off at the end of the first act it’s made clear that she was working before that, though “only for French” as her mother (Susan Sarandon) tells a client. And does this life “destroy” her or make her into a pathetic, empty husk of a girl? Nope; her life is normal to her, and her loss of virginity a rite of passage which is celebrated by the whores and the other kids alike. The beauty of the movie is that it is neither judgmental nor glamorized; director Louis Malle presents the events dispassionately and leaves the viewer to make his own judgments about the relative morality of the people and events depicted therein. All in all, a much better film than I expected, and if Brooke Shields had continued to develop her acting skills from the extraordinary promise and screen presence she displays here, she would’ve become a superstar rather than a relatively minor actress.
Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970) The 4th Hammer Dracula film begins with an extended scene in which three respectable gentlemen visit an exclusive brothel and meet the disinherited son of a nobleman who dabbles in black magic, but appears to mostly use it for supporting himself by playing pimp. The three have a sort of secret club dedicated to experiencing every exciting, forbidden thing they can think of, and the pimp promises to show them a black mass but in reality tricks them into reviving Dracula from the powder into which he crumbled after his destruction at the end of Dracula Has Risen from the Grave. As in most of the Hammer Dracula outings, Christopher Lee has so few lines he probably memorized them in ten minutes and the plot is as full of holes as a Swiss cheese; furthermore, the ending of this one is almost completely inexplicable. But as usual, the sets and costumes are gorgeous, the women more so, and the sexual undertones are…well, if you like Hammer films, you already know.
Never on Sunday is one of the best films ever made on the subject.Ilya is very much a symbol for Greece,whom the foreign superpowers are trying to ”rescue”,but she keeps rebelling against any type of attempt to be controlled.the situation is still alive today,perhaps now more than it was in 1960.the actress that played the role of Ilya,Melina Mercury is also a national symbol.
When I was writing this column I read about how she joined Parliament and eventually the cabinet. I was very impressed with her; it’s too bad she isn’t better known in the English-speaking world.
Was this ever covered here? It’s a couple of months old …
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/06/17/prostitutes-are-scapegoated-as-hiv-panic-grips-athens.html
You gotta kinda read around some of the “trafficking” liturgy – but the bottom line is there is some kind of HIV epidemic in … Greece?
Kind of confusing – says the outbreak is due to gay men, but says that many female sex workers have been discovered with it. Apparently Grecian authorities are reacting in pretty damaging ways.
You know, if Greece can just keep order and keep the place clean and safe – I really think a lot of tourism would flood into the country to help ’em out, especially if they end up back on the drachma. The place is kind of the cradle of civilization – at least for the Western world – so there’s certainly some interest in seeing it. Personally, I’ve never been there – but would love to go.
As far as Grecian sex workers go – if they can’t get a good deal in Greece anymore – they should strike out for another EU nation like Germany. It’s apparently pretty easy to get working permits to get across borders within the EU. I’ll tell you – that after I go through customs at my European POE … after that … I AM ASTONISHED at how easily I move from country to country – without anyone even looking at my passport! Amazing!
Yep. Scroll down to “The Scarlet Letter“.
lots of diseases have been on the rise,even diseases that have disapeared from the western world,like tuberculosis or typhoid fever because of the sick illegal immigrants that come from non western countries.some streets in the centre of Athens are full of nigerian sex workers,who might have been sick before they even become sex workers.also,illegal prostitution is more rampant than legal,mostly because of the greek beaurocracy and its deadly mistakes,which causes exploitation,especially in times,where the economic difficulties mean that some women might offer sex without condom for 20 or 30 euros. the number of drug users has also increased,in hard times people might seek means to numb their pain.the truth is as you said,though that gay men are the biggest reason for hiv,which is largely because gays are very much shamed by the greek society.
the authorities,now-what they did was have the vice cops arrest girls from the illegal brothels from Athens and force them to get tested.those that came out positive had their pictures,full names and addresses published.what was the reason behind it?easy-elections were close,in which the governing party would face an armageddon.the two ministers( of health and public order) who needed the votes of the citizens of the central area of Athens,where most immigrants live organised a scheme to get rid of them.since most of the sex workers there are immigrants,they found a convenient way to deport them and also a cheap way to
pretend they care about public safety.
also,although there are certain dangerous places,Greece is not a dangerous country to visit.there are 10.000.000 tourists here each year and have a great time.there is no reason to be afraid,especially if you use a holiday package,which will help you get directed to where to go.
lastly,although youre right that greek sex workers will have a better life in a european country that has legalised prostitution,there is no way for the immigrant ones to leave for the reason that Greece has such a big problem with illegal immigration at the first place.the short monkey-thats the pet name for a former prime minister- has sighned a regulation with the name”dublin 2”,which dictates that the first country that immigrants will find themselves in,will be the one,where they have to stay.Greece, because of its geographical position,is where most immigrants from former Soviet Union,Yugoslavia and the Middle East find themselves in and although they want to move to other european countries,they are stuck here.
A buddy and I were discussing this the other day … he calls it “alles ohne” (AO), which is German and means “all without”.
There seems to be a rising trend all over Europe where sex workers are offering AO for a higher price – but not even really that much higher – like only 20 to 50 Euros in some cases and this isn’t always the low-rent hookers either. Our interest was in trying to figure out a way to determine which girls offer AO – so that you can stay away from them (because some of them do it kind of selectively and you don’t always know). But then, duh, we finally determined that even if a girl didn’t offer AO to a client – she probably did to a boyfriend or husband … or someone else. So there is no real way to get away from the barebacking cowgirls. That’s why it’s always important to “wrap it”.
I just hate to see women take their health this casually for a few Euros more. 🙁
I have never seen ANY of these movies.
I think the only one that interests me is “Never on Sunday” – so I’ll try to find that one somewhere.
“Pretty Baby” … see, no matter how “open minded” I try to be I simply am unable to make a sympathetic character out of a mom selling her 12-year old’s virginity. I just can’t get there from here. 🙁
Susan Sarandon’s character isn’t at all sympathetic; if anything, she’s the closest thing to a villain the movie has (though that still isn’t very close).
Oh Maggie, how can you comment on Never on Sunday without reference to the music? If Nana wasn’t the original, she is the greatest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO1PHWNOn8k
(ignore the crap visuals, just listen)
Crap visuals? The video starts with a kitten in a rose! 😉
.
I knew I remembered the tune from somewhere
Another notable movie was Intergirl – the most popular Russian film of 1989. It did a great service in presenting a prostitute in a sympathetic light, which had not previously been the case in the Soviet Union.
Maggie,
I should have asked this on your “Favorite Musicals” post, but I’m curious.
Have you ever seen “Paint Your Wagon” as adapted from the Lerner and Loewe stage play? It starts Lee Marvin, Clint Eastwood and Jean Seberg and I believe it has the distinction of being the only film in which Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin “sing.”
If so, what did you think of it?
By the way, my grandfather, a self-taught musician who played trumpet in a dixieland band, conducted choirs and taught himself to play the organ, absolutely loved the music from “Never on a Sunday.” I don’t know if he knew where it came from, but he sure could rock it on the organ.
For instance, one day in my late teens, I visited my grandparents’ house and he was playing “Yesterday.” Now he HATED the Beatles; called them “those long-haired knuckleheads.” So when he’s done, I say, “So, Grandpa, I didn’t know you liked the Beatles.”
“I don’t. They’re a bunch of longhaired knuckleheads!”
“Well, you’re playing one of their songs.”
“Nonsense. This was written by Lennon and McCartney.” (Shows me the sheet
music.)
“Yup. The two lead singers for the Beatles.”
He sits there, fulminating for a moment, then, “Well, I guess that no one is COMPLETELY useless.”
Just for context, he was born in 1902… and this was in the late 70’s
Yes, I’ve seen Paint Your Wagon; it’s one of my husband’s favorites though I find it a bit slow and overlong. My favorite song from that one is “They Call the Wind Maria”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DrOqRQQ9mg
Well, I saw Pretty Baby about 30 years ago on my family’s TV, and Brook Shields’ character looks and acts so much like a little girl that I couldn’t help but see the others in the brothel as villains. I mean, she didn’t even have boobs. But maybe if I view the film again, might change my mind.
“pretty baby” is one of my favorite movies.makes me so sad when storyville closes,too bad the government had to ruin a good thing
I love old Hammer! Sure, the story of TTBOD is total rubbish – eeevil caricatures of Victorian patriarchs terrorize laughably sanitized younger generation (although there is one obnoxious, Dracula-worshipping pimp) – but look of Victorian Gothic is gorgeous and atmospheric. Don´t take it too seriously – I sure as hell didn´t! – and it´s great fun.