April 29 2006
The Notorious Bettie Page
Ever since Dave Stevens’ depiction of Bettie Page in The Rocketeer comic back in the 1980s (arguably the catalyst for her cult status in the past couple decades), I’ve been a fanatic. As the obsession with the former pin-up queen spread around the world, details of her personal life have gradually surfaced. She’s had an unusual life, and incidentally it’s nice to know she’s still living comfortably and thinks fondly upon the renewed adoration.
Her pictures, a perfect combination of girl-next-door charm and alluring mystery, are of course pretty tame compared to what the “glamor photo” industry cranked out since she left the scene. But during the 1950s she found herself in the middle of a tumultuous legal mess over then-developing pornography laws. Between the courts making her a symbol for the death of morality in America, and her strict southern upbringing, it’s no surprise that Bettie found solace in the church after her modeling career. What is surprising is that she never seemed to consider her religious devotion and her risque career at odds.
For such a beloved and controversial figure, it’s curious that a major movie biography has been so late in coming. Still, Mary Harron’s new biopic is a pretty indie affair. The Notorious Bettie Page is considerably better than previous attempts to capture the underground star’s story on film or video, most notably a thin made-for-TV overview, and the rather disappointing Bettie Page: Dark Angel. Harron’s version takes a highly stylized approach to the era, filmed in mostly grainy black and white with occasional “home movie” scenes in fuzzy, saturated color. Also stylized are the performances by Gretchen Moll as Bettie, Lili Taylor and David Strathairn as the sibling photographers who distributed the bulk of Bettie’s images, and the actors playing her boyfriends and husbands. Despite all the depictions of smut studios and re-enactments of Bettie’s famous poses, the film doesn’t come across as raunchy. It’s actually rather sweet and nostalgic, presenting Ms. Page’s troubled history in a gentle frame. The result is unfortunately not as dramatic as modern audiences expect from sensationalist biopics. The movie definitely appears cheesy compared to big budget life stories like Walk the Line. It may be that the only way to capture the essence of the star of a kitschy, cobbled-together medium is through a degree of slap-dash production. But for us rabid Bettie fans who are used to taking our doses in age-worn dribs and drabs, it’s a fine tribute.
