Hollywood Likes the Redeemed Hooker
Last night, I watched L.A. Confidential for the first time since I had since it over a decade ago in its initial release. And while I agree that it’s a great movie which stands up, I still don’t get those who define it as one of the greatest movies, if not the greatest movie, of the last decade.
First, of all, the writing, acting and set direction were superb. I wish I could write dialogue like that! But, there was a bit too much violence. The shoot-out at the end was way over the top.
That said, one thing struck me about this movie was that it had a character who has many counterparts in American cinema, the redeemed hooker. It seems we Americans like films where our heroes fall for the whore and rescue her from her “fallen” life, redeeming her through romance. (Note to self: would a gay twist on this work? Or did Jim Fall already do that with the touching Trick? Nah, not quite . . . )
In L.A. Confidential, Kim Basinger plays Lynn Bracken who earns a living as a Veronica Lake lookalike turning tricks for a high class clientele. But, Russell Crowe’s Bud White, ever sensitive to abused woman, takes a fancy to the striking pseudo-blonde. And that fancy blossoms into romance.
Just as Richard Gere had fallen for Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman and John Wayne for Claire Trevor in Stagecoach. Even Belle Watling (Ona Munson) achieves a certain redemption in Gone With the Wind. Interesting isn’t it that the prostitute in American movies is almost never the subject of reproach and always a candiate for redemption.
Maybe this is as much a commentary on Hollywood as it is on America:Â we believe in second chances, that one’s youthful indiscretions do not prevent one from finding redemption and even romance.
19 Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Only when he or she is culturally and politically a left-liberal. Remember Jeff Gannon? Typically, left-liberals don’t even acknowledge his redemption. For example, one GP commentor always speaks of Gannon as a current prostitute, whether commenting in 2007 or in 2009.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — April 3, 2009 @ 9:44 am - April 3, 2009
Isn’t it a “redemption” that affirms the underlying cynicism of the left-liberal worldview, at least partly? It’s been awhile since I’ve seen the film. If I remember correctly, the romance would have been presented as a near-miracle (except that there is no God, of course) against the type of world-is-sh*tty, everyone-cheats-and-lies-and-backstabs backdrop that leftists tend to favor in art.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — April 3, 2009 @ 9:49 am - April 3, 2009
Big Hollywood argues to the contrary: Hollywood loves women as victims.
Comment by V the K — April 3, 2009 @ 10:06 am - April 3, 2009
ILC
I think you have been spending too much time in the blogoshpere
Everything doesn’t fall into the great left v right debate
Comment by gillie — April 3, 2009 @ 10:18 am - April 3, 2009
[...] & TV, and business betting. Now that’s entertainment you can bet on!Political Betting Hollywood Likes the Redeemed Hooker – gaypatriot.net 04/03/2009 Last night, I watched L.A. Confidential for the first time since I had [...]
Pingback by Posts about movie as of April 3, 2009 | Shirasmane — April 3, 2009 @ 10:34 am - April 3, 2009
#4 – We’ll remind you of your comment the next time you whine about how the “right-wingers” are messing up your life.
Regards,
Peter H.
Comment by Peter Hughes — April 3, 2009 @ 10:35 am - April 3, 2009
Heh.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — April 3, 2009 @ 11:06 am - April 3, 2009
Dan, I’m much more cynical than you in regards to Hollywood. (aside from John Wayne of course). I think Hollywood loves the hooker because they love demeaning women.
I find it very insulting to have all these hookers. Only Steve Martin was able to pull off an unbalanced love affair with a shop girl. At least she had the respect of an honorable job.
The rest of Hollywood has no respect for women – making them hookers is part of that mentality.
Comment by Leah — April 3, 2009 @ 11:07 am - April 3, 2009
The theme of falling from grace and being restored or saved probably as a lot to do with our Western and Christian roots than anything else. Christianity is all about saving and being saved from your sins, no matter how bad you are. I can think of a lot of ancient stories that deal with redemption, like the labors of Heracles.
Now why its a hooker? Probably because society looks down on them and they are generally marginalized group. They are easy devices to make the victim and to make objects of scorn, that they have fallen in society. And its a woman, because, men are often the heroes but there are stories of men finding redemption with a woman as the light so to speak.
And of course it can happy with a gay twist, slash fanfiction is full of hurt and comfort heh.
Comment by Darkeyedresolve — April 3, 2009 @ 11:08 am - April 3, 2009
My problem with it was the terrible miscast of Danny DeVito, an actor far too associated with goofy comedy roles to be taken seriously in a serious movie. I also didn’t think Basinger deserved the academy award for her competent but rather limited role and performance. Very good movie otherwise. The sets, costumes, and music hit the noir nail on the head.
I agree one of the themes in L.A. Confidential is redemption, but that includes both cops (and a posthumous redemption of the Kevin Spacey police role as well) and is not unlike a 1950s noir Faust or Parsifal (Wagner’s version). The male prostitute is apparently expendable, but I don’t know about drawing larger Hollywood conclusions from the movie.
Comment by Ignatius — April 3, 2009 @ 11:28 am - April 3, 2009
The heterosexual hooker gets redeemed, but the ambitious gay actor (he wasn’t a prostitute) dies…and gets laughed-about. For that era, it was “progressive and enlightened” that Det. White even bothered to nail the DA for his murder, and that was only as a means to an end….not justice.
Just another Hollywood flick following the Hayes Code; “the fag dies…”.
Comment by Ted B. (Charging Rhino) — April 3, 2009 @ 1:21 pm - April 3, 2009
Purported quip by a Hollywood producer:
Do I know Doris Day? I knew her before she was a virgin.
Comment by Roy Lofquist — April 3, 2009 @ 2:10 pm - April 3, 2009
#12 – Actually, that quip came from Groucho Marx during a live TV interview back in the late 1950s.
Regards,
Peter H.
Comment by Peter Hughes — April 3, 2009 @ 2:58 pm - April 3, 2009
Let’s not forget that the “hooker with a heart of gold” is a role that wins Oscars for actresses. Aside from Basinger, there’s Shirley Jones (Elmer Gantry), Elizabeth Taylor (Butterfield 8), Donna Reed (From Here to Eternity), Susan Hayward (I Want To Live), Charlize Theron (Monster), Mira Sorvino (Mighty Aphrodite), Helen Mirren (The Queen)…ok, I just threw that last one in to see if you were paying attention.
Comment by Draybee — April 3, 2009 @ 4:43 pm - April 3, 2009
Well…I guess Charlize Theron’s character didn’t have a heart of gold, but she was a hooker.
Comment by Draybee — April 3, 2009 @ 4:44 pm - April 3, 2009
LA Confidential is a great film and should have won best picture. (It lost to Titanic???)
To your point, GPW, redemption is a common theme not only in film but also in literature. Don’t we all want to believe that even the worst of us might, in some great moment of truth, do the right thing? For women, I suppose living a dishonorable life means being a prostitute. (There are so many more crime options for men, I suppose.) It did become something of a cliche in the 90s that it seemed that an actress’s only hope of an oscar nomination was playing a hooker or a nun. Talk about the Madonna-Whore complex!
Now for a more difficult challenge…how many movies feature characters who basically led respectable and ethical lives and then went horribly off track. I’m thinking of Bill Macy’s character in Fargo. Surely he didn’t set out to be a crook but he became one nonetheless.
Comment by Houndentenor — April 3, 2009 @ 5:03 pm - April 3, 2009
BTW, you missed one of the most interesting prostitutes in film history. Vivian Leigh in Waterloo Station. Okay, yes, melodramatic and a little preachy (the purpose of the film was to warn women about the dangers of this sort of thing as England was heading into WW2).
Comment by Houndentenor — April 3, 2009 @ 5:05 pm - April 3, 2009
mmmmm, Russell Crowe
Comment by American Elephant — April 3, 2009 @ 6:37 pm - April 3, 2009
Let’s not forget Bree (Jane Fonda) in Klute and Sally (Nancy Allen) in Blow Out.
Ted, you’re right — Baker plays an actor, but is his role gay or bisexual for the purposes of furthering his career? I seem to remember he had a girlfriend…or is that another movie?
Comment by Ignatius — April 3, 2009 @ 7:18 pm - April 3, 2009