Saw Lola Montès, a film about the life of a socialite dancer Lola Montès. We begin with her as the star attraction of a circus. She dances and poses as the ringmaster cracks his whip. They are re-telling the story of her life, she the most scandalous woman on earth. We recalls love affairs with the composer Liszt, with captains and artists and even with royalty. The central engine of the film then is the mystery of what happened to her. How did she end up in sequins as a literal parade of acrobatic lovers dance by her? The film is a feminist tragedy, following a woman who lived as she liked and took advantage of men in a time when society did not permit such things.
The story of Lola's life is a bit tame by today's standards. There are only implied sex scenes and her love affairs are shocking but only for the time. I did particularly enjoy her casual fling with a college student and also her encounter with a composer's wife. It sounds salacious but much is implied and everything is off-screen. Also of course there's the inevitable circus waiting for her at the end.
In contrast, the circus is amazing and grotesque. Ushers in red suits and face-masks wander the audience, collecting quarters in cups fashioned after Lola's head. Dwarfs and clowns play out her life in a grotesque mockery. Throughout it she sits in the center, looking furious and humiliated, the femme fatal whose great crime was to live a remarkable life.
this film is a bit of a downer, but the sad story is made bearable by the over-the-top visuals and story-telling. It's mostly a romp for the eyes. It has a sad ending, but this is almost in keeping with the lurid, carnival-esque feel of the film. It reminded me a lot of Moulin Rouge(!), but a bit less self-aware and a bit less obviously goofy.
No comments:
Post a Comment