Pretty Baby
In 1917, in the red-light district of New Orleans, they called her Pretty Baby
Internationally acclaimed director Louis Malle has taken a taboo subject–child prostitution– and created in Pretty Baby a film of humanity and beauty. E.J. Bellocq (Keith Carradine) is a photographer in 1917 obsessed with the prostitutes in New Orleans’ red-light district. Violet (12-year-old Brooke Shields), a young girl, bewitches Bellocq with her curiosity and naïve coquettishness. Malle’s level-headed treatment of this controversial theme and exceptional performances by the entire cast (especially Susan Sarandon as Violet’s prostitute mother) make Pretty Baby a must-see for all serious film fans.
Critic Reviews:
- " A sentimental education beautifully played by both Carradine and Brooke Shields. " – Tom Milne
- " Louis Malle's Pretty Baby is a pleasant surprise: After all the controversy and scandal surrounding its production, it turns out to be a good-hearted, good-looking, quietly elegiac movie. " – Roger Ebert
- " Pretty Baby is a radically subversive product, presented in an elegant and precious packaging. " – Fernando Trueba
