Pretty Woman

Release date: March 23, 1990

Review date: April 2nd, 2016

Reviewer: Jessie

 

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Its a romantic fairytale...

 

Vivian is a street based, pimp-free prostitute who is very keen on having the rights to do what she wants with her customers. Edward is a successful charismatic businessman who was on a business trip in Los Angles. While driving back to his hotel from a social event, he got lost on Hollywood Boulevard. Here, he encounters Vivian who was scouting for a client. Initially only wanting to ask for direction, Edward was intrigued by Vivian’s wit and knowledge with cars and ended up hiring her for a night.  At the hotel, Edward treated Vivian with champagne and some strawberries and was later surprised that Vivian was flossing her teeth instead of doing drugs. The next day, Edward proceeds to hire Vivian for the entire week as his companion for upcoming social events. In the end, both fell in love with each other.

 

Given Vivian’s profession, it was not surprising seeing that Edward would automatically assumes that Vivian was doing drugs. Even in the beginning of the movie, it shows Vivian’s friend and roommate Kit (who was also a fellow street prostitute) was using their rent money to buy more drugs. It portrays the stereotype of female street prostitutes also being a drug addict. Although Vivian doesn’t do drugs, it does show how easy it was for them to have access given the environment they live in.

 

There were a few scenes that show off the unfair treatments that prostitutes get. When Vivian was asked by Edward to buy a nice dress for herself, she walks down Rodeo Drive (an area filled with high end, luxurious stores). Vivian attracted many distain attentions on the street and was eventually unwelcomed and insulted by a saleswoman because she dressed too provocative and considered unsophisticated. This is a more dramatic way to show that people do judge another by the way they appeal themselves and that if a lady does show more skin, they would be likely considered as somewhat a sex worker.  

 

Near the end of the movie, Edward offered Vivian to give her an apartment to help her off the street. However, Vivian refused and felt insulted. Perhaps this is what many other would do too, offering street sex workers money (or other material goods) so they could get off the street. It may be a good start, but in the long run it does not offer any skill set that would continue to keep them off the street. Also, when Phillip (Edward’s lawyer) came to hotel to look for Edward, finds Vivian alone in the room. He blames her for changing Edward’s mind on a million dollar business decision and tries to rape her. If Phillip didn’t know Vivian was a sex worker, maybe the anger would be taken out in a less violent way. However, because Phillip knew Vivian was a sex worker, the idea of raping her became something more legitimized since having sex is her “job” and therefore it’s okay.

 

Besides the unrealistic romance, the movie’s portrayal of a sex worker wasn’t too ridiculous or unbelievable. It did not up-play the roles by glamorizing it, nor did it downplay it by twisting the reality of sex work.

 

 

 

 

P.S. Did you know this movie initially had a very dark script that focuses on sex workers?

 

 

 

Overall SWIFT review:

 

• I give it 3.5 umbrellas given that the movie did address some problems sex workers face in society

• I like how the movie did not make the sex workers a victim of some tragic events