Mary Harron’s THE NOTORIOUS BETTIE PAGE (2005), starring Gretchen Mol in the title role, is sweet and fun, if not a bit too short and superficial. Early on in the movie, there is a brief suggestion of sexual abuse by her father, but with no further elaboration or clarification. I didn’t know what to make of that.
Mol is excellent with the limited material she is given to work with, playing a wholesome Southern Christian while modeling for photos and short movies that were considered extremely racy at the time (1950-1957). Ms. Page was a more complex person in real life than how she is portrayed in THE NOTORIOUS BETTIE PAGE. But, the overall look of the movie and old music used for much of the soundtrack are fabulous. Mol manages to capture the cheerful, vibrant persona Bettie Page exuded through all of her pinup photos and kinky short movies, many of them about bondage.
The campy playfulness over what this cultural icon did for a living for seven years comes through as a main theme and vibe in this production. This is cleverly juxtaposed with the portrayal of overly earnest morality policing by assorted characters in the mainstream establishment. They come across as ridiculous and hypocritical. This movie was written, directed, and produced by women, who relay a warm reverence for Ms. Page throughout, even though historical accuracy about her actual life is skimmed over and likely changed in places.
The Practical, Fanciful Pagan 