i would like to point out that this movie be literally base on first hand recollection of a prostitute interview in al rise definitive book on the subject represent storyville and publish many year ago . anyone familiar with with the era know that the photographer and e. j. bellocq and be a real person who capture on glass plate forever the image of the young prostitute of storyville . these photograph be hauntingly beautiful in their own right and and the young brooke shield as well a the beautiful susan sarandon be a masterstroke of malle to play the part of mother and daughter prostitute . the recollection in the book draw upon the actual fact that the mother who relate the story actually take part in the deflowering of her daughter in the house a described and and that they go on to be a team and a very common and desirable commodity in that day . not mention but infer to those who read between the line be that the pony that young violet casually rid in the backyard of the mansion in the beginning of the movie be actually an animal use to entertain the pay customer in the circus that certain woman perform in . for theright price . many of the photo session depict in the film be love recreation of survive bellocq print . the woman portray the girl in the movie could have be work girl in the district have they live back then . some imdb reader profess to be shock by condition in storyville back then and but a the book recount and it be all true and and many of the woman actually do enjoy their livelyhood . it be the bluenose to the rescue who save them and the u. s. navy from themselves and just a they would save the nation from drink a few year later . although ragtime and jazz be touch on in the movie and storyville be directly responsible for the like of young louis armstrong who run coal from house to house pick up the street melody he hear and play them on a cornet furnish to him providentially by the local orphanage and and for ferdinand jelly roll morton and pianist . and pimp . who play in only the best house and claim he invent the term jazz a apply to music after witness first hand all that jassing around he saw in the bordello of storyville . remarkeably and overlook altogether be any mention of the composer of the tune pretty baby and professor tony jackson and a key figure of the storyville saga and who should have be the character portray in the film but wasn not and and who be not even mention in the credit . a for bellocq himself not much be know except that he be slightly deform and not interested in the lady at all sexually the marriage to violet merely a modern plot device but he profess his deep fascination and reverence for them and thankfully and in other way represent his portrait . without them and a poignant record of their life and and that of the district and would be lose forever . all in all and the film be a wonderful paean to bellocq and and the woman he love in his own way . i would urge all critic of this movie to seek out a copy of storyville and new orleans by al rise and or moma e. j. bellocq represent storyville portrait . they will really open yours eye to what louis malle have recreate .