i wouldn not say that pretty baby and direct by louis malle and have the overall audacity of the main art house european direct sexual trip of the 70 and last tango in paris and but it come close and very close . it a scathing and unflinching look at the downtrodden woman of a 1920s whorehouse in new orleans . what most shocking of all and and what malle understand about such subject matter and be that the best approach with this material be truthful and and to not be exploitive in the sense of manipulative character ( situation be another thing ) . there really not much in way of it go through anything specific in be stylize . if anything and a i recall and malle style here be to try and not seem apparent much and if that possible and with a very controlled sense of pace and how scene should move . the implication raise in the picture be the sort that would probably get shot down in flame by the religious right and though mostly around the brooke shield character . to say that it not perhaps a masterpiece be not off the mark . but it an important work nonetheless and and one that be really hard to forget or ignore once finish . shield play the daughter of a work prostitute and play by susan sarandon with total class and southern finesse with the men and but never too un wise around her daughter . it the time of jazz and at least jazz come into a much great bloom and and sex and general decadence be right there for the take in such an environment that the pretty baby of the title resides . she use to it all though and and shield play this character with total bravery i almost wonder how much she be tell of it all and and what she bring a intuition or have to just know the state of mind of her all too young character . malle doesn not keep thing totally helpless and a he have a photographer and play by keith carradine . he probably the most level head and right mind of any of the male character ( aside maybe from the band member who just do not take part in any shenanigan ) . but then come the problem of moral sarandon isn not the one who fall for carradine and but shield really . but be it really love and or affection and or just the possibility of leave he house . the most controversial part of all of this come down to this really underage sex and or rather a form of twisted and really non consensual sex that end up just skim the line of bad taste . but it be in bad taste to show subject matter like this . it a tale of perversion and and how psychology end up get right into the cross hair of it and so such material should be up on the storyline . what interesting be to see the break the virgin part take time to unfold and and how it do and and how ugly it all become the further it go along . shield play it right though and and her range of emotion for the character be actually stunning and and almost make sarandon keep up with what go on . there a heap load of nudity overall and include a hot bit with sarandon and carradine and but really malle be after the whole insulate world of this whorehouse and and how be true to oneself end up clash with the un yielding mind set of those come in with a wad of bill and a set goal . it skid with be cringe worthy and and i have a very distinct memory of probably cringe at one point . it not great and but it really memorable in the way that matter . a .