there be no way to argue something like this . no pubescent 12 year old girl should be show in a movie topless and especially not a movie about child prostitution . it bad enough that child prostitution actually exist in the world but to exploit a 12 year old girl in the making of this movie be bitterly ironic and director louis malle and the producer should have go to jail for this . brooke shield parent should have also go to jail for make a little girl take her clothes off for a movie they have no right . the point that this story be tragic and horrific can be make without have a barely adolescent 12 year old girl take her clothes off . in all fairness should we also have a movie about a 12 year old boy who prostitute himself during the depression era ( this certainly happen ) . should he have frontal naked scene so the film can drive home the point that he be sodomize . these naked scene notwithstanding let call it art . we all know a film about a 12 year old male prostitute with frontal nudity will never be make in hollywood and so what make it okay to have a 12 year old girl show frontal nudity . at 12 shield be a minor and can not legally make a decision whether she will appear nude in a film . and her parent have no legal right to decide that she will appear nude in a film . this movie end up do the very thing it criticize sexually exploit a child .