Many of the films I add to my video collection I would never have known existed save for stumbling upon them by accident. Earlier this year I revisited a DVD in my collection called 6 Ways to Sunday, which I originally purchased years ago because Deborah Harry of the rock group Blondie was in it. My first impression was that it is an excessively violent C-grade film that hasn’t quite made it to “cult” status yet. However, on second viewing I saw its principle story arc as being a couple of damaged people—one psychologically, one physically—who find something akin to “love.” I was particularly taken by the character of Iris, a sweet girl who had to walk with a leg brace and work as a maid:
I was curious about what else actress Elina Lowensohn had done, but the only A-list movie she ever appeared in was Schindler’s List, in a very brief but memorable role as a Jewish civil engineer who complained to Ralph Fiennes’ SS officer about the shoddy construction of a barrack, and was shot through the head for her trouble:
Lowensohn was born in Romania, and although she immigrated to the U.S. and became a U.S. citizen, she never lost her thick accent and most of the American films she appeared in seem to have been “art” films—meaning films hardly anyone has seen, and none of them I liked anywhere near as 6 Ways. In 2008, Lowensohn decided to try her luck in Europe, and if appearing in higher quality art film productions, they still appealed largely to a niche audience; the short film Boro in a Box was one I did regard as interesting enough to warrant a second look. Another was the 2010 French film Black Venus. Here is that “sweet” girl in that film:
Black Venus (not to be confused with the erotic film years earlier with the same title) is a difficult film to watch from the start. We are introduced to the French naturalist Georges Cuvier (Francois Marthouret) speaking before a group of scientists in a lecture hall in the Paris Royal Academy of Medicine in 1815. Cuvier reveals that the so-called “Hottentot Apron” is not a myth. He presents a statue of a nude female Bushman. The “apron” is an elongated labia, which an “example” is passed around in a jar, and is described in lurid detail by Cuvier.
While he admits that there should be no assumed correlation between the female Bushman and apes, their fleshy posteriors do resemble that of mandrills and baboons. On the other hand, her skull resembles that of an “ape.”
Cuvier goes on to say that contrary to other opinions, her people did not give rise to the civilizations of ancient Egypt. He presents a rather small, shrunken skull of an Egyptian mummy, and declares it the same “race” as Europeans. The skull of the female Bushman, on the other hand, represents “eternal inferiority.”
The film unfortunately accurately portrays Cuvier’s views on race and Africans in particular. As the film proceeds we learn that this is the epilogue of the story, and going forward is the more or less true story of the sad and cruel existence of Saartjie Baartman (Yahima Torres), the “Venus” of the title, her “stage” name being the “Hottentot Venus.” Saartjie was a member of the Khoikoi people, the original inhabitants of southern Africa. She was a servant of the Afrikaner family of Hendrick Caezar (Andre Jacobs). We learn that Caezar had observed the success in Cape Town of parading Africans—particularly women with large posteriors—as “entertainment” for white audiences, including British soldiers. In 1810 he came into contact with Alexander Dunlop (Jonathon Pienaar) a Brit who served as the “sponsor” for Hendrick and Saartjie’s “act” in Britain to see if they could make money putting on similar “shows” there.
We find that what British audiences found “entertaining” was confirmation of the preconceived beliefs the provincials had about Africans. Hendrick, serving as the “master of ceremonies,” assures the crowd that Saartjie isn’t an animal and they are completely “safe,” but she is still “astonishingly different.” This requires her to be presented as a wild animal, locked in a cage, a savage from the darkest Africa. The crowd is both fascinated and apprehensive. Hendrick bangs on the cage and commands her to stand up like he would a dog. Saatjie stares at the audience with a wild look, then rattles the cage. She is let out of the cage on a leash attached to her neck. She rushes at the crowd, but Hendrick holds her at bay with a whip.
But then Hendrick reveals that after “hard training,” he has taught her to at least walk like a European woman, which Saartjie does with a few shakes of her enormous posterior, which draws loud applause. She then surprises the crowd by playing a crude musical instrument, although the crowd soon disapproves because it is contrary to their stereotypes. Hendrick, sensing the crowd’s displeasure, ends that performance, and forces Saartjie to start hissing like a feral cat, and finally to engage in a crude dance featuring more shaking of her posterior, which the audience is encouraged to touch in order to discover for themselves that it is "real."
This is all very hard to watch, but it is representative of the reality of the times and cannot be dismissed just because one does not want to admit the truth of the ugliest forms of racism. After the show, we learn that Hendrick is concerned enough about Saartjie feelings about what she is expected to do, and we see that he at least allows her to sleep on a real bed in the rooming house they share. In the morning, we see her drunk and smoking a cigar. She is sulking because of course she doesn’t like doing the show, and it isn’t what Hendrick had promised she would be doing, which is to sing and dance. “I am not a harlot,” she tells him. He reminds her he has left his farm and family to make a lot of money for the both of them, so they can return to Cape Town “rich.” She might not like the act, but they have to give the audience the “show” they expect to see.
After the next performance he buys her some nice clothes and she rides a coach in the English countryside, with two African boys in tow who are supposed to attend to her needs. The English seem not to be particularly disturbed by her appearance. She even is allowed to trade in her hat for one she likes better.
That evening we encounter Jeanne (Lowensohn) in that drinking contest, overseen by her pimp/manager Reaux (Olivier Gourmet), which she wins over a male competitor. Soon, however, Saartjie’s “performances” attract the attention of those who are concerned about the apparent abuse she is suffering, and cannot believe she is doing this by her own free will. Hendrick receives a visit from concerned members of the African Institution. Next they are in a courtroom. The prosecutor insists that the show is not an “act,” but cruel exploitation. Hendrick and his solicitors insist she is willing and paid for her “work,” and that it is wrong to mistake representation for reality. But no one else in the courtroom believes she is a free woman and an “artist” or “actor.”
Saartjie, however, testifies on her own behalf that she is a “willing” participant, and she is not a slave, which only elicits murmurings of disbelief and accusations that she is being told what to say. She insists that she is acting. She claims to be a full “partner” and is paid to perform. She has no desire to return home until she makes more money. The magistrates dismiss the case based on her testimony, and the court is adjourned. The prosecutor, however, points out that even a Hottentot can find justice in England if she wishes.
Afterwards Hendrick decides they need to leave Britain and take their show to France, where they are joined by Jeanne and Reaux. They now perform in parlors before French high society, with Saartjie still the principle “entertainment.” However, Reaux takes over the “animal trainer” duties, and the “performances” take on an even more abusive tone, even to the disgust of Hendrick. Saartjie is forced on her hands and knees and allow “brave” people to sit on her back and “ride” her.
But unlike the English audience, the French aristocrats are impressed by her ability to repeat note-for-note on her own instrument what a violinist has just played on his.
Still, Reaux makes shaking her posterior her main “act,” which Hendricks thinks will get them in trouble for indecency; but Reaux tells him this is France, not Britain, and no one gives a damn.
Saartjie rides in a carriage with a French journalist who wants a good story. He is disappointed that she is not a “princess,” just a servant. His inquiries cause her to cry, and he is sympathetic, realizing she is lonely. Cuvier then shows up after a performance and announces he wants to examine her to prove she has the distinctive traits of the “species” of Hottentot, which includes the “Hottentot Apron.” Hendrick and Reaux agree to have her “examined” in exchange for a considerable sum of money. Measurements are taken of an almost completely nude Saartjie, save for the garment that covers her “apron” which she refuses to take off. Cuvier makes observations concerning her anatomy that he claims resemble that of an Orangutan. She continues to be obstinate, even when offered money to reveal her “apron”; when Cuvier attempts to forcibly remove her garment, she grabs his crotch to make her objections more clear to him. Saartjie then runs off to cover herself, screaming in outrage when one of the French scientists tries to take a “peek” at her “apron” while she is dressing.
Hendricks and Reaux are furious at her because they will not be paid because she didn’t show them her “apron,” which only reveals their own complete insensitivity to even allowing Saartjie the slightest bit of modesty that any woman in European society would have the right to expect. Hendrick decides to take his share and leaves for home, not even inquiring if Saartjie wants to return with him. The show goes on, but of an even more degrading nature with Hendrick gone. One day Reaux goes too far, and when Saartjie begins crying and is clearly not having “fun”—especially when Reaux starts whipping her for “embarrassing” him—it upsets the audience because they are also no longer having any “fun,” and leave to seek other parlor amusements.
With the act no longer a popular attraction, Reaux “hires” out Saartjie and Jeanne as prostitutes at a French brothel. Saartjie becomes sick with an advanced stage of venereal disease, and is kicked out of the brothel and is forced to “work” on her own, although Jeanne promises her that they will go out on the road together when the winter is over. One day alone in her room she has coughing fits, falls over and dies. Reaux sells her body to Cuvier, who finally gets to examine her “apron.” A cast is made for the statue seen earlier in the film. Saartjie’s labia is cut out and placed in a jar, and her brain is removed and weighed. A cloth is put over the statue in the auditorium; the film ends moments before what we saw at the beginning of the film.
As mentioned before, this is not
a film to watch if one wants to be “entertained.” One feels only shame and
disgust that such things could have happened to the dignity of a human being. I’m
not sure who the target audience of this film was supposed to be, unless it
is for people who want to indulge in self-congratulation that the world has “evolved”
from this. No doubt some will be lost in denial, or fail to see the "point." But the film is important as a historical and educational representation
of the lowest depths of racism of even so-called “intelligent” societies, and
certainly needed to be made; a simple documentary could not have revealed the
ignorance of social and “scientific” racism and its effect on both victim and
victimizers that leaves little room for compromise or explanations.
No comments:
Post a Comment