Year: 1965
Director: Saul J. Turrell
Country: U.S
Language: English
Theda Bara, Pola Negri, Lillian Gish, Gloria Swanson, Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Elizabeth Taylor, Ginger Rogers, Rita Hayworth and even the child star Shirley Temple! These are not only iconic female actors, but as The Love Goddesses points out, sex symbols. Women that have made other women jealous, and men absolutely wild. My personal favourite sex symbol is Rita Hayworth, though an arguement could be made for any of the women featured. The Love Goddesses is an enticing, insightful documentary that has me thinking long after the end credits.
This sixties documentary features some of the major and most beautiful actresses to grace the silver screen. It shows how the movie industry changed its depiction of sex and actresses' portrayal of sex from the silent movie era to the present. Classic scenes are shown from every era in effort to show just how beautiful and powerful these women are.
The Love Goddesses is a remarkably intelligent film. It does not go the obvious route, pointing out that "sex sells", rather it shows how the female icons of film reflect our view of women, femininity and sexuality in North American society. For instance, in the 30's the depression tightened up the American people's values, therefore a "free-wheeling" approach to sex was not longer accepted and the female stars of that time were innocent in looks and values, which is why Judy Garland and Shirley Temple became big stars.
Turrell's film gives us examples of a large variety of women from a variety of eras. He shows us famous film scenes which help as examples to further illustrate his point. The narrator chosen for this film, Carol King, is neither dull or too energetic, his voice is absolutely perfect for film narration. The film spends some time acknowledging the hardships women like Marilyn Monroe faced because they were primarily viewed as sex objects, but wisely keeps the time brief and manages to stay on subject.
In conclusion, The Love Goddesses is a remarkable odyssey through film and social history. For such a great film, it's strange that I haven't heard of it until I stumbled upon it on Criterion's Hulu page. Hopefully it will soon get the Criterion Collection release it deserves. Informative and bound to start a lengthy conversation, this documentary is a diamond in the rough. Praise it! 5/5
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