Main Cast: Theresa Russell, Benjamin Mouton, Antonio Fargas, Sanjay, Elizabeth Morehead
Release Year: 1991
Country: US
Run Time: 80 minutes
MPAA Rating: NC17
Plot
Russell's avowed purpose with Whore was to avoid the glamorous depiction of prostitution common to such slick Hollywood products as Pretty Woman. As played by Theresa Russell (no relation to Ken), the eponymous character lives a hellish existence. Relating her story directly to the camera, Russell introduces us to her no-good former husband (Jason Saucier), her brutish pimp (Benjamin Mouton), and the kinkiest of her "johns." Her one true friend, a bag man named Rasta (Antonio Fargas), also saves her life -- but not her soul. The film exists in three versions: an 82-minute R cut, an 82-minute NC-17 cut, and the 92-minute European version, which sometimes carries a rating, sometimes merely a disclaimer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Ken Russell invited plenty of ill will upon Whore with its in-your-face title and so-gritty-it's-downright-bleak approach. The world's oldest profession has typically been prettied up for the cinema (the "whore with the heart of gold" being one of its oldest archetypes), but Russell bucks that trend with such belligerence that it's nothing more than off-putting. Theresa Russell's dehumanization is so unyielding that the performance quickly becomes a caricature. She tussles with pimps, johns, and cops, she spouts disinterested dirty talk while rolling her eyes during intercourse. Ken Russell spends so much of the movie cramming home his message, and his agenda becomes abundantly clear so quickly, it's the viewer who's likeliest to become disinterested in no time at all. In some ways it's an update of Russell's equally polarizing Crimes of Passion (1984), which provided a pretty dingy glimpse into this world in its own right. Apparently convinced he wasn't hardcore enough back then, Russell strips even more soul from his characters for this go-around. The viewer gets backed into a corner in which all he or she feels is the contempt, none of the sympathy that might naturally arise from a true documentary, rather than a maverick attempt at ruthless fiction filmmaking that emulates the documentary form. By the end, the viewer just wants to cleanse the pallet and clean the VCR heads, but from feeling sullied, not shaken or moved. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
Michael Crabtree - Man in Car; John Diehl - Derelict; Robert O'Reilly - Young Man in Camero; Jason Kristofer - Shy Kid; Jack Nance - Man Who Helps Liz; Frank Smith - Charlie; Jason Saucier - Bill; Ginger Lynn Allen - Wounded Girl; Lee Arenberg - Violent Man; Joy Baggish - Flo; Jered Barclay - Dead Trick in Car; Daniel Beer - Bill's Drinking Partner; Stephanie Blake - 1st Stripper; Bobby Bruce - Strolling Violinist; John Carlyle - Shoe Fetish Man; Alisa Christensen - Lady in Toilet; Scott David-King - Cop on Bike; Barbara Eaton - 2nd Stripper; Sean Fitzpatrick - Cop on Bike; Linda Francis; Amanda Goodwin - Liz's Girlfriend; Scott Harte - Chris; Doug MacHugh - Man in Diner; Charles Macauley - Older Man in Car; Barbara Mallory - Rachel; Gail McMullen - Nurse in Convalescent Home; Bob Prupas - Maitre d'; Blanche Sindelar - Theater Cashier; Danny Trejo - Tattoo Artist; Tom Villard - Hippie; B.J. Ward - Theatre Manager; Ken Russell - Waiter; Daniel Quinn - Brutal Man
Credit
Naomi Shohan - Art Director, Amy Wells - Art Director, Linda Francis - Casting, Leonard Pollack - Costume Designer, Ken Russell - Director, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa - Editor, Mark Amin - Executive Producer, Michael Gibbs - Composer (Music Score), Michael D. Pariser - Production Designer, Richard B. Lewis - Production Designer, Amir Mokri - Cinematographer, Dan Ireland - Producer, Michael D. Pariser - Producer, Ronaldo Vasconcellos - Producer, Amy Wells - Set Designer, Jeff Smolek - Stunts, Deborah Dalton - Screenwriter, Ken Russell - Screenwriter, David Hines - Play Author
Whore is a 1991 film by British director and screenwriterKen Russell, starring actress Theresa Russell. While not a financial success grossing only $1,008,404, the film did attract some positive notices, and generated an unrelated sequel.
Plot summary
Liz (Russell) is a Los Angelesprostitute the audience first sees attempting to get a customer on a busy downtown street near a tunnel. She addresses the audience directly on her life and problems throughout the film. When a van stops by, she gives it the brush off, recalling the last time she serviced a man in a van: it turned out there were several other men in the van, who gang-raped her and left her for dead. A passer-by (Jack Nance) helps her to the hospital, and even pays her bill there. She sends him a thank you note.
Liz isn't merely attempting to get a customer, however: she is attempting to escape her pimp, Blake (Benjamin Mouton). Blake is a well-dressed, businesslike and extremely controlling man who catches up with her at a convenience store. He demands money, and Liz has no choice but to agree — though she gives him the finger as he leaves.
As Liz stops off at a strip club for a drink, she explains how she ended up as she did: she was a small town girl, who married a violent drunk named Charlie (Frank Smith). Though they have a child together, she can no longer take it and leaves him, taking her son with her, as he's sleeping it off. She takes a job on the graveyard shift at a diner, and when a customer offers her more money to have sex with him, she decides, given her rather low pay, to take it. She does this independently for a time until she meets Blake, who takes her to LA. Though Blake does do some things for her (including getting her tattooed), he is ultimately as cruel as her husband, so she decides to escape from him.
A local homeless person / street performer named Rasta (Antonio Fargas) decides to treat Liz to a movie. Though Rasta is a bit scary (his act involves walking on broken glass), Liz agrees. At this point the scenes of Liz and Rasta at the movie are intercut with Blake explaining his life to the audience, giving the impression that Liz and Rasta are watching Blake's soliloquy.
After the movie, Liz talks to the audience about her son, whom she clearly loves, though he's now in foster care. She finally gets a customer and services him. He has a heart attack, and Liz panics, trying to give him mouth to mouth resuscitation, without success. Blake happens along then. He takes Liz's money and tries to rob the dead customer. When Liz tries to stop him, Blake tries to strangle Liz and threatens her son. Rasta comes to the rescue, killing Blake. A grateful Liz gives her thanks and walks away.
Production details
Lacking large studio support, the film was produced and distributed by Trimark Pictures. The film's small shooting budget is reflected in the choppy editing and production value. Presumably to save on crew expenses, Ken Russell is listed as camera operator in production credits (under the name Alf). The original play on which the film was based was written by a Londontaxi driver, who based it on a conversation with a local prostitute he drove. Russell adapted the play to the screen as an answer to the film Pretty Woman released at around that same time.
The film was in limited distribution in U.S. movie houses, mainly due to it having received the dreaded NC-17 rating by the MPAA, did not achieve critical acclaim, and quickly moved into pay-per-view and VHS release.
In addition to its regular video release, Whore was also released on video with the title If You Can't Say It... Just See It. An unrelated direct-to-video sequel, Whore II, was released three years later in 1994, written and directed by Amos Kolleck.
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