Review of Black Venus

This film exuberantly participates in the very abuse it purports to critique, debasing its actors, it audience, and most unforgivably, its subject. There is but one well-composed shot--of Saartjie and a journalist departing in a carriage--otherwise it is chock-full of lazily composed close ups of repulsive people doing repulsive things to an inscrutable, and hence utterly unknowable, totally cardboard, victim--one who can drink, smoke, cry, cough, yes, but what the hell is she thinking?! The director lets us in on nothing--she remains silent, acted upon, never reacting much less actually taking action! The one time in the screenplay that she resists unwelcome scrutiny, her decision is rendered incomprehensible by all the other exploitative events in the lamentable tale--based loosely, very, very, loosely, upon a true life-story. And sorry, but there is absolutely no need to cheapen the depth of the real woman's tragedy by all too simplistically literalizing (the totally un- historical) prostitution of Saartjie Baartman (note: I do not believe this is in any way a spoiler). Wow, I have never hated a movie this much--and I had high expectations because of thefascinating subject and because I very much enjoyed the filmmaker's "secret in the grain" (but for the indulgently long belly- dance) and "the games of love and chance"...but this one is hideously, monstrously, unforgivably, exploitative of a woman who has already suffered enough.