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Not a Pretty Picture review
Fifty years after its release, Coolidge’s dramatisation of the key moments before and after her rape is still absolutely essential
TL;DR
- "Not a Pretty Picture" is a 1976 docudrama by Martha Coolidge, dramatizing her own teenage rape experience.
- The film combines dramatized scenes of the rape and its aftermath with behind-the-scenes footage of the filmmaking process.
- Actors like Michele Manenti, playing "Martha," openly shared similar experiences, enhancing the film's raw authenticity.
- The portrayal of the rapist, played by Jim Carrington, becomes more horrifying when he discusses his character's perspective on camera.
- The article questions whether such a daring film could be made today, highlighting its significance as a corrective to more innocent films of the era.
- It is described as a brilliant Brechtian experiment and an essential filmic document.