from www.technorati.com - Sometimes, when a reader disagrees with a reviewer’s opinion, the question asked is “Did you even watch this movie?” (or “read this book” or “listen to this CD”). Up until today, I could answer, “Yes.” My feelings about pornography are very simple: it’s none of my business what willing adults do.
Watching the beginning of the documentary The Price of Pleasure exposes the viewer to pornographic images. Many pornographic images. While various experts speak on the subject of the effect of the pornography business on women and society, college students describe their negative reactions to their first encounters with Playboy or pornographic films, and statistics about the millions of pages of internet pornography, the billions of dollars pornography earns, and ties major communications companies have with the porn industry are revealed, the filmmakers (Miguel Picker and Chyng Sun) counter with explicit footage from pornography events and films.
The filmmakers “take a look at the industry from a different perspective—purely intellectual… [with] an analytical evaluation on how pornography has shaped our culture and challenge the viewer to examine how the industry impacts our lives, our relationships and our sexual well-being.” Somehow, it seems that they could have met these goals without cramming so much explicit sex into their documentary. While some of the scenes are distasteful, others are disturbing. (It was shocking to find that although child pornography is illegal, some techies have produced “virtual child pornography,” which is constitutionally protected free speech. The images Sun and Picker chose to illustrate this “art” are revolting.)
I don’t live under a rock, and I am not a puritan. I am a person who enjoys the documentary form for both entertainment and enlightenment. That being said, I cannot fairly review The Price of Pleasure because it is so far out of my comfort zone, sphere of experience, whatever… that it strikes me only as an explosion of pornography and degradation. I couldn’t even guess if people will watch it for its educational value or for titillation, and I’m unwilling to speculate.
And, so, dear readers, you are on your own. I could not watch the entire film, and doubt I made it to the quarter mark. If you like pornography, or you want to learn more about the business and need a lot of visual aids, you may find The Price of Pleasure a worthy effort.
