I went to a movie last night-"Writer of O"

I went to RAW last night to see "Writer of O" -a truly wonderful film. Here's the synopsis from Yahoo:


As a child growing up in New York, director Pola Rapaport recalls her teenage sister ardently trying to get her hands on a copy of of French author Pauline Reage's fiery, newly translated 1954 novel of erotica, THE STORY OF O, after reading a review of it in the newspaper. When Rapaport was old enough to read it, she became captivated by its violent sexuality--which she had difficulty believing to be the creation of a woman's imagination. In 1994, author Reage revealed herself to be Dominique Aury, an editor and translator at France's respected Gallimard publishing house--and a noted feminist--who composed O at the age of 47 in order to excite her married lover, literary giant Jean Paulhan--her senior by 20 years. Then, in 1998, during a trip to Paris, Rapaport's curiosity about this fascinating woman prompted her to contact Aury and arrange a visit. Their conversation was the inspiration for this personal documentary, which attempts to explain the evolving popularity of the book through a series of interviews, dramatizations of events from Aury's life, and softcore enactments of passages from the novel. The result is a touching look at a literary puzzle, with a little skin thrown in for the interest of the less literary minded.

This film has provoked a number of thoughts and reactions.

As a starting point, there are parallels (dangerous ones from my perspective) between the eras in which "The History of O" was first published and current time. The dichotomy between the US and the UK and the non anglo world (Canada excluded) are similar and striking. In the 50's and early 60's both in the US and the UK censorship was prevalent. Books were seized in both countries, burned and condemned as immoral and labeled dangerous to the fabric of our moral character (not my moral character-but then again much of the US present day citizenry would label me as immoral).

Irving Klaw was prosecuted for his "pornography" while books such as "Lolita" and "Tropic of Cancer" were siezed and burned by US Customs. Meantime, the rest of the world, led by yes, the French through Olympia and Gallimard were publishing Andre Gide, Burroughs, Reage, Nabokov and DeSade. Can an analogy be made to that form of cenorship then and present day censorship of the internet via 18 USC 2257? Have the Spanish, Italians and even the Canadians legalized same sex marriages while the US Catholic hierarchy and the Bushian lemmings attack a woman's freedom of choice over the control of her body while attempting to outlaw same sex unions? Um er ah, I think the answer is yes? So there's that!

On another level, the film is in some ways akin to reality TV. Here however, the reality is gripping. This is not about fat folk looking to lose weight but the story of a woman, a pioneering feminist who, had she gone public then, would have been castigated by whatever equivalent of the 50's NOW moral majority then existed. That reality grips me...

We're also introduced to a woman, a beautiful woman at the age of ninety, who, when a stinging commentary from the 50's moral majority is read to her by the interviewer labeling her writing as immoral responds simply: "War is immoral." Aury, quite simply was a courageous woman torn by her own yings and yangs who never viewed herself as a heroine.

Imagine the time and place. Aury was the only woman who was part of a powerful group of French intelligensia that included such figures as Camus (her office was only steps from his) and raised as a devout Catholic, supported her parents, lived at home and pursued an affair for decades with the powerful and much older Paulhan- a serial philander of beautiful women all over the continent.

More thoughts to come...