The nudity doesn't ultimately add anything to the story (hence porn) and the nudity in question is of a child (hence child porn). If the movie was exactly the same but the lead actress was older, no one would make the argument that the nudity added anything, because the whole point of it is the added impact it makes thanks to Brooke Shields being twelve. Seems pretty straightforward to me.Giving the film-makers the benefit of the doubt, it seems to assume we're going to have a particular reaction to child nudity, something like "oh no, how awful it was for children in that situation back then!" But all the truly unpleasant abuse has to occur off-screen for obvious reasons, so any dramatic impact is toothless. None of the nudity is placed within a context that forces the audience to confront how awful it is, on the contrary it's all supremely tasteful, partly thanks to the whitewashed characterization of the most artificially appealing pedophile in cinema history, Bellocq. And by using real child nudity in an attempt to demonstrate how exploitative of children people were back then, the film ignores its own message.It doesn't help that there effectively is no story. There's almost no focus on what Violet is actually feeling at all, instead there's an alternation between scenes where she acts like a child and scenes where she earns her keep as a prostitute. I got the impression I was supposed to sympathize with the character solely because she was a child in a sh!tty situation, not because the writers gave her interesting traits, or at the very least, conveyed an impression of how she saw the world.We could argue how to define porn, of course, but I don't think that's difficult: it's where the nudity is the point. If this movie hadn't had Brooke Shields naked no one would even remember it, as there's little dramatic content and no plot. The main character has, from beginning to end, no ultimate control over her fate - and regardless of how realistic that is it still makes for a lousy story. If they had made the narrative more character-based, so it hinged on something that Violet could have some influence over, perhaps a story about a child prostitute in this era could have worked... but not like this.1/10, one of the most pathetically misguided art-house exploitation flicks ever.

This was another grown-up movie I read about as a child and was curious about that I finally got to see. Since this was the one where then 12-year-old Brooke Shields played a girl raised in a brothel where her mom Susan Sarandon worked, I wondered how I'd react to some scenes where Ms. Shields was about to be deflowered by a middle-aged man or some of her nude scenes. While I did occasionally pause at some points before anticipating such sequences, I was only mildly surprised at what was depicted or implied as director Louis Malle handled such material with great restraint. Besides the two players I mentioned, Keith Carradine also should be commended for portraying the house photographer Bellocq as someone who gets very concerned whenever Shields in particular gets treated badly yet can't always control his emotions when she misbehaves. I also liked Antonio Fargas' performance as the house piano man. All those I've just mentioned, as well as the rest of the cast and crew, should be commended for the way they depicted what it must have been like in 1917 in the Storyville section of New Orleans, Louisiana, during that time when the U.S. had just entered the first World War and the morality police were about to close places like the one depicted here. Certainly, since I live about a two-hour drive from where this all took place and was filmed in, it raised my awareness of what things were like there in the early 20th century and makes me want to learn more about it. Anyway, Pretty Baby should not be condemned as child pornography as like I said, there's no erotically explicit scenes of sex and it's not the only thing it's about anyway. And besides, Ms. Shields seems to have done all right by herself considering the subsequent films she made concerning her sexuality...

Pretty Baby is based on the diaries of a woman named Violet who grew up in the brothels of New Orleans. It is also based on the story of Ernest J. Bellocq, a photographer who worked in the same area.There have been numerous reviews written about the film and it's controversial subject matter. Violet is born into a brothel just like her mother and it is here that she enters into the profession herself.I would just like to say that the film is my favorite because of the atmosphere and the way the film is shot. We are voyeurs here. Watching a small window of time involving the people of this brothel in 1919. The sets and costumes all are perfectly done reminding one of an old oil painting. Muted colors, drapes, carpets, couches and ornate wall dressings all add to the mood of the film and you can't take your eyes off of it.People looking for an action film are not going to enjoy this at all. But if you enjoy thoughtful period pieces you will probably enjoy this despite the subject matter.I've watched it probably 50 times and dig it out once a year to enjoy it.

Set in 1917 New Orleans. This is the story of a brothel and the women working there. One of them, Hattie (Susan Sarandon), has a 12 year old girl named Violet (Brooke Shields). Bellocq (Keith Carradine) pays to photograph the women but doesn't have sex with any of them. However he seems strongly attracted to Violet who is being set up to be a prostitute like her mom.This sounds a lot worse than it plays. It was hugely controversial when it came out mostly because Shields was 12 and has nude scenes. The subject matter alone caused outrage but seriously...this film has no impact. It's extremely low key to a ridiculous degree. Everything is done in such a calm laid-back manner that it doesn't seem even remotely exploitive. Considering the subject matter the film is incredibly tame. The only nudity comes from Sarandon and Shields and it's never sexual in context. The film looks great too and it's (purportedly) factual. The low key tone works--but after a while it gets downright boring. EVERYBODY acts low key. I was just hoping somebody would overreact to something. Also the story gets more than a little unbelievable towards the end. The acting is good by Sarandon and the other women. Frances Faye as the head of the house is great and it's always good to see Barbara Steele. However Shields is terrible--but she WAS only 12. Carradine is even worse. Very stiff and wooden. This isn't a bad movie just a dull one. Hard to believe a movie about a 12 year old prostitute could be dull--but it is. It definitely would not be made today. I give it a 6.