"The Good Woman of Bangkok"

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes the controversial film "The Good Woman of Bangkok", directed by Dennis O'Rourke. Most of the reviews of the film were negative, which the author explains is understandable given the controversial subject matter of the film. In the film, O'Rourke plays a "fictional" filmmaker who comes to Bangkok after his divorce, and then sets out to have sex -- and film it -- with one of the prostitutes who cater to the foreign market. The paper investigates the motivations and actions of the characters, and then considers the various reviews and public responses to this movie. The author also attempts to understand O'Rourke's intention in directing the film and to present his subject honestly.

From the Paper:

"The first major problem with the presentation of the prostitute Aoi is the "reward" she is being offered for her appearance in the film. The filmmaker offers to buy her a rice farm. This might be seen as just another act of prostitution. Aoi gives the filmmaker what he wants in exchange for compensation. This, along with the documentary conventions of nights with a hand-held camera in bars and the attempted elicitation of the cool and ambiguous Aoi, contributes to an effect of what Cynthia Fuchs (2002) calls the film's "lumpy moralizing". Fuchs continues her harsh judment of the film by claiming that the filmmaker used his film and his stated purpose for the film simply as a screen for gratuitous sex."

More papers on "The Good Woman of Bangkok":

• Book Review # 66280 : "The Good Woman of Bangkok"
• Analytical Essay # 7528 : "Brecht's 'The Good Woman of Setzuan'"
• Book Review # 108974 : "The Good Woman of Setzuan: Female Gender Roles"

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