Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Pretty Baby Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 12, 2022

Louis Malle's "Pretty Baby" (1978) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new video interview with actress Brooke Shields; exclusive new video essay created by filmmaker and critic Daniel Kremer; new audio commentary recorded by critic Kat Ellinger; and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Neither the folks that like nor the folks that dislike Louis Malle’s Pretty Baby have ever contested that its subject matter is a very difficult one. What they have disagreed on -- and often quite intensely -- is how well Pretty Baby handles it. Both sides have had some good arguments that are easy to accept and I think that highlighting a few of them in this article would be much better than simply describing my take on Pretty Baby. However, I am going to do it while commenting on some of Brooke Shields’ observations from the excellent new interview she agreed to do for Via Vision Entertainment’s Blu-ray release of Pretty Baby.

The story that is told in Pretty Baby is a simple one. Sometime during the year 1917, in a famous district of New Orleans, Malle’s camera begins following Violet (Shields), a teenage girl, who spends her time among the hard-working prostitutes in an upscale brothel. Because her mother, Hattie (Susan Sarandon), is one of them and does not mind that she interacts with everyone in the brothel, Violet knows pretty much everything there is to know about the pros and cons of her profession. No one else objects. In fact, the brothel’s owner, Madame Nell (Frances Fave), frequently suggests that it is only a matter of time before Violet begins entertaining wealthy men, too. But when the charismatic photographer Bellocq (Keith Carradine) appears and begins taking very beautiful pictures of the prostitutes, Violet falls for him in a way that becomes confusing for both.

Shields reveals that Pretty Baby had a profound impact on her understanding of how films are made and what the truly great ones are supposed to convey. Her comments also reveal that she considers Pretty Baby a visually striking, masterful art film that in many ways has preserved some of her best work.

The beauty of Pretty Baby is undeniable, so a lot of the compliments Shields has for Malle and the great cinematographer Sven Nykvist are entirely deserved. Pretty Baby is impeccably lit and its period ambience is flawless, so as far as its technical merits are concerned, it is the great art film Shields describes. Virtually all supporters of Pretty Baby have cited its technical merits as one of its greatest strengths as well.

But not all visually striking films are great films, which is the counterargument that critics of Pretty Baby have cited. Why? Because the strength of the visuals is not reflective of the quality of the acting, and in Pretty Baby this becomes quite obvious. Shields does admit that there are some awkward moments in Pretty Baby too, but insists that they are right for it because the story of her character is a story about the loss of innocence. This is only partially true and it is where in my opinion Pretty Baby splits its audience. Here’s why:

Shields explains that when Malle and Nykvist began shooting Pretty Baby she was allowed to roam free and be herself before the camera, so virtually everything that she did was in one way or another spontaneous. Pretty Baby was a carefully scripted film, but the feelings and emotions that were supposed to flourish in different situations were not. It is why the casting of Shields was so crucial -- her presence, behavior, feelings, and emotions routinely become the story. Shields acknowledges all of this and declares that she is proud of how well she met Malle’s expectations. But the adults around Shields are acting parts, and the longer they stay in her orbit, the easier it becomes to recognize that these parts are largely incompatible with what she does. This is what produces the awkwardness in Pretty Baby and makes it vulnerable to serious criticism. To be clear, the awkward material does not involve predominantly male characters. Some of the most problematic material is with Sarandon, who mishandles her character and makes a lot of crucial sequences look as if they have been extracted from a parody.

Pretty Baby is an unconventional film, but not a controversial one. Yes, Shields is correct to point out at the end of her interview that it would be impossible to make in contemporary America, but I also think that her summation of it as a masterpiece is unjustifiably enthusiastic. Malle’s very best films, like Murmur of the Heart and Au revoir les enfants, are unmistakably intimate films that temporarily share the reality of their characters. Pretty Baby is just a curious observer of Shields’ character in a place that films usually try to avoid.

Pretty Baby Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Pretty Baby arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment.

The release is sourced from an exclusive new 4K master that was prepared by Paramount Pictures in the United States. I think that Pretty Baby looks quite pretty on Blu-ray, but it could have looked even better. Why? Because there are minor traces of degraining adjustments that flatten some existing detail and in some areas even eliminate it. Interestingly, the effect is most noticeable during the opening credits -- see how the background behind the title of the film collapses in full thick black -- and then during the daylight footage at the end. The bulk of the footage from the brothel looks quite nice and retains many of the native darker nuances. Depth still ranges from good to very good, but it could have been striking. There are a few density fluctuations with some minor but visible source limitations (see screencapture #17). The color grading is very convincing. I think that it is nearly flawless because a lot of interesting nuances that are introduced by the unique lighting look wonderful. Image stability is excellent. I did notice a couple of small blemishes, but there are no distracting large debris, cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report. All in all, even though some aspects of the technical presentation could have been managed better, I think that this film looks solid in high-definition. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Pretty Baby Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I did not encounter any anomalies to report in our review. Throughout the entire film, the dialog was always clear, sharp, and stable. Dynamic contrasts were very good, too. If there ever were any issues introduced by aging, it is impossible to tell now. Also, I do not think that a brand new Dolby Atmos track would introduce any meaningful and more importantly needed enhancements.

Pretty Baby Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "The Experience of Innocence" - Brooke Shields on "Pretty Baby" - in this exclusive new video interview, Brooke Shields recalls how she was cast to play Violet and what it was like to work with Louis Malle, screenwriter Polly Platt, and cinematographer Sven Nykvist. Also, Mrs. Shields discusses in great detail the reception of Pretty Baby at the Cannes Film Festival and in America, some of the controversy that has followed the film over the years, and its lasting impact on maturation as an artist. In English, not subtitled. (23 min).

• "La Vie en Gris: The Anglophone Louis Malle in Seven Films" - presented here is an exclusive new video essay created by filmmaker and critic Daniel Kremer. In English, not subtitled. (26 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic Kat Ellinger.

• Trailer - a vintage U.S. trailer for Pretty Baby. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

Pretty Baby Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

All the drama that has followed Louis Malle's film Pretty Baby over the years is seriously overhyped. Pretty Baby does tackle a very difficult, perhaps even risky subject, but ultimately it is not the outrageous film a lot of its critics have described. Unfortunately, it is not the great film its supporters have described and promoted either. The trouble with Pretty Baby is that not a single one of the adult actors that has a meaningful part in it looks as authentic as Brooke Shields does, which is why just about everything that is depicted in it becomes seriously artificial. The static and the awkwardness that routinely materialize between Shields and the adult actors quite simply destroy the integrity of the story that is being told. It was very interesting to hear Shields' thoughts on Pretty Baby, the publicity drama, and her character and experiences. I cannot say that I agree with Shields' summation of Pretty Baby as a masterful art film, but I certainly understand why it means so much to her. Via Vision Entertainment's Blu-ray release is sourced from a recent 4K master that was prepared by Paramount Pictures in the United States. I think that most people will like how Pretty Baby looks on Blu-ray, but I have to say that the 4K makeover could have been far more impressive. RECOMMENDED to the fans.