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 September 16, 2023

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

The text below was initially used in our review of Imprint Films' Australian release of Pretty Baby. The interview with Brooke Shields that is referenced in it is included on Kino Lorber's release.

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 Imprint Films' 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 Kino Lorber.

Last year, we reviewed this Australian release of Pretty Baby from local label Imprint Films, which was sourced from a new 4K master that was prepared at Paramount Pictures. This release is sourced from the same 4K master.

The more time I spend looking at the 4K makeover of Pretty Baby, the less I like it. It is because of the obvious and completely unnecessary degraining adjustments that were made on it. Some of these adjustments flatten existing detail and some completely eliminate it, so on a large screen the anomalies that emerge can be quite distracting. You can see examples here, here, and here. I do not know why these adjustments were made because the raw 4K data appears to have been outstanding, and even with them large, mostly darker areas of the film still look very pretty. Color balance is very convincing as well. Saturation levels are excellent, and the supporting nuances are managed very nicely. There are no stability issues. The entire film looks immaculate. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Pretty Baby Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

If you have seen our review of the Australian release of Pretty Baby, you already know that I like the restored audio a lot. While testing this release earlier today, I did not notice any issues to report in our review. Clarity, sharpness, and stability are outstanding. Dynamic intensity is good too, though you need to keep in mind that Pretty Baby does not have any action footage that can test the muscles of your system.

Pretty Baby Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Filmmaker Focus - in this new program, film historian Leonard Maltin quickly addresses Louis Malle's legacy and discusses Pretty Baby. In English, not subtitled. ((7 min),

• "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. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from the same recent 4K master that Australian label Imprint Films used for its release of Pretty Baby in 2022. RECOMMENDED to the fans.