If one were to ask what examples of just how far cinema can go in exploiting bad taste and abjection in art, look no further than John Waters' breakout indie film Pink Flamingos. Initially released in 1972 to shocking responses, the film was an instant underground hit amidst the midnight movie craze and the post Stonewall queer movement, and has now been deemed culturally and historically significant by the National Film Registry. Often regarded as an exercise in poor taste, this could honestly be one of the hardest movies to sit through out there, and yet that's what makes it as fascinating to watch as it is to cringe at.
The film focuses on the countercultural drag queen Divine, a.k.a. "the filthiest person alive", living in a trailer with her oddball family, who ends up chasing after the criminal couple Raymond and Connie Marble who are set out to outdo her in filth. Perhaps filth is a little too subtle of a word to describe these characters, as the intense amount of crude activities they all engage in are endlessly vulgar and obscene. As the basic plot of the feature focuses on a rival band of criminals battling against each other to see who the filthiest one of all is, it should go without saying that nothing shown on screen is off limits as far as what will horrify and disgust you. That being said, there is something wildly endearing about how surprisingly earnest this film is in depicting the absurdities and harsh realities of low lives that are already ostracized by society to begin with. When one takes into account how important this film would become to punk culture and LGBTQ voices rarely being heard, Waters was quite brave in subverting what was more commonplace in the mainstream, even by the time the MPAA was set in stone.
As this was a ridiculously low budget production, seeing said bravery in putting this film together can be seen across the locations. The film itself was shot in the vicinity of Baltimore, Maryland, where Waters and most of the cast and crew grew up, in addition to Divine's trailer home taking place in Phoenix, Maryland. From nearly every frame, one can see so much culture around older school Baltimore when the countercultural revolution was taking place, complete with the gawdy costumes and radical makeup. So much personality is bursting off the screen, including from Divine herself, who is just having a ball chewing the scenery while still showing some signs of humanity around such obscene situations. In fact, much of the cast appear to be embracing the freedom to act however they please, all while unapologetically grossing each other out. Finally, the nostalgic soundtrack adds some needed fun to the otherwise stomach-turning content, showcasing Waters personal enjoyment of late 50s / early 60s rock & roll. Sometimes, you need throwbacks to classic dance tunes to cure the senses.
After more than 50 years since its release, Pink Flamingos holds up as simultaneously one of the most wretchedly unwatchable schlockfests in cinema and one of the most successfully trashy triumphs of shock filmmaking. Anyone wanting to see this film should enter at their own risk and should not be surprised if they come out hating it, as it does its job of going against the norm to completely desensitize us from all the horrible things we know and beyond. It may be banned in some countries for good reason, but its impact on counterculturalism and queer filmmaking remains a testament to all who see it.
