Sad confession time: In high school, when things got rough, I would buy a half-pound of wine gums and rent this movie. I'm sure I could have bought a spanking new DVD with the number of times I rented the fuzzy VHS, and two scoops of wine gums with the change. I'm aware that this, er, "episode" in my past has probably coloured my view of the movie, and that now I'll find it impossible to look at it with any kind of critical remove, but you know what? Everyone needs their thing, a movie or band without either critical or popular acclaim that they still love. Common guilty pleasures do not count, because everyone either loves Dirty Dancing or they are lying- lying!- to themselves. I had a friend who was convinced that U-571 was underrated, another that thought that Ronin was the best action movie, and some weirdo who thought that Troy had a certain charm. That last person might also be me. I'll never tell. You know that your thing is futile, that you'll die knowing it will forever be in the 6.99$ bin at Wal-Mart, and no artistic revival will be staged. But you don't stop.
When I have to justify my love for this movie, I put on my cultural studies hat and say one of the following things. It's the kinkiest mainstream movie ever released. Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman is an interesting character of the post-feminist backlash. I like the gothic aesthetic.
Now, most of these things, I would argue, are true. Whatever it is between Batman and Catwoman is decidedly queer, queerer even than Batman and Robin in the Schumacher films- and the latter had goddamn leather nipples. Burton understands that S&M relationships aren't about the clothes, they're about the head games. And Batman and Catwoman are trying on both roles, screwing with each other's heads on the rundown, nightmarish rooftops of Gotham City. It's a good thing too, since they never get around to having sex, and all of this mental fucking is the only thing that keeps the movie from being a two-hour long tease.
I could say all this, and more, but I just like the way the movie feels. It's a nasty little movie, but it's fun. It's a fantasy about how freakish, and yet sickly beautiful the city can be. I share Catwoman's opinion on when it comes to movies, if not to men- "Sickos never scare me. At least they're committed."
Now, most of these things, I would argue, are true. Whatever it is between Batman and Catwoman is decidedly queer, queerer even than Batman and Robin in the Schumacher films- and the latter had goddamn leather nipples. Burton understands that S&M relationships aren't about the clothes, they're about the head games. And Batman and Catwoman are trying on both roles, screwing with each other's heads on the rundown, nightmarish rooftops of Gotham City. It's a good thing too, since they never get around to having sex, and all of this mental fucking is the only thing that keeps the movie from being a two-hour long tease.
I could say all this, and more, but I just like the way the movie feels. It's a nasty little movie, but it's fun. It's a fantasy about how freakish, and yet sickly beautiful the city can be. I share Catwoman's opinion on when it comes to movies, if not to men- "Sickos never scare me. At least they're committed."
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