Commentary on a Bettie Page Video

I saw this Bettie Page video on Harem Girl and thought it was very interesting:



The video is divided into two very distinct sections, one a longer-shot that gives an entire sense of the set and the situation, with a second section of close-ups and slightly pulled-back video focused on Bettie's face. The transition between the two sections is just an abrupt cut, disappointing, no doubt, for modern viewers, but important to the way the video works. This is a striptease video, with much more tease than strip.

In the first section of the video, Bettie and her co-stars move with exaggerated gestures, like silent movie stars, which makes sense because this is, essentially, a silent movie. At first, I thought Bettie was dancing, and I thought, she's a terrible dancer, but then I realized her movements aren't dancing at all, but coordinated pageantry that approaches but never really wants to be dancing. Instead, it is a ritualistic performance designed to display and promote certain fetishistically important features, especially her legs. She most reminds me of a Barker's Beauty, only the prize on display is herself. It would be easy, I imagine, to let the gestures become mechanical and tired, but she keeps them fresh and playful. Even in these distant shots we see a little of the personality that will be the main feature of the video's second section.

The far shots are okay, but what really makes this video is the close-up section. Of course, she's beautiful, with her wide, white smile, her bright red lips, her black hair framing smooth white skin, and her eyebrows that are pronounced enough to be almost masculine, but hover instead at the line suggesting enhanced sexuality. Her face is strong, but all that power is in abeyance here, as she engages in play. And when she looks at the camera, her eyes look through it at me, and I feel that special sense of "golly-gee"ness that makes men blush when a beautiful woman singles them out for attention. But instead of pushing that line, she pulls back. There is no stress here. This is play, this is fun. And then she winks at me. Wow. Just wow. Now I've got a smile to last all day. Really nice.