I love you once. I love you twice. I love you more than beans and rice!
I like this movie and I have seen this countless of times. 'Pretty Baby' is a testament to the fact that the 70's were vastly more liberated than our times, at least when it comes to sexuality. In here pretty baby is twelve-year-old Violet, played by Brooke Shields. Violet has grown in the environment of a circa World War I whorehouse in New Orleans, where her mother Hattie (Susan Sarandon) practices the oldest of professions. She still acts like a child, one who likes to chase lizards in the underbrush and who throws tantrums when she doesn't get her way. When her mother leaves the brothel to start a respectable life, Violet remains and allows her virginity to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. She finds herself drawn to a photographer, Bellocq, who is taking portraits of Storyville prostitutes. Realizing that she is love, the young Violet declares her intention to marry Bellocq...


Brook performance literally carries this movie. Yes, the movie is quite explicit about the business of prostitution during that time, but it is never exploited and gives one the sense of how it really was, and what might happen to children born into prostitution. Malle's dispassionate take on all of this outraged viewers a quarter-century ago, but it all seems rather tame today. Perhaps too tame.........

Malle's restraint is so great at times that one wishes he'd pushed the envelope even more. But he got an amazing performance out of Shields, one that she never topped in her career as an actress -- Violet is a mesmerizing combination of innocent child and sly young woman, and that we never see her as a victim is to both her credit and Malle's. Some of the other acting in the film is less impressive, especially Frances Faye as the brothel's elderly owner, Nell -- she's simply horrible, turning in one of the worst performances seen outside of early John Waters' movies. Still, it's a beautiful movie. Its slow pace may frustrate some viewers, but 'Pretty Baby' is a gorgeous, emotionally stunning experience.

Visually appealing but lacks depth.
Pretty Baby starring Susan Sarandon could've been a great little art film but rather it comes off pretentious and off-kiltered. Brooke Shields sure was a "pretty baby" back then and although her fragile but strong-willed performance is good, you just feel kinda like a prevert watching such a young girl portraying a child prostitute. Keith Carradine creeps me out and the film is dated now. Pretty Baby is intriguing but not brilliant.

Pretty Baby
Was hoping for a bit more with some pretty well know actor's. Cinamatography was excellent, sound was quite well done, but the story line definitely lacked spark.
Not recommended.

pretty baby...
i give this movie a 5 just because i felt "empathy" throughout the whole movie. when it finished i felt drained.

Brooke's early work...
Let's start by stating, that if you have seen Brooke in either The Blue Lagoon or Endless Love, this is a different Brooke Shields. Brooke is very young in this film, and gives an almost natural, innocent performance, and considering the subject matter, that is very special. The film itself is slow at times, but Susan Sarandon is very good and Brooke alone is worth the watch. I won't give away too much of the story here, but Pretty Baby feels like a more in depth Lolita-type story. This movie also does not leave you feeling strange considering it involves child prostitution. It actually feels like a nice little character study. In closing, this is a must see for Brooke fans, and don't expect this to be some skinflick, because it is all handled tasefully.