Bette Page Reveals All (2012)
*** (out of 4)
Very detailed look at the life and career of the iconic pin-up Bettie Page. The documentary uses an audio interview with Page to tell her story, which starts from her childhood days and goes all through her career and her eventually downfall due to a mental disorder. It's hard to believe that in this day and age there's someone out there who hasn't seen Bettie Page. After all, she broke down all sorts of walls when it comes to women's sexuality and it's easy to forget that she was the "it" thing long before Playboy.
This documentary does an extremely good job at telling her story and making sure the viewer knows just about everything there is to know about the legend. Some of the most fascinating stories come from her early, pre-fame days where she struggled a lot of sexual abuse from not only her father but by a group of men in New York. We also hear about her first marriage, which turned out to haunt her later in life more than her nude work. Of course, the thing Page is known for the most was her sexuality and there's no question that the film leaves nothing to the imagination. It might be an over-statement but I'm pretty sure just about every nude picture Page has done is on display here so those who enjoy her work will certainly have a lot to look at.
There are several talking heads giving their thoughts on the icon (including Hugh Hefner) but the highlight is certainly hearing from Page herself. Getting a first-hand account of everything that was going on is certainly the best thing about this documentary.
