Pink Flamingos (1972)

John Waters notorious exploration of indecency and filth celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year, and has been rereleased on Blu-ray by Criterion. It may very well not be the film that the world wants right now, but it’s certainly one it needs. Although the people who find anything in anything to be offended by would probably not touch this film with a barge pole, it’s still an important message that Waters sends out, even fifty years on. Not taking ourselves seriously is often vital, and Waters offers it in spades, as well as being repulsive to the point of tearing your eyes away from the screen. Following the exploits of Divine (brilliantly played by countercultural drag queen Divine) who proclaims to be “the filthiest person alive”, Pink Flamingos plays out the battle between Divine and couple Connie and Raymond Marble who want to take Divine’s crown in the filthy stakes. If you know what Pink Flamingos is, chances are you’ve either seen it or have no intention of doing so, and if you’ve never heard of it, it might be best to keep it that way. It’s not for the faint hearted; amongst the incest, murder, arson, consumption of animal fecal matter, there is a plot of sorts to follow, and the one thing that has to be said is that it’s really funny. If you’re easily offended naturally steer clear, and even for someone as desensitsed as myself I had to look away at the scene in which a contortionist flexes his prolapsed anus to the tune of Surfin’ Bird. But to dismiss this as nonsense would be very foolish; people like Lars Von Trier who go out of their way to shock, often at the expense of the film itself, should take note of Waters film (Pink Flamingos is the first part of his ‘Trash Trilogy’ that also contains Female Trouble [1974] and Desperate Living [1977]) because the film is shocksploitation and he doesn’t attempt to sell it as anything else, meaning the film is a lot more authentic as a result. Roger Ebert once said of Pink Flamingos that it was better to think of it as an object rather than a film, and in a way he’s right; but you cannot help but admire Waters, and be thankful that there’s still a market in which to release this sort of art. Or utter filth, whichever you feel more comfortable with. 7.2/10