Showgirls (1995)

Kicked around town by critics and audiences alike, winner of seven Razzies, and generally considered one of the worst films of all time, it will come as no surprise to you that I think Showgirls is brilliant. Paul Verhoeven’s depiction of the showgirl scene in Las Vegas is nasty, brutal, at times hilarious, and features one of the all time talked about central performances by Elizabeth Berkley. Berkley’s Nomi arrives in Las Vegas with dreams of becoming a top showgirl, and her deliberately over the top performance falls completely in line with the struggles of the story itself. Criticized for simply being terrible, I think the point is missed completely here. Verhoeven’s depiction isn’t just a ludicrous story; it’s a comment upon the industry and actually has something to say about the barbarity of the world we’re thrust into. Berkley’s portrayal had people howling in the aisles on release, but (one of two scenes aside) her headstrong desire to do everything necessary to achieve her dream makes her display perfectly understandable. Kyle MacLachlan provides sleazy support as the entertainment director of the Stardust, the club Nomi makes her name at, and the sickening and misogynistic nature of the men running these shows is exposed by Verhoeven but apparently missed by everyone watching Showgirls initial cinematic run. Verhoeven’s intent on rendering the scene in such a fashion has even been dismissed as a failure by himself; but I’d love to know his true feelings of the film many years down the line. And even if he genuinely thinks it’s a turkey, like everyone else, I respectfully disagree. Showgirls message about the scene it’s depicting is carefully constructed around the actual viciousness of showgirl life in Las Vegas, and Joe Eszterhas’ script weaves the trials and tribulations of Nomi into Verhoeven’s message. Nomi’s desperation to succeed is one shared by thousands headed for the showgirl scene, and that desperation is something horribly exploited by those in charge. That’s Verhoeven’s message that he ably brings to fruition here, it’s just a shame that no one fully cottoned on at the time. In my opinion. 8.7/10