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The shame of the Whores' Glory
aine lee - wrote on 05/23/13
What first caught my eye when I read the summary for Whores’ Glory was the description of the film. “This compassionate documentary examines the daily routines and experiences of prostitutes”. Going into the movie, I was expecting an intimate film, showing the depth of these women, and how being a prostitute affected their lives. The movie opens in a Thailand brothel, where the women are advertised like puppies through a glass window. They even have their own tags. Most of the film, at this point, shows men bargaining about the prices of their already too cheap thrill. Throughout the day, the women stop at religious alters to pray for clients. Most of these women are carrying Louis Vuitton, and Chanel purses but live in apartments the size of American master bedrooms. Nothing is ever revealed about these women, except for the fact that they seem to enjoy their living and spend most of their pay on clothes and partying. The audience is never shown how being a prostitute has affected their relationships, or reputation. Neither are we told what plans they have for the future or if they plan on being prostitutes until they’re old, and shriveled. The film moves on to Bangladesh, the Red Light District. Here, prostitution is something sacred, a way for “keeping men from raping women, and even animals”. Most of the girls here are young, and are sold like animals. The older women make a living off these young girls who have no family and nowhere to go. The brothel is crowded, filthy, and filled with profanity. Young children are exposed to filter less words and constant fighting. This is the one part of the film that actually focuses on the thoughts of the prostitutes. The girls share how their lives are filled with much pain and sorrow, but they’ve learn to “laugh even though laughter brings sadness”. Most of these girls feel stuck and have no other option but continue living this life until they become pimps themselves or are beaten to death. Here, I feel sympathy towards these girls, and I have a somewhat understanding of how it feels to be in their situation. The last scenery of the film is in Mexico. Here, the men are shown being extremely disrespectful and demeaning to the women. Most of the film at this point focuses on aggressive half-naked drunk women dancing through streets and club like they’ve gone insane, comparable to someone of bath-salts. The documentary takes a turn for the worst, becoming a complete pornography, showing the awful exchange through a prostitute and a “john”. Later, one woman shares a little bit about herself, including her attempted suicide and addiction to cocaine, bringing me back to that sympathetic place again. In the end, the film succeeded in showing the everyday lives of prostitutes in different areas in the world and making the audience regretful for ever complaining about anything in their lives. Nevertheless, it failed at conveying the women for who they actually are, and giving the audience their true feelings toward their occupation.
