For years, the world of cinema has dealt with countless subjects and, obviously, prostitution has been among them. Out of those kinds of stories that have treated this profession as something dark full of mafias, which obviously has existed, exists and will exist, we would like to mention some films that showed this world in a kinder way, of women who carried out this profession without any type of coercion and with full freedom.
Breakfast at tiffany's
For us, the most faithful reflection of a luxury prostitute in the cinema is "Breakfast with Diamonds", Spanish translation of a title that should have actually been "Breakfast at Tifannys's", the famous New York jewelry found in the famous Fifth Avenue, just across from Central Park. Although in the film it is not clear that the protagonist, starring Audrey Hepburn, is a luxury prostitute, the author Truman Capote does not beat around the bush in his novel. Holly lives at night, she is not known for occupation and with her charm she surrounds herself with rich men who pay their expenses in exchange for a romantic encounter that she, in theory, skillfully dodges. They were difficult years with censorship and Blake Edwards had to sweeten the story and of course, making Audrey star in an escort role did not go well. That is why in a very elegant way, they left the interpretation of each one to which the fragile protagonist of the film was really dedicated. In fact, the merit of the creators of this film is precisely to have cast two characters who live from prostitution to the censorship of the time because even the male protagonist played by George Peppard is actually a Gigolo who lives on a wealthy lady.
Irma the sweet
"Breakfast at tiffany's" was filmed in 1961 and two years later another film masterpiece, "Irma the Sweet", was released. In this case, the profession of the protagonist, Shirley MacLaine, a prostitute in Paris, is not disguised at all. And in this case if there are "pimps" that live on these girls, but as in any Billy Wilder movie, the characters are de-dramatized and these are friendly thugs who ask their abusive part of prostitutes in exchange for their protection. Beyond that there is nothing funny about this type of deal, the film is brilliant and one is hilarious with the adventures of the incorruptible policeman turned pimp who tries to make the girl desist so that she leaves the profession. One of the best roles of his career for Jack Lemon.
Belle de jour
Let's continue in the same decade until 1967, but we moved to Europe, specifically to France with a Spanish director, Luis Buñuel and a French myth, Catherine Deneuve. The title "Bella by day" is a play on French words, since in this language "Bella by night" means prostitute . Séverine is a woman of good family married to a doctor with whom she is in love but with whom she does not have intimate relationships. Her head is full of erotic thoughts and fantasies until one day she goes to a dating house and begins offering company services while remaining chaste in her marriage. She does not need to do it financially because her husband provides her with all the whims she wants, but it is precisely that that subdues her. The oppression to which she has been subjected all her life, leads her to be a prostitute to free herself from it and she loves doing it because she loves to feel possessed, dominated. It is a complex work, typical in the works of the Aragonese director, but it is, like the previous two films, a true masterpiece.
And we leave it here for now, in our next article we will talk more about escorts and the cinema. We will go directly to the 90's with the unmissable "Pretty Woman" (perfect example of the escorts of today), to the impressive Patricia Arquette as a prostitute in "Love at point blank range", one of the first films that already appears the term escort that It is "Chloe" and a film that had a great impact as "Young and pretty", again in French cinema.