When his sister dies, 32-year-old August returns home, abandoning his profession as a missionary priest. His dear sister Christina, known as Princess, was a famous porno film star who went from fame to decline. She has died after years of drug abuse. She leaves a daughter of five, Mia, whom August feels duty-bound to care for. Overwhelmed by grief and guilt, August decides to avenge Christina's death by destroying all the pornographic material in which she appeared. He takes the little girl on
what he sees as a mission. It quickly escalates in a spate of violence.
Morgenthaler views this business not only as a monstrously abusive exploitation of people and their bodies, but the height of anti-eroticism and anti-art that demands a complete emotional disconnect between viewer and performer.
Princess remains technically brilliant and never less than compelling, albeit in a queasy, troubling fashion. Its images rattle in the memory like unclean ghosts.
Watch Princess for this smart channelling of exploitation movie energy rather than the heavy-handed sermonising. And for an intelligent and sober look at porn, re-watch Boogie Nights.
Princess is adults-only animation designed, paradoxically, to disillusion anyone of the belief that the world of 'adult entertainment' is in any way alluring or glamorous.
Mostly anime, but some parts live action, about the porn industry and an avenging. Danish. Gory. Violent. It has that plot device where a child takes place not to bore and irritate the hell out of the viewers, but to fit alongside the adult themes. Kinda like Del Toro's trademark, except without his stench and geeky
fantasy land. No, this is raw animation. And the lead hero/narrator fights bad guys by smashing their face in.
January 8, 2011
Richard Cranium
(***):
Dark and disturbing but definitely worth a look.
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