-Grindhouse Fest is the special section in Celluloid Dimension where you can discover all the goodies…and baddies from the golden age of exploitation cinema. Have fun!
Bonnie’s Kids (1972) Directed by Arthur Marks
Never have I seen such a fearless reconceptualization of the old-fashioned femme fatale philosophy being modernized in a sociocultural framework and feminist panorama so specific to the revolutionary seventies as in this insanely enthralling slice of Grindhouse Americana. Before Arthur Marks established his reputation as one of the most consistent Blaxploitation filmmakers ever, he first helmed this pulsating exploitation rhapsody about the trials and tribulations of red-hot sisters Myra (Robin Mattson) and Ellie Thomas (Tiffany Bolling), two young girls who run away from their seedy home after one of them kills her nefarious stepfather for molesting the younger sister. The most lethal weapon they both have is their intoxicating sensuality, they are deadly and pitiless, but it is the dangerously sexist milieu and the androcentric gaze that spawned that lethality in them.
Cynically, the psychology of our sultry anti-heroines justifies their hostility and propensity for brutality as a defense mechanism against the male gaze that stalks them at every turn – all the phallus-oriented male characters they encounter are either perverts or utter morons. The prevalent misogyny in the proceedings serves as a transparent narrative antagonism to further legitimize the ferocity of the two sisters in reaction to their perceived objectification. Sleazy but scrupulous, Arthur Marks’ direction sets a thrilling pace by merging violence with salaciousness, and with these he deftly toys with the unpredictable. This is Tiffany Bolling’s film though, she is superb at conveying the essence of the femme fatale from a hip social re-mythologizing of it. Very satisfying to see her in such an assertive role. Her luscious performance coupled with the coolness of Marks’ filmmaking turn this picture into a gritty, all-American tragedy that unravels in inimitable style.