(2007)
"She was a housewife seeking kicks, in a world of swingers, drugs, playboys and orgies in the lurid '70s!"
Director, writer, artist, and organ-playing independent filmmaker Anna Biller has created a visual feast of a film with "Viva." Set in 1972 Los Angeles, it tells the story of a bored, neglected housewife who decides to find some adventure in life in the midst of the sexual revolution.
"Viva" is a film one might imagine as a campy, comical version of the classic film "Belle De Jour", as it might have been in part envisioned by Russ Meyer (director of such camp classics as "Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill!”), with sing and dance numbers, nudity, and a dash of (soft-core) sex thrown into the mix.
What struck me first about "Viva" were the visuals: specifically, the amazing usage of color in every scene, and the authenticity of the decor and clothing. I'm 51, so am of the age to have been a teen in the 1970s. Watching the film has a lot of deja-vu moments for me, in that sense. I have watched it several times and still get caught up completely in Biller's use of color.
Every scene has the colors tied in to each other, in some way, from the colors of the clothing, down to the smallest detail, for instance a loud necktie in one scene is well-coordinated with the wall hanging behind the person wearing it. The colors and sets in films of the 1960s and 1970s had a look and a texture, almost, that is very recognizable, and Biller has gone to great lengths to revisit the look of the time, including a lot of crochet, and other obviously vintage items and clothing from the time. Many of the paintings shown in the movie were painted by Biller and other cast members.
The film is very funny in general, with campy dialogue and great delivery by the entire cast (Biller has mastered the perfect raised eyebrow/pouty lip expression), including the musical numbers (songs written by Biller), and the appropriately 1970s cheesy elevator music in the background adds to the overall effect. If viewing the film without knowing otherwise, it would be easy to think that "Viva" was filmed in 1972.
"Viva" is an instantly classic camp film, and a creative tour de force - I'm looking forward to seeing more of Biller's work.
Note: this review is of the unrated version of "Viva". I first saw the film in its theatrical version when I rented it. The version I bought is the unrated one. Unless memory fails me, the main difference between the two is that the unrated version has more nudity, specifically in a nudist camp sequence. I don't find the nudity offensive; it fits in with the theme of the time depicted, and in fact is funny at times. I personally find the image of Biller's dressed character sitting primly while a couple of naked men standing behind her sway unself-consciously to music irreverantly hilarious, while at the same time relevant to the depiction of her character. It never fails to amaze me that the public can easily view actual photos of brains blown out and other acts of real and simulated violence on regular TV, much less mainstream films, but nudity and sexual themes still never fail to get the censors in a huff.
Click on the link below to go to Anna Biller's website:
LIFE OF A STAR
