Sex, Class, and Power

          Pretty Woman (1990) is widely considered one of the most successful romantic-comedy films of all time, and helped set many of the standards for the genre.  The film tells the story of Edward Lewis (Richard Gere), an outrageously wealthy businessman whose job is to buy down-and-out companies, break them into pieces, and sell them off for a profit.  While on a business trip to LA, Edward’s girlfriend leaves him over the phone leading him to borrow his lawyer’s car and drive around to clear his head.  While on Hollywood Boulevard, Edward asks a young prostitute named Vivian (Julia Roberts) for directions to Beverly Hills.  Edward then hires Vivian to stay with him for the week as an escort to accompany him to social engagements.  The rest of the film follows the romance that develops from what was initially a simple business agreement between the two protagonists.  Pretty Woman explores the striking differences between social classes and the difficulty in bridging those gaps.  The film also discusses the degree to which portrayals of sex and sexuality are acceptable in social hierarchy.  For example, Edward sends Vivian out shopping in Beverly Hills for new clothes with his credit card, but the women in the posh clothing store refuse to help her due to her unsophisticated attire.  Vivian’s transformation from a down-on-her-luck prostitute to a confident member of high society provides an interesting and uplifting spin on the common “rags to riches” situation that is present in so many stories.

            The first sign of Vivian’s empowerment comes very early in the film, when she first gets into the car with Edward.  Edward is uncomfortable with driving a stick shift and admits that growing up in luxury has left him with zero knowledge of cars, as he tells Vivian “his first car was a limo.”  On the other hand, Vivian grew up around autoworkers and knows much more about the subject, leading Edward to stop the car and ask her to drive.  Driving is stereotypically considered a masculine activity, so this scene presents an interesting common gender role reversal from the beginning of the film.  Vivian’s competence surprises Edward, and he begins to notice her confidence and independence, traits not stereotypically associated with prostitutes.  When they reach the hotel that Edward is staying at, Vivian does not change her fiery attitude despite the judgment of the hotel patrons.  For example, while waiting on the elevator with Edward, Vivian notes that she is not wearing any pantyhose, making the conservative, elderly couple standing next to them very uncomfortable.

            With the integration of two strikingly different social classes, Pretty Woman questions the tolerance of modern society to displays of sex and sexuality.  As Michel Foucault discusses in “We Other Victorians”, the brothel and the mental institution seemed to be the only places where expressions of sexuality, whether it be through words or gestures, would be tolerable. (4).  Foucault mentions this in reference to the Victorian bourgeoisie, but he also questions whether or not we have liberated ourselves from the repression of sexuality.  Based on the harsh judgment Vivian receives from the hotel patrons and residents of Beverly Hills based on her provocative appearance, Pretty Woman argues that we have not.  However, Foucault continues on in his argument by drawing parallels between sex and power.  One of the reasons the audience views Vivian as such a strong character is because she acts like herself and has no problem discussing sex out in the open.  Foucault says, “If sex is repressed, that is, condemned to prohibition, nonexistence, and silence, then the mere fact that one is speaking about it has the appearance of a deliberate transgression.  A person who holds forth in such language places himself to a certain extent outside the reach of power; he upsets established law; he somehow anticipates the coming freedom.” (6).  Vivian more or less personifies this transgression – while working as a prostitute, she refuses to work for a pimp and is very set in her ways about doing only what she wants with the customers she wants.

            This connection between sex and power also applies itself to the work that Edward does in the business world.  Throughout the film, many parallels are drawn between Edward’s work and Vivian’s work, despite the fact that they are from polar opposite social classes.  In a way, Edward acts a pimp for broken companies – buying them at their low points only to break them down for a profit.  By the end of the film, witnessing Vivian’s transgression of social classes and restraints on sexuality has changed him, and he decides not to go through with a deal to take over another company.  Vivian’s impact on Edward ultimately prevents him from following a path of corporate greed, and the film ends happily.  Pretty Woman has an extremely uplifting story while posing intriguing questions about social class and sexuality, and is one of the few romantic-comedy films I legitimately enjoy.  I would definitely recommend it if you have not seen it.