The film this week was one that I knew what I was coming, and that I thought I was ready for. However, I was sorely mistaken. I did not have the magnitude of respect for the “filth” that I was about to watch. When I say filth, I mean it in the most basic off-putting sense in which Rodger Waters intended his films to be. The filthy film that I am referring to is of course the notorious “Pink Flamingos.”

One of the first things I noticed while watching this film was the single camera angle that Waters was forced to use due to his amateur career status, and low budget. While I watched the first few scenes, the single camera angle, and only being able to see the side of Divine’s face, was beginning to bother me. As the film wore on, it grew on me, and by the end and my reflection; I could not see this movie being shot any other way. It works for its time, and the techniques that were used while making it.

After learning more about him, and watching one of his most famous works, I can agree that John Waters is not great at making movies, but he loves them. That love for cinema shines through even the most cringe worthy lines in this film.

The cringy lines that I am talking about rest mainly with the noticeably long spouts of dialog by one character at a time. This occurred once again due to the singular camera angle that I spoke of before. with only one camera angle, there is no ability to edit scenes as you could with even an additional angle.

One of the techniques that I was impressed with is this film’s MOS shooting, which we’ve discussed in previous classes and films. The moments in “Pink Flamingos” that were shot with MOS were honestly well done. They gave the film more of a landscape and set the stage of the film. When Divine or “Babs” and her son “Crackers” took a trip downtown, that montage of them driving and messing with people on the side of the road, enlarged the scope of the film so it wasn’t just limited to events at the trailer. Without these scenes, I don’t think that “Pink Flamingos” would be the film it is.

The amount of unsettling images that this work of media portrays, is absolutely overwhelming. As we have all seen the film, I will not highlight exact scenes with descriptive language, but you all know the scenes I am referring to. I really couldn’t help but laugh at some of the outrageous material that I saw, all in all, I was in disbelief that this movie exists. That being said, I am still glad that it does.

The reading that impacted me the most this week was “Transgressions and Freakery.” This reading described what transgressions are, and how they can take many different shapes. The biggest take away from it, is the concrete belief that “Pink Flamingos” is still transgressive to this day.