Du rouge pour un truand

Lewis Teague gave us this crime drama from the seventies, and I can still think of BLOODY MAMA or BIG BAD MAMMA, also produced during the same decade. I guess Lewis Teague had some link in common with Corman's "family", so was under influence of the master. This movie is not genuinely a gangster film in the first part, but mostly a drama, only the second part, at long last, will satisfy the gangster element buffs. There is also a bit of women's prison scheme in the first part; again a Corman's production influence. A curiosity but not a masterpiece, not a must see. Good little film to discover if you are curious enough. Note that Robert Conrad played in YOUNG DILLINGER, back in 1965, where he was Pretty Boyd Floyd. And I also like the supporting characters, who arrive late in the story, whom we can feel attached to, and who suddenly die. I love this. And this film with a strong, but also believable, female lead could easily be remade now, in 2024, the modern fashion. This is for me my favourite from director Lewis Teague, with also CUJO. One last thing, Louise Fletcher plays here, but no in the cruel matron prison warden.... As she did in ONE FLEW OVER A CUCUU NEST.

Polly Franklin (Pamela Sue Martin) is an innocent farm girl obsessed with 42nd Street. She gets caught up with the Dillinger gang's bank robbery. She gets a red dress from a reporter and loses her virginity to him. Her father beats her and she runs away. She is befriended by Rose at a sweatshop but her life descends into prison and forced into prostitution by the ruthless warden.

It's produced by the Roger Corman family. It's a bit rambling. Pamela Sue Martin used to be a star in the 70s and 80s. I missed most of that since I didn't watch Dynasty. I don't really see the range although she has some charisma. The biggest issue is that this story is simply a series of incidents. Some parts are less compelling than others. This could have been an interesting prison movie but that part is pretty quick. The sweatshop confused me a bit. This needs some better directing.

If they had called it "The life of a Gun Moll", nobody probably would have gone to see it. So they went with the Dillinger angle, but forget it this is Pamela Sue's film.

If you ever wondered how "good little" girls end up being window dressing for some of the most notorious gangsters that ever lived, this film gives a good look at her rebellion against her strict religious up bringing and her descent into crime and prostitution.

Pamela Sue is so cute, you have a hard time believing she is a hardened criminal, but she just about pulls it off.

Clearly a product of the Corman School, Sayles's first major screenplay shows that he already knew how to tell a great story from an interesting angle, something he has never forgotten how to do.

Director Teague keeps the pace rattling along, and hammers the message home fast (he was an occasional assistant to Sam Fuller, of course).

The plot's quite straightforward, and all the better so - this packs something of the punch of the 30's classic gangster films, but with distinctly 70's sensibilities to violence.

Where the film becomes more interesting than your average low-budget 'gangster-exploiter', however, is in the telling of the story through her eyes, rather than his (a distinctly 70's approach). Yet it's wonderfully ambiguous, on reflection, as to whether the film champions her willingness to break away and start acting for herself (she's a great strong character), or whether she just goes from one woman in peril situation to the other (which is the plot, basically).

I've probably over-analyzed it already, but if you've got a spare hour and a half on your hands, give it a chance. A classic of its kind.

Often the crime scene was overpowered by the men, The Woman In Red points out an opposite vision of preestablished status quo, where a young woman after passing by many plights insert herself in world of crime on late twenties, a stunning performance of the gorgeous Pamela Sue Martin arouse attention nothing less than Tarantino that had great regards of the little masterpiece.

Deeply overshadowed by majors releases at its time, it somehow thru the time arouse awareness of many defenders, watching this picture for first time I'd realize the filthy environment of house of pleasures, the harassment on the industry and on the jail as well a corruptive world where just the strong can survive.

Thanks for reading.

Resume: First watch: 2024 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.