Nothing gives me more cinematic pleasure than when John Waters characters shout their lines. Every booming rant seems like something I’d never say myself, but wished that I had. Can you imagine Divine whispering, “If I don’t get those cha-cha heels for Christmas, Mom and Dad are dead”? It doesn’t work. It MUST be loud and grating.
So consider my joy in discovering the iconic filmmaker’s inspiration came from Russ Meyer’s Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! In particular, its star, Tura Satana, took a lack of subtlety to legendary heights. In her tight black catsuit and her way with karate chops, Satana, who never met a line of dialogue she couldn’t spit out through a clenched jaw, cemented her place in film history. Shot in gorgeous black and white, the film acts as part feminist revenge fantasy while also being about women with giant breasts. That was, frankly, Meyer’s brand. His movie works as a fantastic piece of filmmaking while also delivering action, sex appeal, and almost every other bit of genre juiciness.
Much like the recent, My Mom Jayne by Mariska Hargitay, Cody Jarrett’s documentary, Tura!, shows us the depth, the hidden talent, and the trauma of a Hollywood sex symbol. Come to think of it, the two films would make a great double feature at a drive-in movie theater. Both films excavate surprising depth from heretofore unexplored layers.
Narrated by queer icon, Margaret Cho, using Satana’s own words, the film introduces us to Tura as a young Japanese American girl in Postwar Chicago 1948. While walking home one night, five white men kidnapped, raped and left her for dead. This horrific experience, and her vow to seek revenge against her attackers, seemed to inform so many aspects of her life moving forward.
Rising through the ranks as a burlesque dancer where she was known as “Miss Japan Beautiful”, she soon came to Meyer’s attention, clearly born to play Varla in his 1965 exploitation flick. While initially a commercial and critical flop, time has elevated it and Satana to cult classic status. In particular, the VHS release of the film helped it to gain rabid support from both the punk rock and the gay communities who savored every memorable line. Who can forget Varla’s response to a gas station attendant extolling the virtues of seeing America while staring too long at her breasts? She snaps back with the immortal, “You won’t find it down there, Columbus!” An icon was born!
Through interviews with such experts as John Waters, Dita Von Teese, Joshua “Peaches Christ” Grannell, Kitten Natividad, Pamela Des Barres, the documentary paints a picture of a startlingly resilient and kind woman. She faced racism in America head on, not only from the government and society but even from her own mother, who taped her eyes open to make her appear more white. It’s a harrowing portrayal which resulted in a woman with very thick skin. She may have been tough, but she also seemed to enjoy interacting with fans at conventions and her softer side comes through in the sweet interviews with her two daughters, Jade and Lani. Writer/producer Eric C. Charmelo, in particular, offers up a lot of fresh and funny insight into the power of “bad” acting and Satana’s contributions to strong women in cinema.
At first, I was a little taken aback by the somewhat slapdash quality of the sit-down interview framing, but, upon reflection, it felt in keeping with the trashy aesthetic at the heart of this film. I’m also not a fan of recreations in documentaries, but thankfully these were more abstract in nature here. I would have preferred that Jarrett dial back the repeated use of a crane shot of Satana as Varla walking through the desert, but, sure, it’s an amazing shot!
While the dissection of Faster, Pussycat! serves as the main attraction, the film’s weaving of Satana’s career, her struggles, and her immense strength together with her unapologetic sexuality demonstrates that feminism and lust can co-exist joyously. The stories of her relationships with Elvis Presley, Billy Wilder, Tony Curtis, and Tony Bennett may have been the first time I’ve ever watched a movie and stood up to say the words “Get it, Tura!” out loud.
If Tura! brings more eyeballs to Meyer’s masterpiece, then mission accomplished. John Waters didn’t say, “Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! is the best movie ever made, and possibly better than any movie that will ever be made” for nothing! The added bonus of our getting to know this woman, who sadly passed away in 2011, proves heartbreaking, funny, and inspiring.
By Glenn Gaylord, Senior Film Critic
Tura! opens in Los Angeles on August 8th with additional cities to follow. Go to TuraMovie.com for updates.
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