Hardcore (1979)

I had just finished watching Street Girls (1975) and I was left incredibly unfulfilled. I felt an urge to seek out anyone else that had to endure this monstrosity and stumbled across this review, written by Peter Hanson. It perfectly captures my frustration with what can be described as a cluster-fuck and borderline pornographic mess. In his review, Hanson mentions two other films, Joe (1970) and Hardcore (1979), which I found to align more closely with what I initially sought in Street Girls thematically.

What originally drew me into watching Street Girls was its concept. We’re following a father that’s determined to search for his daughter after discovering she’s dropped out of college and now lives the life of a hooker. His quest takes him into the underworld of prostitutes, pimps, drug addicts, and thieves.

As I walked into this film, I had the impression that the premise aimed to convey an underlying message about the harsh realities of underground society and the dehumanisation of sex workers. However, what we instead got in return was a film that contributed to the objectification and perpetuated misconceptions. There is quite literally more nudity than character development in the entirety of the film, along with the cliché lesbian plotline that's only purpose is to seemingly cater to horny men. Where do we draw the line between film and porno? Ultimately, it fell short of exploring the depth and complexity that such a topic deserved.

Out of the two films previously mentioned, Hardcore was the closest in concept so I gave it a watch. Hardcore follows the story of a conservative businessman, Jake VanDorn (George C. Scott) whose daughter, Kristen (Ilah Davis) goes missing and is believed to have entered the world of pornography. He goes on a personal quest to find her and is confronted with the seedy and exploitative aspects of the adult entertainment industry.

One of the greatest aspects, for me, was George C. Scott’s performance. It left me genuinely convinced by his display of sorrow and brief despair. The film's most pivotal scene, where we witness Jake mentally break down upon seeing his coerced daughter participating in a stag film, truly overwhelmed me with emotion.

I found the film's depiction of the exploitative side of pornography to be brilliantly executed. In a way, it bears resemblance to Neil Jordan's Mona Lisa (If you haven't seen it, I strongly suggest you do!) in terms of its gritty portrayal. It fearlessly confronts the violence associated with pimp culture and provides depth to its victims.

I also found the dynamic displayed between Jake and the prostitute Niki (Season Hubley) he meets during his quest to be very captivating. It was intriguing to see the characters draw parallels between their worldviews. It's quite amusing to observe the contrast between a very similar attempt at depicting a relationship in Street Girls between the father and the hooker who also aids him along the way.

Of course, this film has its flaws, and the main issue for me was the lack of scenes between Jake and Kirsten to establish their relationship dynamic. As the film progresses, it feels as if the strained relationship comes out of nowhere, as if the audience was already supposed to be aware of it. Considering the opening that suggests he is a family man, it was baffling to me when this aspect was suddenly dropped on us.

A more minuscule aspect that irked me was Ilah Davis’ performance. From what I've researched, it seems she had no previous film experience. While she certainly looked the part, her performance lacked basic authenticity. The contrast between Davis and Scott is glaring, and I genuinely couldn't take her attempt at pulling off an emotional scene seriously. However, due to her reduced screen time, it didn’t detract from the overall experience.

While I appreciated many aspects of the film, I couldn't help but feel that the ending did a disservice to the overall narrative. It left me with a sense of dissatisfaction as it fell into cliché action tropes of its time. From what I've gathered about the original ending that Paul Schrader intended, I strongly believe it would have had a more profound impact and elevated the film to a new level. Without delving into specific plot points, the originally planned ending (as described by Paul Schrader here) appeared to tie the themes and character arcs together in a more realistic way. It seemed to offer a more ambiguous resolution and left room for thought-provoking interpretations. I can't help but feel that the film would have left a lasting impression and resonated with audiences if only they had followed through with the original vision.

Despite its shortcomings, I would recommend Hardcore to those intrigued by George C. Scott's talent and those interested in exploring the gritty realities of the adult industry. It offers a unique perspective that is worth experiencing, even if it may leave you pondering the missed potential of the originally planned ending.