Desperate Living

John Waters – 1977 – USA

  

Desperate Living was the last of John Waters’ underground “shock value” films, and (despite its comic genius) is probably the least of his 70s films; the others of which are the insanely brilliant Multiple Maniacs (1970), Pink Flamingos (1972) and Female Trouble (1974), all midnight cult hits that would be a pretty hard act to follow for any filmmaker, let alone Waters himself.  It is also the last of his absurdist comedies that were characterized by hysterical tirades and outrageous gags designed to delight counterculture audiences not used to such things in movies.  There is a tone of pessimism and bleakness that permeates Desperate Living that is at least partially due, in all likelihood, to the absence of two of Waters’ key collaborators on the three previous films; actor David Lochary, who had died of a drug overdose, and Divine, who at the time was interested in fostering a career apart from Waters.  The film doesn’t necessarily suffer because of these losses, but one can sense the toll on Waters in this grim and often plainly ugly story.  Recently released (but far from cured) mental patient Peggy Gravel (Mink Stole) and her 400-lb maid Griselda (Jean Hill) go on the lam after murdering Peggy’s husband and find their way to a shanty town in the Maryland countryside called Mortville, a haven for the dregs of humanity, and ruled over by the malevolent regime of Queen Carlotta (Edith Massey).  The primary rule in Mortville is that its citizens must live in a constant state of mortification, enforced via pointless laws like “backwards day.”  Peggy and Griselda rent a room with lovers Mole (Susan Lowe) and Muffy (Liz Renay), also fugitive murderers; (Mole was a wrestler who killed her opponent (and a referee) in the ring, and Muffy was a devoted mother who smothered her child’s negligent babysitter in a bowl of dogfood).  As in many of Waters’ films, radical politics come to the fore as the citizens of Mortville plot rebellion against the evil queen.  No mere description of plot or themes can do this film justice, however.  What makes it so good is Waters’ relentless and scathing dialogue.  In all his 70s films, entire sequences can be comprised of fiery rants and screaming matches, like Edward Albee on steroids.  The casting of former tabloid queen Liz Renay marks the first of many times Waters would draw unlikely celebrities into his films; future “stars” would include Sonny Bono, Pia Zadora, Patricia Hearst and Traci Lords.  Special mention must be made of Susan Lowe’s performance as Mole.  As a member of Waters’ stock company, she had appeared in only minor parts prior to Desperate Living.  Taking over the role that Divine would have played, Lowe dives in with both feet, never holding back and never trying to outdo Divine either, and in the process she manages to create some genuine poignancy and even subtlety of character mixed in with all the insanity.