Polyester (1981)

Polyester

• Dude. John f**cking Waters, man. He may be the greatest person that’s ever lived. I’d honestly say that about a lot of people, but he really is THAT guy. I’ve enjoyed the Waters run that I’ve been on (well, it’s been scattered but it still counts), and this film made me laugh probably the most of any film of his I’ve seen, other than ‘Pink Flamingos’. If there’s one thing John can do, it’s make a hilarious black comedy. One that’s very on the nose and serious, but also the most out-of-pocket piece of work ever. Much like the rest of his work (that I’ve seen), this film is very exaggerated and is very flamboyant. The level of campiness is unmatched, especially the way it depicts the stereotypical, American, heteronormative family. It’s basically a spoof of those kinds of films, but with a very strong melodramatic twist. There’s also a bajillion films that are about dysfunctional families, but this one stands out immensely rather than blending in. It’s so…..unique (which isn’t unique to say), but that’s the only way to describe it. It’s just a queer old time, and pays tribute to past genres as well as paving the way for future satires and comedies. I’ll again bring up the campiness, which is extremely reflective in the dialogue and screenplay. Every line spoken is ridiculous and performative, but it still feels so natural. The same goes for the performances: crazy, emotional, boisterous, yet completely normal, serene, and authentic. It shouldn't work, but it does. Divine delivers possibly his best performance, and shows a more tender side, opposed to what we’ve seen before this film. My favorite performance will probably always be Babs Johnson in ‘Pink Flamingos’, which is basically just trash and filth (complimentary), but this one is on the other end. It shows a broken character with deep struggles. He’s absolutely brilliant and helped pave the way for every drag queen and queer performer. The rest of the cast is great too (especially Edith Massey), but Divine will always be in the spotlight. My last couple thoughts are that the cinematography was simple but very effective, the color was vibrant and helped create a contrast with the story, and the costumes were down-to-earth while still being memorable. Overall, this film checks basically every box for me, and I would recommend it to all black comedy/satire fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!