Pink Flamingos

So, I went with a friend to the viewing of Pink Flamingos, shown by the Centenary Film Society. I wasnt sure of what to expect, but was told that it was crazy. I was prett weirded out by the film. John Water's 1973 film is apparently a cult classic among some, and classified as extreme cinema. The basic plot is about a woman by the name Divine, a drag queen with awfully intense makeup, and her feud with a couple, Connie and Raymond, which is just a fight over who is the most foul or "filthy." Each side has, what I'll politely call quirks. Divine has two kids, Cotton and Crackers, and a mother who has an obsession with eggs and the egg man (an egg salesperson) and stays in a baby pen. Divine has the reputation as the filthiest person alive, and she's ver adamant about maintaining that title. In town,Connie and Raymond would like to be titled "the filthiest people" so their goal is to destroy Divine. Their profession? They steal girls hitch hiking, who are then raped by their "butler" (not sure about his title), and then sell the babies to lesbian couples. Raymond goes around town freaking girls out, wearing a trenchcoat which he pulls off to reveal himself. The film is full of just plain oddities and Waters doesnt hold back any modesty, everyone is very sexual. There is an incestuous scene between Divine and Crackers, between Crackers and Cookie (a spy for the couple), and then there's the perverse Raymond as well as the "dancer" at Divine's birthday bash. Connie and Raymond call the police, which sets Divine off and she then sets out to find them. When she returns home, she finds her trailer burnt to the ground (by Connie and Raymond). The movie ends with the first public homicide, Divine murders the perpetrators (after a "fair" trial; which consisted of her witnesses as Crackers and Cotton) with a couple of reporters as witnesses, after which she and her family run off to Boyse. I found it to be awkwardly comedic but more uncomfortable than anything else. And it wasnt the open sexuality of the movie, but really the crudity that made it painful to watch. Following the film I stayed for Dr. Clark's lecture explaining his thoughts on the film. I really enjoyed this because what I saw as a crass, without talent, awful movie, greatly contrasted with his views. Also he drew some connections in the film that I hadnt seen. Dr. Clark pointed out Pink Flamingo is a satire on the theme of "fame" and connected that with "feud" and "family." Fame and its excess leads to feuds on one anothers popularity, and that stretches out to families. He was able to give some sense to the film. The film was not anything like I had seen before, and I'm not quite sure if there's really any deeper meaning to Pink Flamingos but that its just a freak cult classic. I just wasnt able to really see the purpose, or unique quality of the movie...I dont think I'm able to get past the crudeness.