In tribute to what would have been Bettie Page’s 100th birthday on April 22nd, Music Box Films has re-released “Bettie Page Reveals All!” To this day there’s something about Bettie Page that no one can quite pin down. She’s a Conservative woman with immense charm and sexual allure, and there’s never been anyone who could top it. Even today with so many admirers and imitators, Page remains in a league of her own. She was the idea of sexual liberation in a Conservative society, and to this day she remains a symbol for repressed sexuality and liberation.
“Bettie Page Reveals All!” is a provocative and intimate look at one of the world’s most legendary sex symbols, told in her own words. In this alluring documentary, the real Bettie Page emerges from the veil of myth and speculation for the first time, through stunning, never-before-seen photographs and archive footage, and exclusive audio interviews recorded prior to her death in 2008.
Director Mark Mori to his credit tries his best to convey to the audience why Page is still such an immense sexual icon, but he never quite gets there. He lays out a lot of her life story and reveals a treasure trove of her kink shots, from her nudes, and cheesecake photos, right down to her BDSM photographs. And through it all, despite the film celebrating her, no one (not even people like Dita Von Teese or Bunny Yeager) can really explain why she holds such an attraction. Not even Ms. Page, who narrates her life story with a series of montages and footage of her films, can quite understand why generations after generations of young women and adults are drawn to her.
She’s certainly honest about her life, and in how she was very conservative in her ways. She hated alcohol, she hated cigarettes, and despite her passionate religious ideology, she could never be taken seriously by anyone. Even people that she loved objectified and manipulated her, which at the very least sums up why she became a recluse in her later years. Page’s recounting of her life involves a lot of pain and misery, but she’s applies a charming sense of humor to it, through and through. This oddly enough only contributes to her indescribable appeal, when all is said and done. “Bettie Page Reveals All” doesn’t quite offer a new, radical perspective on Page, but it’s an affectionate tribute, with Page’s last big interview before her sad passing.
Now Available on Digital, DVD, and is available to rent or purchase on all major streaming and VOD platforms.