Desperate Living

Desperate Living is a distinctive and unorthodox 1977 American comedy film, penned and directed by the legendary, John Waters. The film proudly stands apart with its offbeat story, distinctive brand of humor, and a vibrant cast which includes Liz Renay, Mink Stole, and Susan Lowe.

Departing from mainstream cinema, Desperate Living is recognized for its bold commitment to a provocative and eccentric narrative that literally and metaphorically deviates from the beaten path. This film dives deep into an alternative bizarre universe that is gross, unrestrained, but also strangely endearing.

Mink Stole, a regular of Waters' repeat cast, plays the role of Peggy Gravel, a neurotic and deluded housewife living in a Baltimore suburb. Stole assumes her character with perfect precision, capturing Peggy's escalating paranoia with a nuance that is both hilarious and distressing to view. The film kicks off when Peggy, convinced that her husband is attempting to murder her, inadvertently brings about his mysterious death with the help of her maid, Grizelda, portrayed by Jean Hill.

The pair then flee and end up in Mortville, a surreal realm inhabited by social misfits and overseen by the despotic Queen Carlotta, a role brilliantly assumed by Edith Massey. Mortville's socio-political setting reflects a parody of societal norms, existing beyond the laws and order of a structured world.

The city of Mortville is a melting pot of quirky characters and fascinating relationships. Susan Lowe represents a character called Mole McHenry, an audacious wrestler who has a tumultuous love story with her girlfriend, Muffy St. Jacques, played by the captivating Liz Renay. Renay, who was a former striptease artist and convict, boasts an impressive on-screen presence with her evocative portrayal of the transgender 'girlfriend'.

The cast list wouldn't be complete without mentioning Mary Vivian Pearce, as Princess Coo-Coo, Queen Carlotta's rebellious and naive daughter. Ed Peranio's wide array of bizarre characters, both grotesque and amiable, adds further elements to the mayhem that is Mortville.

John Waters magnificently manages to portray this absurd world with ingenious iconoclastic humor, using absurdity and shock value to critique class systems and societal norms. Dark humor propels the narrative, and Waters often subverts conventional filmmaking rules for comic effect. Homage to sub-genres of low-budget cinema, specifically exploitation films, adds another layer of depth to this intriguing piece of cinema.

Desperate Living is ultimately a testimony to Waters' uncanny ability to artfully merge the outlandishly bizarre with sharp social commentary. His maximalist approach, often described as 'trash cinema', employs camp aesthetics along with explicit visuals and perverse humor. The coarse language, slapstick comedy, and raunchy relationship dynamics, while definitely not for the faint-hearted, contribute to the shock-comedy genre of the '70s, solidifying Waters’ reputation as a maestro of bad taste.

The film's design aesthetics further enhance its irreverent tone. The setting is vividly colored, purposely artificial, and exaggeratedly staged, mirroring and amplifying the characters' warped reality. The costumes, over-the-top and deliberately mischievous, add to the eccentric allure of the movie, while serving a thematic purpose, exaggerating characters' personalities and their sociocultural statuses.

Waters' employment of low-budget aesthetics and a distinctly DIY approach create a unique filmic language, providing a graininess to the film that mirrors its gritty narrative. Due to its highly unconventional nature, the movie polarizes audiences - attracting a niche viewer base while potentially distancing those attracted to mainstream cinematic norms and storytelling forms.

To conclude, Desperate Living is a subversive, darkly humorous, and shockingly comedic take on societal dynamics, authority, and rebellion. It's a kaleidoscope of the grotesque yet strangely captivating, perfectly embodying John Waters' unapologetic brand of cinema. This distinctive piece of cinematic art serves as a poignant example of avant-garde and transgressive attraction for cult movie fans.