There is a coming revival in the popularity of exploitation cinema, perhaps because we are now in more of a position to assess the contribution the films made to cinematic enterprise. Viva is indicative of this, being the first release from the collaboration between Brunel University’s Cine-Excess project and Nouveau Pictures, a venture which has been given the rights to the archive of celebrated B-Movie director Roger Corman. The university’s intention is to “take trash seriously” and, while it’s not the first academic institution to tout the merits of the trash oeuvre, it looks set to be responsible for some important releases over the coming years. Viva is not of the period, but for the period: a high-camp retrospective venture into the world of sexploitation cinema.

More Russ Meyer than Roger Corman, it occupies a space somewhere between spoof and homage, addressing the validity of the widely held belief that the ‘60s and ‘70s were a period of sexual liberation. The aptly named Barbie (Anna Biller) casts off the restrictions of her staid, repressive marriage and takes the name Viva (“Because I want to live”) in order to indulge in a lifestyle of experimental excesses. Seeking “adventure” with her fellow housewife, Sheila (Bridget Brno), she undertakes a series of experiments, some

unwillingly, with sex and drugs. These involve a range of conventional sexploitation scenes and themes, which address the concerns of feminism in hilarious fashion, boiling decades worth of theory down into snappy soundbites and off-cue dialogues. Typical scenes such as those in a brothel and at a nudist colony lay bare the generation’s misguided attitudes to the emancipation of women and the era of free love. It is also somewhat of a coming-of-age movie, with direct addresses to the camera forcing us to examine just how far our attitudes have actually come. In this era of highly sexualised celebrity female role models, the subject could not come at a better time.

Biller, an artist who also writes and directs the feature, has brought into being a remarkable film, which is perfectly stylised. The garish settings and fashions are filmed with a brightness that can make your eyes bleed. There is almost painful attention to detail in creating the early-70s aesthetic, which makes for a wholly satisfying visual experience. Faultless performances also add to the authenticity of the film, with lines consistently delivered with the hesitancy of sexploitation professionals: eyes off-camera and contrived facial expressions. It is a commitment to kitsch that is unrivalled in the current cinesphere.

Accompanying the film is an essay by Beth Johnson, of Liverpool University, that situates Viva in the historic and contemporary sexploitation and feminist landscape. The disc’s special features contain behind-the-scenes footage narrated by Anna Biller, which add to the appeal and charm of the production. This is a release of quality that will delight any film student or follower of trash cinema, and it bodes well for the future releases of the collaborative project.

Words > Phil Sainty