Double Feature: "Truth or Dare" and "Part of Me."
Music documentaries have changed drastically in the last twenty years. Most of the films coming out now are telling the stories of teen pop stars at the height of their fame, able to make any tween girl swoon in her pink, bedazzled Keds. Groups like One Direction and singer Justin Bieber have made tons of money off of these films while presenting their back stories almost as folk lore. They get to play cute for the camera and come off as clean cut superstars who only have eyes for you. They exist to flaunt their existence, show how inspiring they are, how beloved. My favorite of these bubble gum creations is “Katy Perry’s: Part of Me,” which not only falls into these traps, but incidentally actually also says something about the performer. Unlike these other films, Katy Perry’s film actually shows a depth and truth to the pop icon other than the fairy princess we see onstage even if only for a moment.
On the other side of the spectrum is one of the biggest music documentaries of the last twenty years: “Madonna: Truth or Dare.” Madonna was at her peak in popularity, already boasted as an icon in many ways. She was provocative, smart, edgy, and lacked the humility of any America’s sweetheart. Instead of adhering to what Madonna may have wanted to show in her film, director Alek Keshishian shows some behind the scenes tomfoolery that paints Madonna as a childish, inept, spoiled star who doesn’t understand reality and often acts out to challenge it. While it’s obvious that there’s pandering to the camera and certain scenes look entirely staged, this is a film that shows the nitty gritty of a true icon.
Courtesy of Miramax Films, Dino De Laurentiis Communications, Boy Toy Inc, and Propaganda Films
“Madonna: Truth or Dare” (1991) dir. Alek Keshishian
It’s really strange to watch this film and come out with a decided opinion on who Madonna is as a person, what she stands for, and what she cares about. Throughout the film there is this strange, pretentious narration that flits between scenes that are completely oppositional to what happens onscreen. For one thing Madonna is childish. She tells inappropriate jokes, she swears uncontrollably, flashes the camera, and harasses people, including her dancers who she calls her children. The narration (by Madonna, of course) paints the picture of a woman on the breaking point, about to snap in half like a brittle twig.
There are some real moments of true depth in between the staged scenes. When Madonna performs in Detroit her father and brother come to the show, and it’s obvious that she wants their approval. Her brother seems to have issues with addiction, and when he comes late to her hotel it’s obvious that it hurts her feelings, so much so that she kicks him out. Her father’s presence is a bit strange, due to her show’s provocative nature, made stranger by the tense exchange backstage afterwards. It shows Madonna, who always puts up a front to please everyone, really just wants to please her father. In the last moments of the film, they do play truth or dare and she reveals the love of her life in an odd bit of clarity, shocking any Madonna fan to their core.
The most staged parts of the film come from people’s strange reactionary confessions to the camera. An obviously faked exchange between Madonna and a childhood friend reveals how religious, spiritual, and unfortunate Madonna is. Her friend is quick to reveal her mother’s death when Madonna was five, and how benevolent she has been since gaining fame. There’s also a scene where Madonna walks around while people narrate over her, giving their opinion on who the true Madonna really is.
Unbelievable still is just how provocative and jarring Madonna was in 1990. There’s a scene in Toronto where the police arrive to challenge her performance onstage, and threaten to arrest her. In true Madonna fashion she changes nothing about her show and censorship is thwarted. In this tradition Madonna paved the way for the likes of Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears, and Katy Perry.
Courtesy of Paramount Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, AEG Live, EMI Music, Perry Productions, Pulse Films, Magical Elves Productions, and Splinter Films,
“Katy Perry: Part of Me.” (2012) dir. Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz
While Madonna’s performances in her film are brazen, smart, and fun, they are nothing but a stepping stone for Katy Perry’s 2011 World Tour. While Madonna battled technical difficulties, Perry had to figure out how to work a cream cannon. If there’s no other reason for you to watch this film, then let it be for the explosive, neon, multi-costumed performances from this former gospel songstress. No matter what you have to say about her music, Perry is a born performer. She believes in spectacle and magic, whether visual or emotional. She cares about her fans more than anything, and for that simple reason she is very popular.
Madonna in 1990 was the same as Perry in 2011. Perry was the first woman to have five number one singles off a single record, only rivaled by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” She was married to a famous British comedian, starting a giant tour, and living the life she had always dreamed. Her goofiness, reverence for pageantry, and rebellious nature make you want to love her and have her win out in the end. Though it’s not as riveting as “Truth or Dare,” “Part of Me,” inspires something in the goofball in all of us, which is what Perry intended. It’s also true that Perry finds inspiration from those that paved the way, as she sings “Dance with Somebody,” in “Part of Me,” and Madonna’s own “Vogue,” in “Katy Perry: The Prismatic World Tour.”
The most famous aspect of the film comes from the cameras being trained on the singer during her marriage’s breakup. Reportedly Russell Brand texted her, telling her he was divorcing her. In a horrible scene Perry cries desperately in her dressing room, trying to put herself together, and moments later goes onstage and rocks it. While “Truth or Dare” tries to show a real moment with its lead subject, and only prevails several times, this scene is one of the truest in documentary filmmaking history.
Most of the film panders needlessly to Perry’s fan base, but then again this is a film for them. While it was not the maudlin portrait of a tortured artist that one would hope, it is about struggling to the middle and finally breaking free to head the pack. Perry deserves her success, as she is a fighter, like Madonna before her.
If you want a cut and dry music documentary watch “Truth or Dare.” It’s good for those who love Madonna and want to bow at her throne, and those who don’t and want to have their views reaffirmed. Though it can be utterly pretentious it also affords a view of her relationship with Warren Beatty, her crush on Antonio Bandera’s her crazed touring schedule, and her at the height of her fame. If you want something fun and altogether inspiring watch “Part of Me,” and goggle at Perry at the pinnacle of her success. The main thing to compare is the attitudes of these women at their height of their fame: one handled it well, and the other handled it.
