This is a great documentary about extremely famous animated character Betty Boop. It not only brings really important and informative interviews, and a lot of original footage, but also has a brilliant edition, with perfect cuts (many times combining an animated scene with a similar live-documentary one) and animation. Far from not discussing her hyper-sexualization, it also shows many other sides, traits and stories that unveil that this movie & television icon is much more complex and interesting than the usual aesthetic reference suggests. Betty Boop was the first female leading and the first female human character from animated cinema, what is important by itself. Besides that, although following traits of pin-ups, as it was common those years (the historic background was also always perfectly discussed), she deviated completely from the role women suffered pressure from society to play: driving, partying, working, and also not allowing men to harass her. Much of that was forgotten when Code Hays reactionary censorship constrained severely Betty Boop's irreverence and autonomy, and the inventiveness of her stories. That deformed version of Betty Boop is basically the one who was known by subsequent generations, attracting only children and no more adults, as that sarcastic, clever and sophisticated cartoon did in the beginning. However, as the documentary also shows, the real Betty Boop is still there and may be called whenever it is needed.
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