“Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?”, originally titled “Qui Êtes-Vous, Polly Maggoo?” is 1966 French arthouse film directed by William Klein, that is a satire on the media and fashion world of the mid-60s in the Western world.
The movie follows model Polly Maggoo (Dorothy MacGowan), who was considered the It-girl of her time, as she is being filmed and used for a TV documentary that will showcase her glamorous life, as she is the object of desire for a generation.
The movie has received a lot of applause and a lot of negative criticism, mostly focusing on the way it comments the fashion world. Our wish is to offer a new interpretation of the film, as watching it today; it can be seen in a new light. At first, the movie seems to be a production about the power of the supermodel, identity and the role of fashion in modern culture. However, the film goes deeper.
If you watch the film closely, you can notice that it the film is (also) about the way in which the fashion world is perceived by a crowd of non-fashion people who don’t listen, who don’t care to go beyond the surface and who rank people and things, instead of linking them (to paraphrase Gloria Steinem, who once said that “We need to link and not rank”).
Grégoire (Jean Rochefort) and his film crew are so obsessed with getting the shot and with all technical details that go into making a movie that they forget the most essential thing, which is to go inside the subject. Grégoire’s life is given more importance by society, as he is allowed to tell his childhood story and to defend his actions, but the same cannot be said about Polly, who is not allowed to speak her mind and who is the perfect puppet. It can be argued that Polly is in fact the deepest character in the film – she sits in her bed, recording her thoughts and questioning whether it is really true that the “laws of fashion are stricter than the laws of philosophy.” Polly Maggoo, who symbolizes superficiality, is in fact the character who has a critical way of thinking and the only one who is or wants to be in control of her own actions. Everyone else, following the crowd or their egos, seem to be blocked going in a circle. The prince (Sami Frey), obsessed with an ideal, does not manage to grow up; the editor, Miss Maxwell (Grayson Hall), being in a position of power and not being controlled or held responsible for her work slides off into the opposite of what she should be (similar to every dictator; and the crowd, dazed by the appearance of sparkle, sucks up to everything she does.
In a way, “Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?”, is a film about the way in which the lack of time, interest or simple miscommunication manages to impact and shape the lives of many. William Klein’s movie is a great work that conveys the idea that we should stop and see others – in the Avatar kind of way, if we may make this comparison.
And then, the question that must be raised is whether the world has indeed changed since 1966? The answer is of course, yes – but in which way? Today, while many are still affected by the superficial way of looking at things, the internet has managed to go more in-depth into people’s lives. It is most likely that in many years from now, the birth of the internet will be seen as one of the biggest stepping points of humanity. Today, Polly Maggoo, even though she would be seen as more superficial and would be treated just as an object as she was in the movie, would have a chance of expressing herself through a vlog or blog. However, and this is the downside of the Internet – one’s personal broadcast only reaches a certain group and doesn’t make it in the mainstream. The question is though – does everything need to make it in the mainstream? Isn’t having an outlet for your fans and peers enough?
From a stylistic point of view, the film is very strong – with beautiful, elegant shots, William Klein manages to tell a story of beauty and discusses whether beauty is just skin-deep or not. By choosing to shoot the movie in black and white, in a time when color film was available, the director also manages to convey a message that the mainstream media world is a world where everything is black and white. And boy, how did things not change!
In a world where the mainstream won’t take people serious and where people don’t look at others because of all the clutter, wasn’t Polly right when she said she wanted to be a carrot – as carrots have the capability of growing and developing underground?
To conclude, we can say that “Qui Êtes-Vous, Polly Maggoo?” is a timeless movie about the misunderstandings caused by our constant run, by our disregard for others and that makes very strong points about our identity in relation to others and to ourselves.
Fraquoh and Franchomme
P.S. We want to hear from you! What did you think of “Qui Êtes-Vous, Polly Maggoo?” What do you make of the way the media transforms our views on different elements? Share your feedback, questions or thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on style, fashion tips and cultural insights, you can subscribe to Attire Club via e-mail or follow us on Facebook or Twitter!