If Anora wins an Oscar, Showgirls deserves a second look

As Anora receives 6 Oscar nominations in 2025, I feel happy for the lead actress Madison, but also a bit wistful. If we can give such high praise today to a film like Anora that portrays the lives of erotic dancers, perhaps we should look back at another similar film, Showgirls from 1995.

To be honest, I had never watched this film until the recent release of The Last Showgirl gave me the opportunity to discover this 30-year-old classic. After watching it, I couldn't help but write a review.

Showgirls was universally panned upon its release and is still considered one of the worst films ever made. It received 13 Golden Raspberry Award nominations in 1995, and was absolutely savaged by critics. But is it really that bad? From my perspective, the film doesn't deserve such harsh criticisms. Viewed through today's lens, there are actually many noteworthy aspects.

When the film was released, the critics complained about its lack of eroticism, arguing that the nude scenes were boring and that the extensive nudity exploited and insulted women. But viewing it through today's values, the mundane presentation of dancers' bodies feels more like honesty. Perhaps this wasn't the director's intention, but it achieved a remarkable effect: after repeatedly showing the dancers in topless states, the viewers had become desensitized to female nudity. About 20 minutes into the movie, I had a feeling: watching this film was like visiting a women's bathhouse. You might feel shy at first, but soon, when you would realize that everyone is naked and start treating it as the norm; everything becomes natural. There's nothing erotic about it; it's just bodies. The film's portrayal of the erotic stage's backstage serves exactly this purpose. Here, the women's exposed upper bodies are nothing to make a fuss about. Is this male gaze? Yes, but Verhoeven makes no attempt to hide it. He seems to be trying to make the erotic elements feel commonplace to the audience.

Another criticism of the film was that most male characters are misogynistic brutes, and even the few sympathetic ones are nearly absurd. Critics claimed the director blurred the line between "how do men treat women in the showgirl world" and "how does the film treat women." However, is this a bad thing? I think this, too, is another kind of honesty. The male characters receive almost no glorification - isn't a reflection of reality? Isn't it possible that most men in the real world of showgirls are indeed misogynistic brutes? From this perspective, Showgirls completely succeeds in its satire and critique of reality.

Moreover, what delighted me even more is the film's portrayal of relationships between Nomi and her coworkers/female friends. The film spends considerable amount of time depicting Nomi's life with her friend Molly, whose injury becomes the main driver for Nomi's revenge and departure. (Of course, the rape scene was filmed very brutally, and even by today's standards, I think it could benefit from some editing). Nomi's final revenge shows qualities of an evil queen. Additionally, the relationship between Nomi and Cristal has undertones of potential lesbian subtext. Men are marginalized in this film, replaced by vividly portrayed female characters, which I find quite remarkable.

Of course, all these criticisms ultimately targeted on the portrayal of the main character, Nomi. Critics condemned her character as crude, lacking grace, unlikeable, and always carrying an irrational and inexplicable recklessness and anger. This might be due to Berkeley's acting and Verhoeven's directing style. However, I think it stems from that era's stereotypical expectations for this type of female protagonist. It seemed as though female leads had to be likeable, especially as showgirls, always viewed through a rose-tinted filter and characterized by a kind of emotional vulnerability. However,none of this exists in Berkeley's Nomi.

She doesn't appear to be a showgirl heading toward self-destruction amid chaos. She appears to be very healthy, rarely shows moments of confusion, and carries a lioness-like energy. Especially in all her dance scenes, she exhibits a powerful presence. This quality contradicts the stereotypical sexy image of showgirls. You could even say that her state of nudity without shame was offensive for that time. I guess this is why after the release of Showgirls, Berkeley was strongly rejected from most film producers and casting directors. Speaking about the strong reactions to Showgirls, the actress later commented: "The film was full of cruelty. I was bullied. I don't understand why I was blamed. An actor's job is to realize the director's vision. I did everything I was supposed to do. No one involved with the film stood up to defend me. I was ostracized, becoming an outcast in the industry where I had worked so hard."

Today, after 30 years, Berkeley eventually got some filming opportunities through her efforts, though her acting career in Hollywood isn't considered successful. However, this film has become a classic cult film as part of camp culture. Therefore, I wonder if this film were to be released today, even if Berkeley couldn't receive A-list film festival nominations like Madison and Demi Moore, she would certainly receive different reviews. Old Hollywood could only accept women who were sexy and vulnerable, with being sexy as a must. Today, we can fully accept characters like Nomi, who aren't particularly likeable and appear crude and wild. Perhaps it's time to re-score this film. This time round, I don't think it'd be viewed as bad as it was 30 years ago.

So, if you enjoy watching Anora, The Substance, or The Last Showgirl, I sincerely recommend checking out this 1995 Showgirls. I promise you won't be bored.