It is 1917 and the last months of legal prostitution in the red light district of Storyville, New Orleans. Hattie (Sarandon)is a prostitute who lives and work in the home of Madame Nell (Faye). One day photographer Ernest J. Bellocq (Carradine) comes by to take pictures at the house and Hattie and her twelve year old daughter Violet (Shields) are the only two people in the house who are awake so he takes pictures of Hattie while her daughter watches. What Violet sees fascinates her. Over the course of the next few months, Nell arranges for the auction of Violet's virginity while Hattie meets and falls in love with a rich, respectable man and moves with him to St. Louis, leaving her daughter behind. Violet believes herself to be in love with Bellocq and pleased beyond words at her feelings and attraction for him, he marries her and takes her away to live with him. However their relationship is fraught with problems as Violet is still really a child and finds it difficult to fit into her husband's world. She finds herself missing her mother more every day and hoping for her return.
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The review of this Movie prepared by Patti Illsley
