A lot of people praise this film, and it's definitely not something you're likely to forget, although for me this is a mixed bag. The device of using Barbie dolls to depict the Karen Carpenter story makes "Superstar" a little frustrating to watch at times. The reality of Karen's situation, as well as the fact that she was a ubiquitous public figure and very easily recognized, makes for an affecting experience, but this same story has also been told many other times in countless "movie of the week" formats (with other diseases or afflictions substituting for anorexia). I also wonder about how accurate the film is in telling Karen's true story. I can't help but think that much of it is speculation about what could have happened to Karen Carpenter, but that it isn't necessarily the whole truth. Either way, the film draws some very clear conclusions about the impetus for Karen's anorexia, mainly an overbearing family life and the professional pressures that came with her successful career--pressures that, if the film is to be believed, were made even worse by the demanding nature of her brother, Richard Carpenter.
The movie does bring out some psychology about the nature of anorexia, but I fail to see how this could be considered a "serious" study of the disease. The use of Barbie dolls as characters, as well as the deliberately tabloid presentation of the film, seem to lead the intent far from the serious and into the realm of the absurd. Ironically (or not, depending on the director's intention), the real weight that this short film carries comes from the combination of Karen's tragic story with the sound of her own voice in the many sentimental Carpenters songs that are included on the soundtrack. It is the very emotional manipulation that the Carpenters specialized in that makes the difference here, too.
What is remarkable about "Superstar" is how much impact it does have, as well as the scathing criticism of the phony 70s "squeaky clean" image that sprang up in contrast to the gritty social and political movements of the era. It is also a film molded in the morbid tradition of a genre that I like to refer to as the "70s doom" film, movies that were intended to shock the viewer with graphic depictions of atrocities they had only heard whispers of, usually accompanied by melodramatic cues. The opening scene is an ominous point-of-view shot as Karen's mother walks through her house to find Karen's lifeless body collapsed on the floor, accompanied by horror movie music and sound effects. The portrait that it does paint of Karen as a victimized pawn manipulated by her family and record executives is a powerful one, especially in the way that Karen struggles in vain to gain control of her life.
Definitely interesting viewing, although the over-the-top elements of the piece seem intended to deliberately shock the viewer in a more superficial way. Make sure to look for the Barbie doll that stands in for Dionne Warwick. Classick!
The movie does bring out some psychology about the nature of anorexia, but I fail to see how this could be considered a "serious" study of the disease. The use of Barbie dolls as characters, as well as the deliberately tabloid presentation of the film, seem to lead the intent far from the serious and into the realm of the absurd. Ironically (or not, depending on the director's intention), the real weight that this short film carries comes from the combination of Karen's tragic story with the sound of her own voice in the many sentimental Carpenters songs that are included on the soundtrack. It is the very emotional manipulation that the Carpenters specialized in that makes the difference here, too.
What is remarkable about "Superstar" is how much impact it does have, as well as the scathing criticism of the phony 70s "squeaky clean" image that sprang up in contrast to the gritty social and political movements of the era. It is also a film molded in the morbid tradition of a genre that I like to refer to as the "70s doom" film, movies that were intended to shock the viewer with graphic depictions of atrocities they had only heard whispers of, usually accompanied by melodramatic cues. The opening scene is an ominous point-of-view shot as Karen's mother walks through her house to find Karen's lifeless body collapsed on the floor, accompanied by horror movie music and sound effects. The portrait that it does paint of Karen as a victimized pawn manipulated by her family and record executives is a powerful one, especially in the way that Karen struggles in vain to gain control of her life.
Definitely interesting viewing, although the over-the-top elements of the piece seem intended to deliberately shock the viewer in a more superficial way. Make sure to look for the Barbie doll that stands in for Dionne Warwick. Classick!