Pangan, Jason Carlo T.

March 28, 2023

BSCpE – 4th Year (4:00 PM - 5:30 PM) Sir Arvin G. Derecho

Movie Review: "Dangerous Beauty" (1998 film in Netflix) Moral Reasoning

As I watched the movie entitled “Dangerous Beauty”, a 1988 American biographical drama film which
is based on true story, directed by Marshall Herskovitz, also based on Margareth Rosenthal's book The
Honest Courtesan 1994. Dangerous Beauty film that represents courtesans in 16th century Venice. It
describes how courtesans’ social life, lifestyle, and history of courtesan itself. Veronica Franco starred by
Catherine McCormack, is a beauty Venetian girl from low-income families. She loves Marco Venier (Rufus
Sewell) a nobleman's son who is a government. Therefore, his parents forbid their relationship and do not
allow them to marry. When Veronica knows that they cannot get married, she feels very sad and
disappointed. Veronica's mother, Paola Franco, worries about her daughter's condition. She also says that
Veronica can still have Marco if she wants to be a courtesan.
In Venice women are underestimated if she does not come from wealthy or noble families. Veronica's
mother also thinks their lives for the future. She thinks about the future of Veronica. So, she suggests
Veronica to become a courtesan like her mother used to be that one of the best. Veronica initially rejects the
suggestion of her mother, but because of her mother's persuasion who says that courtesan having a high
paid, honorable, and her mother even shows her to a great Venetian library, off limits to women, but not to
Veronica because courtesans are the most educated women in the world. Veronica likes reading, making
poems, and finally she approves her mother's suggestion to be a courtesan.
The issue of courtesan appears when Veronica as a woman is not averse to physical pleasure but
sex is not really the point with a courtesan. She provides intellectual companionship for her powerful clients,
through her connections, she can share valuable pillow talk and there is high entertainment as she uses
poetry for verbal duels with noblemen. For a courtesan, as for an army recruit, the goal is to be all that she
can be. Veronica becomes the best courtesan in Venice at that time. The most popular and respect fallen
woman in Venice, sought by princes, generals and merchants. Because of her interest and loves to poetry,
Veronica publishes her literary work of poetry being a book.
Therefore, this film bluntly depicts courtesan issue in 16th century Venice. At a time, Venice is the
richest, most decadent city in Europe. It is women who were treated like property. The literacy rate is still low.
Only a few people who are able to read. But there were some who enjoyed a different fate. When a beauty
Venetian girl deliberately chose the life of a courtesan because it seemed a better choice than live in poverty.
In this case, Dangerous Beauty film does not represent the courtesan as negative prostitutes but in different
and positive images.
To summarize, Veronica has an urge for education. Countless times we see this, such as when she
was reading a book underneath the table when she wasn't supposed to be. Her effort to further educate
herself was quite interesting because it didn't reflect her actions during the film. It showed the lack of her
education even though she strived for it. She used education as a tool for sex, as we see in many instances
in the film. She would use her literature to gain charm and attract surrounding males. It was interesting how
the courtesan were the most educated of woman. This kind of made a trap for Veronica. She was going to
do what she really wanted to do, which was be educated, but she had to sacrifice her body and morals for it.
Pangan, Jason Carlo T. March 28, 2023
BSCpE – 4th Year (4:00 PM - 5:30 PM) Sir Arvin G. Derecho

Society has strict standards on people today. Most of the times, we find it very hard to show or
express our own feelings while following the norms of society. People tend to throw away their morals and
beliefs in order to be a part of the "normal" group of people. In the overall film, it focused on a young lady
named Veronica who is faced with a dilemma. To relate in the topic of “Moral Reasoning”, according to
American Psychological Association (2018), Moral dilemmas are challenging because there are often good
reasons for and against both choices. For instance, one could argue that it is okay to kill one person if it would
save five, because more people would be saved, but killing itself is immoral. Moral judgments and decisions
are often driven by automatic, affective responses, rather than explicit reasoning. However, it remains unclear
whether subsequent reasoning can lead people to change their initial decision. To go back from the film,
Veronica Franco can go two ways in life, one is letting go of her true feelings, and accepting societies norms
by forgetting the ones she loves, or the other is giving up her moral values and become a courtesan and bare
the right to have sexual encounters with the one she loves. This is also where “Moral Reasoning” will come
from as it is an important and often daily process that people use when trying to do the right thing. For
instance, every day people are faced with the dilemma of whether to lie in a given situation or not. People
make this decision by reasoning the morality of their potential actions, and through weighing their actions
against potential consequences. These dilemmas in context are very similar to dilemmas we encounter
everyday. People prepare to keep away from doing certain things as they are anxious about the society's
harsh judgment.