Classic Review: Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991)

One’s enjoyment of Madonna: Truth or Dare will hinge on their opinion of the woman herself. This documentary is a vanity project in every sense of the word and was made to be consumed by those who view her as an otherworldly, godlike figure and not a human being. For those people who complains about her being fake and inauthentic, this will get on their nerves. Personally, it’s hard to take issue with the idea that Madonna is completely fake, because she has always been honest about the fact that she exists as a construct of sorts. Rather than pretending to be a girl next door who only displays self-aggrandizing behavior during performances, she was openly arrogant and eccentric in public. This film views Madonna in the light that she would like to be seen in and never pretends that it’s allowing you to see the ‘real’ Madonna. The real, ordinary Madonna is a girl from Michigan and she’s probably far less interesting than the ostentatious, occasionally bratty superstar that she played in public. 

Madonna: Truth or Dare offers viewers a window into the life of a woman who was one of the most famous human beings alive in 1991. It’s almost like seeing a propaganda picture. It offers snippets of some of her live stage performances and are reminded of the Jean-Paul Gaultier cone bras and public quasi-masturbation that made her shows so controversial. Madonna finds a way to address her detractors by admitting that she’s not a particularly strong singer or dancer. She’s open about the fact that her main appeal comes from her ability to create controversy, reinvent her image and push boundaries. Her awareness of this fact helps to produce an entertaining character study. There is more emphasis placed on personality than there is on Madonna’s craft. We don’t spend much time watching her practice dance routines or focusing on her craft. Her relationships with other dancers and interactions with other celebrities serve as the centerpiece of the film. 

Many have seen the clip where Madonna mock gags after being confronted with insufficiently effusive praise from Kevin Costner, we all know about her plans to seduce a married Antonio Banderas and we’re all aware of Warren Beatty’s complaints about their troubled union. All of these moments are frequently referenced in conversations between Madonna aficionados and there’s something delightful about the fact that she’s so openly bitchy in so many scenes. Instead of pretending that she’s all chummy with her fellow A-listers, she views many of them as dopey lunkheads. Her argument with Beatty seems particularly revealing. In the process of trying to present himself as the less fame-obsessed person in the relationship, he reveals his own hypocrisy. Beatty has always held himself as though he is above being a celebrity and is more of an artiste – somebody willing to take risks and play the sorts of roles that his more conventional peers would never even consider. This air of superiority has always gotten on my nerves because Beatty is plainly an image conscious narcissist. He very rarely plays roles that don’t allow him to present himself as an object of female desire and a heroic idealist. He’s eager to pretend that Bulworth was shocking and risqué, but he would also love to pick up a couple of awards from his Hollywood friends. Unlike Beatty, Madonna doesn’t pretend that she doesn’t play the game or have full control over her image. In some regards, she is more honest than he is. 

Perhaps Madonna: Truth or Dare would have been even more engaging if it shed more light on her burgeoning film career. After appearing in many flops in the late 1980s, she rebounded in the early 1990s with bit parts in Dick Tracy and A League of Their Own. In some ways, her film career is even more fascinating than her career as a musician. One can only assume it was too riddled with failure to be selected as a subject of interest by Madonna, and the film is already fairly long, but it could have been a fun little denouement from all of the backstage stuff. When it comes down to it, the film will satisfy its target audience and that counts for something. They get to briefly hear some of her greatest hits and consider what life would be like if you were the most popular recording artist in the world. It’s easy to see why people who succeed as celebrities can be so icy and cold. They face constant pressure to perform and need to develop a layer of artificiality in order to remain interesting to the masses. 

There will be a natural temptation to mock Madonna for her egotistic ways, but it’s difficult to imagine a better documentary about this subject. A film that picks apart Madonna for all of her flaws wouldn’t shed any new light on its subject. Viewers already know all of the ways in which she is dastardly and mean. We want to see her go on one of her wild ego trips and take millions of her fans along with her. 

still courtesy of Miramax

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Zita Short

I am passionate about screwball comedies from the 1930s and certain actresses from the Golden Age of Hollywood. I’ll aim to review new Netflix releases and write features, so expect a lot of romantic comedies and cult favourites.