“Slatternly behaviour”

I was intrigued by reviews of ‘The Immigrant’ at the Cannes Film Festival. Set in 1921, it tells of two sisters arriving at Ellis Island “fresh off the boat from Poland and trembling in the naturalization office”. However, one of the pair, Ewa:

“… accused of slatternly behaviour on the boat trip, is instructed to line up for immediate deportation. It’s a corrupt ruse, designed to get defenceless pretties like Ewa into the care of “talent” promoter and pimp Bruno Weiss (Joaquin Phoenix), who guards his girls with equal parts paternal protectiveness and chilly sexual exploitation.”

Pure scene fodder, this. Helpless but innocent girl, being punishment by the authorities for her alleged misbehaviour, and then being corrupted and used. I want to see the film – or, more to the point, to steal the plot and act out what would presumably be a somewhat more severe and abusive version!