We saw this last week and I have thought about it on & off since then... I really enjoyed it a lot and highly, highly recommend it.
Special effects were fantastic, and yet somehow subtle—completely subservient to the story instead of seeming to be the movie's raison d'etre... even though they were utterly indispensible. Characters were interesting and complex. Even those who could be summed up in a few words ("sadistic army guy," "tragic doomed woman") yet managed to have nuances and backstories and to seem very real and believable.
The reviews all made it sound horrendously gory, but it really wasn't. It was genuinely (if mildly) scary, in its depiction of fantastical and all-too-real versions of evil, but there were only a few brief bits I couldn't watch—it wasn't gratuitously gory, and there was plenty of warning when to look away.
I was worried that a fable about a little girl's coming of age or growing up would be anti-feminist, but was pleasantly surprised—okay, shocked—to find that it was powerfully feminist.
I saw it as feminist for two reasons. First, because of the way the two adult women are contrasted. Each tries to protect herself and her loved ones through a different path: the woman who takes the traditional path of trading sexuality and servitude for safety, does not find what she sought; the woman who is brave, independent, strong, resourceful and a real fighter, is in a much better situation at the end of the film.
Second, the little girl's "coming of age" involves thinking for herself and standing up for what's right even in the face of her worst fears—not being rescued by Prince Charming. There is nothing gendered about her challenges, her courage, or her victory (although it could be argued that belief in fairy-tales is gendered). I feel like cheering just thinking about this aspect... a wise, strong, brave little girl!
Another thing I liked about the film is the way that the doctor and Mercedes both seem to see themselves as cowardly because they serve in the captain's household, and yet, by holding true to what they believe is right, they are able to become heroes in key moments. They convey how heroism doesn't necessarily require some great leap; when the moment came, they knew what to do, and it was completely natural, like taking another step on a path you've always walked. Inspiring.
One thing I've been thinking about all week (and this may have been obvious to others more quickly... I haven't been in the lit-crit milieu in a long time!) is the relationship between the fairy-tale and the real-life story that are inter-woven throughout the film.
I think I finally have an interpretation of it that satisfies me... your mileage may vary, of course. But I think it's all about belief—not giving up on your beliefs—having faith in something that carries you through. In a secular sort of way, it's about the victory of faith and love.
Spoiler here—plot and ending details. If you don't want to know, skip the rest of the post (it prob'ly won't make a whole lot of sense if you haven't seen the film anyway).
... spoiler ...
... spoiler ...
So, the child is "saved" by her belief in her fairy tale—saved from the full impact of the horrors of war and her mother's drama; also, if one is to take the fairy tale as "real," she is saved from death. Throughout the film, her belief is a kind of resistance; it's interwoven with her "real life" resistance, such as when she destroys the party dress.
The mother, who has given up on belief (if she ever had it) and is just trying to stay alive, has betrayed herself and her daughter into the hands of evil; she hopes that collaborating with evil will keep them safe, but it kills them.
Mercedes is the opposite of the mother. She says she once believed in fairies as a child; now she believes in the resistance struggle. Belief, and her love for her brother give her courage and determination. She does not let herself be killed but fights back. Her faith is like a fire in her... she is so beautiful at the end when she is sort of revealed in all her glory...
What do you think?
Anyway, that's my two cents. It's late and I'm tired. Never enough hours in the day...
2 comments:
One of the best movies I've seen in a long time - both visually and as a story. Nice review Virginia!
Thanks so much, AG! Coming from someone who I would call a "film geek" (using that term with great admiration, I hope it's clear!) that praise is much appreciated.
Hey, your icon is in my living room! Hee hee.
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