I just read the entire Scriptnotes interview with Polley. Even if readers don't have much interest in her film, the interview will be interesting if you have any interest in movies, which would presumably be the case here. The stuff about child actors is troubling: "as a society we have decided children should not work, but we’ve made this exception for this Wild West of an industry that’s probably the last place that should be given this exception".
The one surprise is that the interviewer was not familiar with Marilynne Robinson's Gilead. An earlier novel of hers, Housekeeping, was made into a terrific film by Bill Forsyth. Her name should have rung a bell at least.
I read Gilead last year and I wanted to like it more than I did. I never fell in rhythm with it. I agree Robinson's name should be well known, especially since she was on Oprah! :)
I haven’t read Gilead but consider Robinson’s Housekeeping a slender American classic.
I used to say that my answer to the question, “What are your two favorite movies by the same director?” would be Bill Forsyth’s Local Hero and Housekeeping, although I haven’t seen either in years, my VHS copies discarded and never updated, so my answer now might be different.
Limiting the setting to focus on the talk, that can be an effective approach, and I’m reminded of everything from Godot to Spike Lee’s Get on the Bus (where the story takes place on a bus heading across the country to the Million Man March).
It’s also interesting to contrast the resistance to revenge in this story with a story where revenge for violence against women is readily embraced by just about everyone, Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven.
Although I suppose in fairness to Shakespeare, he has Hamlet go through just about every conceivable excuse for not revenging the murder of his father: Am I a coward? Is the ghost lying? If I kill Claudius while he’s at prayer, will he not just go straight to heaven? Should I take action, or should I just kill myself to end this pain (To be or not to be)? Etc. He basically talks himself out of it. Of course, this being a tragedy, everyone still dies at the end, unlike a comedy where the ending involves a wedding or two.
This is probably going to be controversial but I don't find the main question compelling. These men are drugging and raping you and your kids. It feels obvious to me that just as a starting point, you have to leave. It's not even a choice. And I get that you're supposed to understand it as a dilemma between staying in an unsafe environment, or losing your salvation, but I just don't buy it as a rational debate. If the authority figures of your faith are engaged in objectively evil conduct, then no God will fault you for taking steps to protect yourself. And I guess that's where they end up, but I just don't see it as a compelling debate. "Oh, I'm on fire. Should I put it out? I don't know, let's talk about it."
I'm revisiting this comment and I just don't think we, as men in America, have any clue how women in a less developed country who have been raised and indoctrinated in a strict religious setting could feel. In a way, the movie was telling me "This is how they feel" rather than asking me if they should feel that way. I can only imagine that women in abusive relationships struggle with the decision to leave all the time because while it may be obvious that they should, the how to leave in a safe way and what to do once they leave isn't obvious to them. So while yes, I agree that it's obvious to us that the women need to get out of there, the story is about their feelings and struggles which all felt authentic.
I just read the entire Scriptnotes interview with Polley. Even if readers don't have much interest in her film, the interview will be interesting if you have any interest in movies, which would presumably be the case here. The stuff about child actors is troubling: "as a society we have decided children should not work, but we’ve made this exception for this Wild West of an industry that’s probably the last place that should be given this exception".
The one surprise is that the interviewer was not familiar with Marilynne Robinson's Gilead. An earlier novel of hers, Housekeeping, was made into a terrific film by Bill Forsyth. Her name should have rung a bell at least.
I read Gilead last year and I wanted to like it more than I did. I never fell in rhythm with it. I agree Robinson's name should be well known, especially since she was on Oprah! :)
I haven’t read Gilead but consider Robinson’s Housekeeping a slender American classic.
I used to say that my answer to the question, “What are your two favorite movies by the same director?” would be Bill Forsyth’s Local Hero and Housekeeping, although I haven’t seen either in years, my VHS copies discarded and never updated, so my answer now might be different.
Limiting the setting to focus on the talk, that can be an effective approach, and I’m reminded of everything from Godot to Spike Lee’s Get on the Bus (where the story takes place on a bus heading across the country to the Million Man March).
It’s also interesting to contrast the resistance to revenge in this story with a story where revenge for violence against women is readily embraced by just about everyone, Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven.
Great point, Frank! Thanks for pointing me to those other movies. You've sent me down a fun rabbit hole!
Although I suppose in fairness to Shakespeare, he has Hamlet go through just about every conceivable excuse for not revenging the murder of his father: Am I a coward? Is the ghost lying? If I kill Claudius while he’s at prayer, will he not just go straight to heaven? Should I take action, or should I just kill myself to end this pain (To be or not to be)? Etc. He basically talks himself out of it. Of course, this being a tragedy, everyone still dies at the end, unlike a comedy where the ending involves a wedding or two.
Such a great write up. Makes me feel like I ought to read the book, even though I didn't love the film.
What about the film didn't work for you?
This is probably going to be controversial but I don't find the main question compelling. These men are drugging and raping you and your kids. It feels obvious to me that just as a starting point, you have to leave. It's not even a choice. And I get that you're supposed to understand it as a dilemma between staying in an unsafe environment, or losing your salvation, but I just don't buy it as a rational debate. If the authority figures of your faith are engaged in objectively evil conduct, then no God will fault you for taking steps to protect yourself. And I guess that's where they end up, but I just don't see it as a compelling debate. "Oh, I'm on fire. Should I put it out? I don't know, let's talk about it."
I'm revisiting this comment and I just don't think we, as men in America, have any clue how women in a less developed country who have been raised and indoctrinated in a strict religious setting could feel. In a way, the movie was telling me "This is how they feel" rather than asking me if they should feel that way. I can only imagine that women in abusive relationships struggle with the decision to leave all the time because while it may be obvious that they should, the how to leave in a safe way and what to do once they leave isn't obvious to them. So while yes, I agree that it's obvious to us that the women need to get out of there, the story is about their feelings and struggles which all felt authentic.