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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Such a great write up. Makes me feel like I ought to read the book, even though I didn't love the film.
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."