Womb
Dear LJ,
As you can see from the title, I've recently seen the 2010 controversial film. It's always a pleasure to relish the deliciousness that is Eva Green. I mean, she embodies everything I would ever want in an actress. Literally perfection to the last hair follicle. I know that she has starred in many productions prior to Penny Dreadfuls but I think Vanessa Ives is the most wholesome display of all that she is despite it being a terribly written show. A woman who is beyond her own beauty, from her enormous blue eyes hooded by bushes of straight dark lashes that stare at you like you're going to be her next victim to her perfectly shaped lips and small frame, something about her is wicked, but you can also sense a deeply feminine fragility. And somewhere in her furrowed brows she's genuinely good. That's the thing about Eva Green. She can be that pretty woman if she wants to be but an evil witch the next second (has anyone heard her laugh?). Her low voice also naturally sends chills down your spine. She looks flawless from every angle; her last name is Green and she's even goddamn French. What more can I ask for?
Ok, before I babble even more about Eva Green, let's get to the movie. If you don't want any potential spoilers, please stop here. I can't express myself fully without referring to the plot - that is, the whole film revolves around one decision. After watching it, I'm left absolutely devastated for Eva's character, Rebecca. I know that she has not for one second regretted her decision but I found myself yelling at the computer screen more than once. I mean, let's first talk about identity. What defines who we are? Our physical body? Our DNA? I think most of us would disagree. I'd say 99% of our identity comes from our life experiences which are stored in our memories. So would we really consider the regeneration of our physical matter a prolongation of us?
In the snail box that Tommy gives her, Rebecca discovers a note from him that reads I will wait for you for as long as it takes. Yes, he hadn't been able to move on with life after she left, but we don't really know if it's just because his life turned out to be a wreck. After all, he didn't say goodbye to her because he simply overslept. I find so many things about Tommy to be absurd. His reason for missing the ferry, his projects to cause mass hysteria and his death. There was almost no meaning in his life. But back to my point, suppose Tommy really was waiting for her this entire time. He was at least able to anticipate a possibility of a happy ending. On the other hand, Rebecca's sacrifice was both selfish and completely selfless. She went against his parents' wishes but there was literally nothing she could gain from that decision. She was giving up her whole life for not even a resurrection of the real him. At the end of the day, she could neither be a mother, a lover nor even a friend. She lost everything, even more than the first time.
As for the taboo scene toward the end, it triggers so many feelings in me I don't know how to put it all into words. It's both traumatizing but satisfying. If I watch it a few times, I see more artistic elements in it. There was a nice build-up throughout the entire movie and we were all waiting for this moment of climax but we were all expecting it to be her doing. Turns out we're wrong. She tried to stay dutiful and moral the whole way even though it was killing her. But when the moment came, it had more of a rapey appearance to it. All of the sexual tension that was brewing inside her in all those 20 years came to an end like this. Why did he do it? Of all the emotions he felt, the confusion, rage, fear, hatred for her was all justifiable. She was prepared for all that. Nevertheless, nothing seems to explain what his reactions to the truth led him to do. But then if we look closely, was it always one-sided? When he introduced his girlfriend and asked if she could say, Rebecca responded exactly how she was supposed to, as a supportive and welcoming parental figure. And yet we could see that Tommy was deeply unhappy and disappointed by this reaction. What was he expecting? What has he been feeling for her this whole time?
The film really leaves a lot for the audience to imagine and feel. There isn't much dialogue and the story isn't very plot-oriented. Everything is shown in Rebecca - her gestures, facial expressions and her silhouette. The only thing I'd change is the casting of the male lead. Like, Matt Smith? Really? No offense to Doctor Who fans but you've got the goddess of elegance standing here in Eva Green and you couldn't cast someone who's closer to her level? Tom Hiddleston? Sam Claflin? Jude Law? Ok maybe not. Definitely not Cumberbatch either. But Tom Hiddleston would've been much more fitting, and his name is even Tom. I was not insignificantly disappointed when adult Tommy emerged. Other than that, I'd definitely recommend this movie.
As you can see from the title, I've recently seen the 2010 controversial film. It's always a pleasure to relish the deliciousness that is Eva Green. I mean, she embodies everything I would ever want in an actress. Literally perfection to the last hair follicle. I know that she has starred in many productions prior to Penny Dreadfuls but I think Vanessa Ives is the most wholesome display of all that she is despite it being a terribly written show. A woman who is beyond her own beauty, from her enormous blue eyes hooded by bushes of straight dark lashes that stare at you like you're going to be her next victim to her perfectly shaped lips and small frame, something about her is wicked, but you can also sense a deeply feminine fragility. And somewhere in her furrowed brows she's genuinely good. That's the thing about Eva Green. She can be that pretty woman if she wants to be but an evil witch the next second (has anyone heard her laugh?). Her low voice also naturally sends chills down your spine. She looks flawless from every angle; her last name is Green and she's even goddamn French. What more can I ask for?
Ok, before I babble even more about Eva Green, let's get to the movie. If you don't want any potential spoilers, please stop here. I can't express myself fully without referring to the plot - that is, the whole film revolves around one decision. After watching it, I'm left absolutely devastated for Eva's character, Rebecca. I know that she has not for one second regretted her decision but I found myself yelling at the computer screen more than once. I mean, let's first talk about identity. What defines who we are? Our physical body? Our DNA? I think most of us would disagree. I'd say 99% of our identity comes from our life experiences which are stored in our memories. So would we really consider the regeneration of our physical matter a prolongation of us?
In the snail box that Tommy gives her, Rebecca discovers a note from him that reads I will wait for you for as long as it takes. Yes, he hadn't been able to move on with life after she left, but we don't really know if it's just because his life turned out to be a wreck. After all, he didn't say goodbye to her because he simply overslept. I find so many things about Tommy to be absurd. His reason for missing the ferry, his projects to cause mass hysteria and his death. There was almost no meaning in his life. But back to my point, suppose Tommy really was waiting for her this entire time. He was at least able to anticipate a possibility of a happy ending. On the other hand, Rebecca's sacrifice was both selfish and completely selfless. She went against his parents' wishes but there was literally nothing she could gain from that decision. She was giving up her whole life for not even a resurrection of the real him. At the end of the day, she could neither be a mother, a lover nor even a friend. She lost everything, even more than the first time.
As for the taboo scene toward the end, it triggers so many feelings in me I don't know how to put it all into words. It's both traumatizing but satisfying. If I watch it a few times, I see more artistic elements in it. There was a nice build-up throughout the entire movie and we were all waiting for this moment of climax but we were all expecting it to be her doing. Turns out we're wrong. She tried to stay dutiful and moral the whole way even though it was killing her. But when the moment came, it had more of a rapey appearance to it. All of the sexual tension that was brewing inside her in all those 20 years came to an end like this. Why did he do it? Of all the emotions he felt, the confusion, rage, fear, hatred for her was all justifiable. She was prepared for all that. Nevertheless, nothing seems to explain what his reactions to the truth led him to do. But then if we look closely, was it always one-sided? When he introduced his girlfriend and asked if she could say, Rebecca responded exactly how she was supposed to, as a supportive and welcoming parental figure. And yet we could see that Tommy was deeply unhappy and disappointed by this reaction. What was he expecting? What has he been feeling for her this whole time?
The film really leaves a lot for the audience to imagine and feel. There isn't much dialogue and the story isn't very plot-oriented. Everything is shown in Rebecca - her gestures, facial expressions and her silhouette. The only thing I'd change is the casting of the male lead. Like, Matt Smith? Really? No offense to Doctor Who fans but you've got the goddess of elegance standing here in Eva Green and you couldn't cast someone who's closer to her level? Tom Hiddleston? Sam Claflin? Jude Law? Ok maybe not. Definitely not Cumberbatch either. But Tom Hiddleston would've been much more fitting, and his name is even Tom. I was not insignificantly disappointed when adult Tommy emerged. Other than that, I'd definitely recommend this movie.