My Heavenly Creatures Essay
I just wrote this "essay" about the film Heavenly Creatures and the Parker-Hulme case. It's been a long time coming. I hope you enjoy reading it.
Edited to add, September 9, 2009 - I found some errors here and there, and I apologize! I'm working on editing this for typos and usage mistakes, etc. more thoroughly. Thanks!
My Thoughts on Heavenly Creatures
and the Parker-Hulme case
August 16, 2009
I’ve wanted to write this for some time now. I always feel compelled to write when I think about the Parker-Hulme case of 1954 and the movie made about it in 1994 - Heavenly Creatures, one of my all-time favorites. And here I am, finally doing it! I guess it just came time.
This “essay” might go through several edits as I develop my thoughts further, but I’m sure there will be enough of my exposition to read for now. This might be less formal than that of a traditional essay, and more in the tone of a blog entry. These thoughts have been floating around in me for years, and I’m looking forward to writing them out for fellow “HC” fans. I’ve been a fan and historian of the film and case for many years. I’m not the authority on it - not by a long shot - but I do know my fair piece about it, and I feel as if I am qualified to write about it, even from the standpoint of being a devout fan of the film. This isn’t a scholarly work - just a collection of my observations and feelings, and my reflections over the years of being a fan of a “cult classic,” niche film.
So what’s this film all about? Well, I have to say, this essay is probably more for fans of the film and/or case, or at least those that have seen the movie. There will be a lot of spoilers and general discussion about all parts of the film. So if you haven’t seen Heavenly Creatures yet, I strongly suggest you stop reading now, go watch, and come back! I don’t want to spoil any of the magic for you, and it’s difficult to summarize the film for those who haven’t seen it. The movie is based on true events, and he portrays the story accurately, adding the whimsy of the girls’ imaginations literally. I usually just say, “Just watch it.” The presence of Kate Winslet and the direction of Peter Jackson are usually enough to make people trust me. I’ve been asked to describe the movie in one word. How difficult. My choice would probably be “magical.” In one sentence, it’s the engrossing story of two best friends and the murder they eventually carried out in 1950s New Zealand. How’s that for a nice TVGuide summary?
If you’re still reading this and you haven’t seen the film, I’ll include the IMDb summary here, just for kicks: Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme met in school during the 1950s. Instant best friends, they proceeded to spend every minute possible together, often writing about a fantasy land of their own invention. More and more estranged from their respective families, the two girls realize that they are extremely different from most other people, and agree to take any steps necessary to ensure that they are not separated. The two families are increasingly concerned about the girls' friendship in a strictly moralistic era.
Now, fellow fans, I ask you this: isn’t that the summary that does the least justice to any film you’ve ever seen?
I’ll admit right now to anyone who is reading this: I am a Pauline and Juliet sympathizer. If this bothers you, I suggest you, too, stop reading here. I don’t mean to be offensive, but I understand that some people are automatically turned off by the idea of sympathizing with murderers. So - fair warning there.
A little background on me: I’m 22 years old, and I’m from the Midwest United States. I’m currently a film major in Florida. I like romantic dinners, long walks on the beach… Okay, really though. I came across Heavenly Creatures through my love of Kate Winslet. I saw Titanic opening weekend in 1997 when I was nearly 11 years old, and I was captivated. I’ve since become a respected-in-my-circles source on that film and true event. And I fell in love with Kate. After Titanic, I tried to get my hands on anything she’d ever done, and I kept up with all of her works as they came. My sister, who is 11 years older than me, came across Heavenly Creatures and copied the VHS over for me to watch. I must have seen it when I was 12 or 13 and the film was about five or six years old. I don’t remember much about the first time I saw it. I don’t think I was very impressed.
Many years later, I rediscovered it, and I don’t remember much about that re-watch either. But then I watched it again, and again. And I slowly fell under its spell. In the fix or six years since then, I’ve become a devoted fan and a historian of the case on which the film is based. Heavenly Creatures is now one of my top three favorite films - all-time. I did a series of speeches about the case in a public speaking course I took in late 2006. I must have watched the film a dozen times in a few weeks. After that, I was “burnt out” on it for a long period of time. I tried watching it, and I no longer “felt it.” I put it aside for over a year, terrified of having lost that special feeling I always loved. But when I finally watched it again, it was there for me - that familiar sense of wonder, magic and intrigue. I hope I always feel that when I watch this film, and I hope it is always one of my “best friend movies” with my dearest friend, Leigh, who also loves the film and feels its magic.
It’s hard to figure out where to begin. There’s so much to it, so much I think about. I’ll try to keep this as organized as possible.
I think at the heart of my love for this bit of history is my love for the two main characters. I dare call them heroines. Now, I haven’t met the real Juliet and Pauline, of course (I probably would have started off this essay with “OhmyGodImetPaulineandJuliet!”) but I’d like to believe Peter Jackson captured the core of them accurately. My affections are for the two girls that Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet so bravely portrayed at the very start of their careers. I can find relatable aspects in each of them. I think that’s a lot of their appeal. With fellow fans, I’ve asked and been asked, “Are you a Pauline or a Juliet?” What’s so fascinating is that, in most cases, yes, you can say one way or the other. But it’s a difficult choice - there are aspects in each of them found in us all. I think I have a touch of Juliet’s dominance, and a bit of Pauline’s darkness, among other things. Sometimes I can’t even express how I feel similar to each of the girls; I just wholly understand them while watching what they’re going through. I understand the frustration with their parents. I understand getting lost in one’s head. I understand being a writer and a dreamer. And Kate and Melanie play them with such nuance that they come across as the real people they are and were. Kate as Juliet and Melanie as Paul each have their absolutely stunning, shining moments on screen. The way Juliet cries during the talk of divorce. The way she first enters the movie as the new student. Kate plays Juliet with such a love of the character herself that we completely believe her. Melanie Lynskey has never looked prettier than when she imagines the beautiful Fourth World in which she finds Juliet and dances amongst the plasticine figures to Mario Lanza’s music. Her calmness the morning of the murder is chilling - but accessible to viewers. Melanie, too, plays her part with a fervor and intenseness that captures the whimsy and seriousness of this film.
And since you’re wondering - I think I’m a Pauline. (Take that as you will.)
There’s also been much debate over who the dominant one was. From my readings, it seems to be that Juliet was the dominant figure between them in real life. In the film, I think it shifts, and I think that shift is important. At the beginning, I think Juliet was that fairy princess who had a hold on Pauline from the start. She created the notion of the Saints, and she mentioned the Fourth World first. Pauline gazed at her with a hunger. But as the film progressed and we saw them become quick friends, deep friends, and I believe the dominance switched. When Juliet was recovering from her tuberculosis relapse and Pauline began the affair with John, I think the tables started to a turn a little bit. Juliet was obviously jealous. From there, I think it gradually shifted to a Pauline dominance. By the end, she was the leader for the murder, at least through my eyes, and Juliet wouldn’t have come up with it as a legitimate plan on her own.
I’m a fairly proud Parker-Hulme sympathizer, as I’ve said. I feel I have a deep understanding of their friendship - as much as I can without experiencing a friendship that intense. I think that the lines of friendship with girls, women, are different than those of boys and men. I think there’s a lot more grey there between friends and more-than-friends. There’s an intensity that females share together, and with that I can understand Pauline and Juliet, to the deepest extent allowed me. I understand it as much as I am able, and hold a desire for the rest. That may make me sound crazy, but I want a bond like that - someone I’d be willing to kill for and with. Someone who lives in my world. I think that’s what it comes down to in the end. Many call it a folie à deux - joint insanity, caused by the unity. Call it what you will, but I think they really were bound in such a way that they often shared the same alternate reality. And most of it was beautiful and special and theirs. We see Juliet and Pauline as characters, as historical figures, but really they were just people like you and me - pain and fears, happiness and delusions. They were teenage girls who did something unthinkable. Perhaps what’s chilling is that we do see ourselves in them. I always wish they hadn’t done it so they could have stayed together, wherever that might have taken them. I like to believe they would have been together forever.
There’s a deep attraction to their friendship, to their love for one another. Peter Jackson captured this brilliantly on film - a hard thing to do with this kind of subject matter. As I watch more and more films and attempt to write and make more films, I realize how difficult it often is to portray a history, a bond and a love between two characters on camera.
The closest I have ever come to a Pauline-Juliet friendship is with my best friend Leigh. And that’s part of why our bond over this film is so important to me. It’s our avenue. We both understand. Another one of my closest friends, Jade, also has a love for this film that has developed over time. The bond over this film and case are special to bonds over other films, probably because it’s hard to find people who really get it. It’s meant a lot to my life. Those who do get it are passionate about it, about defending it and about that sense of community. Not only is it a difficult subject to absorb, understand and sympathize with, it’s not a very well-known film, even though Peter Jackson and Kate Winslet have risen to the A-list. For me, it’s a whole different level of understanding about a film or an event. As I slowly find more fans and talk with those who love it as much as I do, I find comfort in the community. We prove to each other we are not evil, crazy or alone. I think the kinship for this fandom is above any other fandom I’ve been a part of.
I suppose, simply put, the murder took place because their parents were separating them. As you may recall, Hilda Hulme - Juliet’s mother - suggested that they allow the girls to spend the last possible days together. I think about this often. It is one of my most pondered “what if” questions out of the many that come from this story. What if they hadn’t been allowed that time? Did Hilda ever blame herself? The film and murder case give me that nostalgic creepy feeling I love to feel about history. It’s a time and a place we’ll never, ever get back. It’s a mystery, even with the facts we have. That element frustrates me, but it also enchants me. There are so many questions to ask of the people who were there, who lived it, who have gone on to their graves. There’s so much to think about and speculate about that we’ll just never know the answers to.
What is it about this murder that captures us so? I think it’s the two girls apart - their differences, their relatability. And it’s them together. Their remarkable bond. It’s also their victim. Pauline’s mother. In their eyes, she was their major obstacle. And the method of the murder - so brutal. Forty-seven strikes to the head. They killed to keep their world, their lives, intact. They were afraid of their respective futures, of the unknown. Was it the desperation of losing the one person who ever understood them? When you consider these very normal and common human emotions, you wonder - would I murder to keep my happiness too?
One of the most fascinating things about the case is something that wasn’t touched upon in the film - the aftermath. The evening and night of the murder are something that Peter Jackson chose not to show, and I understand his decision. The visions of what went on are alive in my mind, though, from what we know. Juliet and Pauline were taken back to Juliet’s home at Ilam, and Hilda drew them a bath and fed them a meal. I’m amazed by the other two things we know of that night - Hilda sent their bloodied clothes to the dry cleaners and the pile of bricks from which the murder weapon came from was taken away. Those are such simple actions, but they speak volumes. The immediate response from the Hulmes was to protect Juliet, if not Pauline as well. We see all of this with a creepy, nostalgic feel - events on a murder timeline in a book. But for them, this was a day in their lives that really occurred, that they really had to get through, that they really lived. Pauline and Juliet went to sleep together for what was the last time. That’s the thought that always brings a lump to my throat. The idea of “the last night” for them. One last time to be savored. Did they know it was the last time? Did they really have no idea?
Pauline was arrested that night, and Juliet the next day. The police seized all of Pauline’s writings, and it’s rumored that Juliet’s diaries were destroyed along with the bricks. Pauline tried sending notes to Juliet during their time apart for questioning. She wrote a diary entry on a scrap of paper that said, “I’m taking the blame for everything.” That touches me as well. Someone sat between them at their rather short trial. They were convicted of murder but too young for the death penalty. They were sent to two separate prisons, and were each released after 5 years served. The diaries of Pauline are said to have been destroyed after they were transcribed and used in the trial. This is perhaps one of the hottest topics for me. One of the saddest. I like to believe that the diaries were smuggled by someone and kept - and will be found again someday. The idea of holding one in my hand - or even looking at one behind a pane of glass - is almost too strong a thought for me to bear.
Just a few kind of random words on another hot Heavenly Creatures topic - Netflix and IMDb both categorize this as a “lesbian movie.” I understand the categorization but I disagree with it on a deeper level. So many people say they were lesbians together, but I disagree. Not only did they often pretend one of them was a man, their having sex with each other was not about their sexual desire towards women, it was about their bond with each other. I think this is another area to mention that grey area that can happen between two women as friends. Sometimes the bond is so intense, that’s the level it goes to or lingers at. Not only was it a bond between them, it was a bond with their world and their dreams. It was almost religious for them. I think that they were portrayed accurately, and not as lesbians.
There would have been no magic to this film if it weren’t for the perfect casting of the two leads. And to think - these were debut roles for Melanie and Kate! As you might know, Kate Winslet recently earned her first Oscar (finally!). It touched my heart to no end to hear her thank Peter Jackson. Many people probably wondered why, but that’s perhaps what made me tear up the most. She remembers her roots. The roles were a leap of faith for Kate and Melanie. Mel had never acted before, and was chosen partially for her almost uncanny resemblance to the real Pauline. Kate beat out thousands of other girls. And what perfect casting!
Acting aside, the other departments of the crew were also amazing in their renderings. The art direction for this film was superb and bizarre and also took a giant leap of faith. Think of the plasticine world! What amazing concepts put into action. The music is also a memorable part of the film - and integral to the storytelling. Mario Lanza is both uplifting and haunting. Peter Dasent’s score is enchanting yet dark. The use of Puccini’s “Humming Chorus” for the murder scenes is pure brilliance, and Mario Lanza’s “Never Walk Alone” over the epilogue and credits is just pure, chilling genius. Peter Jackson wrote the screenplay with his wife, Fran Walsh, and they received an Oscar nomination for it. They treated the material with care, understanding and accuracy, and I appreciate that. All the pieces put together - the direction, the writing, the acting, the art direction, the music - make a bizarre, magical, enchanting film. And I think Peter Jackson really understands. I don’t think he could have done it without understanding. His use of text as an epilogue is a wonderful touch, especially the last line: “It was a condition of their release that they never meet again.” That line always gets me too. And judging from its placement and emphasis, it’s supposed to. Peter Jackson got it. He understands. That was their greatest punishment, and the irony of their killing their “major obstacle.”
I think Juliet and Pauline’s legacy through Heavenly Creatures is select; this film will never have a giant fan base. I’m all right with that. Over 55 years later, their case is still present in the hearts and minds of those who understand their story.
Upon her release, Pauline became Hillary Nathan, and now lives a quiet life in the UK at a horse farm. Juliet Hulme became Anne Perry, the famous author of murder-mystery books, something I’ve always said tongue-in-cheek. It wasn’t revealed that she was Juliet until after the film was released. She’s spoken about it a couple of times since, but generally doesn’t like to.
I had the opportunity to exchange emails with her a few years ago. Those emails have been lost to time, but I remember the gist of our exchange. I had been reading a book of hers, and I nervously emailed her, telling her I enjoyed the book, and I alluded to knowing whom she was. I said something like, “I know that you have dark events in your past and I just wanted to say that I’m in your corner.” Something cheesy like that. She replied, thanking me, saying, “It’s good to know you have people in your corner.” I don’t think it sank in right away. Sometimes I don’t think it sinks in now. I emailed - emailed - with Juliet Hulme. She saw words I typed to her and replied to me directly. She said my name. I mean… For me, that is just… unbelievable. Remarkable.
There’s so much I’d like to say to each one, to ask them. There are so many fantasies I have in my head. Maybe they still keep in contact, secretly. Maybe they never married because they were always and forever supposed to be with each other. Maybe Pauline got her diaries back. Maybe Anne writes code for Hillary in her books.
Maybe it’s the romantic in me, the dreamer.
I am dying to go to New Zealand on a “Parker-Hulme pilgrimage.” It’s my #1 travel destination since falling in love with this story, and I’d like to go alone. I want to go to Ilam, Port Levy, and most of all - Victoria Park. I want to find the spot where it happened and stand there, reveling in the fact that I would be standing right where history occurred. I’d love to photograph Christchurch and write in my own journal in the town where Pauline wrote in hers.
The Fourth World was a state of mind for them, and in that way it still exists. I suppose we all have our own little fantasy worlds, and we rarely get to share them so intimately with someone else. Theirs ended in tragedy and that’s why we know about them. But I don’t believe their actions or what happened were worth nothing.
It’s not right to murder, but isn’t that a part of love in the deepest, darkest parts of it? Wouldn’t you kill for the people you love the most? Wouldn’t you die for them? Their love meant that much - whether they really believed they could get away with it or not. Maybe I’m romanticizing a horrible crime. Maybe I’m crazy. But at the core of this horrible crime was something good, somewhere. And through the mysteries and the questions that will always remain, that something good captured me right from the start.
And it’s something I’ll take with me forever.
Edited to add, September 9, 2009 - I found some errors here and there, and I apologize! I'm working on editing this for typos and usage mistakes, etc. more thoroughly. Thanks!
My Thoughts on Heavenly Creatures
and the Parker-Hulme case
August 16, 2009
I’ve wanted to write this for some time now. I always feel compelled to write when I think about the Parker-Hulme case of 1954 and the movie made about it in 1994 - Heavenly Creatures, one of my all-time favorites. And here I am, finally doing it! I guess it just came time.
This “essay” might go through several edits as I develop my thoughts further, but I’m sure there will be enough of my exposition to read for now. This might be less formal than that of a traditional essay, and more in the tone of a blog entry. These thoughts have been floating around in me for years, and I’m looking forward to writing them out for fellow “HC” fans. I’ve been a fan and historian of the film and case for many years. I’m not the authority on it - not by a long shot - but I do know my fair piece about it, and I feel as if I am qualified to write about it, even from the standpoint of being a devout fan of the film. This isn’t a scholarly work - just a collection of my observations and feelings, and my reflections over the years of being a fan of a “cult classic,” niche film.
So what’s this film all about? Well, I have to say, this essay is probably more for fans of the film and/or case, or at least those that have seen the movie. There will be a lot of spoilers and general discussion about all parts of the film. So if you haven’t seen Heavenly Creatures yet, I strongly suggest you stop reading now, go watch, and come back! I don’t want to spoil any of the magic for you, and it’s difficult to summarize the film for those who haven’t seen it. The movie is based on true events, and he portrays the story accurately, adding the whimsy of the girls’ imaginations literally. I usually just say, “Just watch it.” The presence of Kate Winslet and the direction of Peter Jackson are usually enough to make people trust me. I’ve been asked to describe the movie in one word. How difficult. My choice would probably be “magical.” In one sentence, it’s the engrossing story of two best friends and the murder they eventually carried out in 1950s New Zealand. How’s that for a nice TVGuide summary?
If you’re still reading this and you haven’t seen the film, I’ll include the IMDb summary here, just for kicks: Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme met in school during the 1950s. Instant best friends, they proceeded to spend every minute possible together, often writing about a fantasy land of their own invention. More and more estranged from their respective families, the two girls realize that they are extremely different from most other people, and agree to take any steps necessary to ensure that they are not separated. The two families are increasingly concerned about the girls' friendship in a strictly moralistic era.
Now, fellow fans, I ask you this: isn’t that the summary that does the least justice to any film you’ve ever seen?
I’ll admit right now to anyone who is reading this: I am a Pauline and Juliet sympathizer. If this bothers you, I suggest you, too, stop reading here. I don’t mean to be offensive, but I understand that some people are automatically turned off by the idea of sympathizing with murderers. So - fair warning there.
A little background on me: I’m 22 years old, and I’m from the Midwest United States. I’m currently a film major in Florida. I like romantic dinners, long walks on the beach… Okay, really though. I came across Heavenly Creatures through my love of Kate Winslet. I saw Titanic opening weekend in 1997 when I was nearly 11 years old, and I was captivated. I’ve since become a respected-in-my-circles source on that film and true event. And I fell in love with Kate. After Titanic, I tried to get my hands on anything she’d ever done, and I kept up with all of her works as they came. My sister, who is 11 years older than me, came across Heavenly Creatures and copied the VHS over for me to watch. I must have seen it when I was 12 or 13 and the film was about five or six years old. I don’t remember much about the first time I saw it. I don’t think I was very impressed.
Many years later, I rediscovered it, and I don’t remember much about that re-watch either. But then I watched it again, and again. And I slowly fell under its spell. In the fix or six years since then, I’ve become a devoted fan and a historian of the case on which the film is based. Heavenly Creatures is now one of my top three favorite films - all-time. I did a series of speeches about the case in a public speaking course I took in late 2006. I must have watched the film a dozen times in a few weeks. After that, I was “burnt out” on it for a long period of time. I tried watching it, and I no longer “felt it.” I put it aside for over a year, terrified of having lost that special feeling I always loved. But when I finally watched it again, it was there for me - that familiar sense of wonder, magic and intrigue. I hope I always feel that when I watch this film, and I hope it is always one of my “best friend movies” with my dearest friend, Leigh, who also loves the film and feels its magic.
It’s hard to figure out where to begin. There’s so much to it, so much I think about. I’ll try to keep this as organized as possible.
I think at the heart of my love for this bit of history is my love for the two main characters. I dare call them heroines. Now, I haven’t met the real Juliet and Pauline, of course (I probably would have started off this essay with “OhmyGodImetPaulineandJuliet!”) but I’d like to believe Peter Jackson captured the core of them accurately. My affections are for the two girls that Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet so bravely portrayed at the very start of their careers. I can find relatable aspects in each of them. I think that’s a lot of their appeal. With fellow fans, I’ve asked and been asked, “Are you a Pauline or a Juliet?” What’s so fascinating is that, in most cases, yes, you can say one way or the other. But it’s a difficult choice - there are aspects in each of them found in us all. I think I have a touch of Juliet’s dominance, and a bit of Pauline’s darkness, among other things. Sometimes I can’t even express how I feel similar to each of the girls; I just wholly understand them while watching what they’re going through. I understand the frustration with their parents. I understand getting lost in one’s head. I understand being a writer and a dreamer. And Kate and Melanie play them with such nuance that they come across as the real people they are and were. Kate as Juliet and Melanie as Paul each have their absolutely stunning, shining moments on screen. The way Juliet cries during the talk of divorce. The way she first enters the movie as the new student. Kate plays Juliet with such a love of the character herself that we completely believe her. Melanie Lynskey has never looked prettier than when she imagines the beautiful Fourth World in which she finds Juliet and dances amongst the plasticine figures to Mario Lanza’s music. Her calmness the morning of the murder is chilling - but accessible to viewers. Melanie, too, plays her part with a fervor and intenseness that captures the whimsy and seriousness of this film.
And since you’re wondering - I think I’m a Pauline. (Take that as you will.)
There’s also been much debate over who the dominant one was. From my readings, it seems to be that Juliet was the dominant figure between them in real life. In the film, I think it shifts, and I think that shift is important. At the beginning, I think Juliet was that fairy princess who had a hold on Pauline from the start. She created the notion of the Saints, and she mentioned the Fourth World first. Pauline gazed at her with a hunger. But as the film progressed and we saw them become quick friends, deep friends, and I believe the dominance switched. When Juliet was recovering from her tuberculosis relapse and Pauline began the affair with John, I think the tables started to a turn a little bit. Juliet was obviously jealous. From there, I think it gradually shifted to a Pauline dominance. By the end, she was the leader for the murder, at least through my eyes, and Juliet wouldn’t have come up with it as a legitimate plan on her own.
I’m a fairly proud Parker-Hulme sympathizer, as I’ve said. I feel I have a deep understanding of their friendship - as much as I can without experiencing a friendship that intense. I think that the lines of friendship with girls, women, are different than those of boys and men. I think there’s a lot more grey there between friends and more-than-friends. There’s an intensity that females share together, and with that I can understand Pauline and Juliet, to the deepest extent allowed me. I understand it as much as I am able, and hold a desire for the rest. That may make me sound crazy, but I want a bond like that - someone I’d be willing to kill for and with. Someone who lives in my world. I think that’s what it comes down to in the end. Many call it a folie à deux - joint insanity, caused by the unity. Call it what you will, but I think they really were bound in such a way that they often shared the same alternate reality. And most of it was beautiful and special and theirs. We see Juliet and Pauline as characters, as historical figures, but really they were just people like you and me - pain and fears, happiness and delusions. They were teenage girls who did something unthinkable. Perhaps what’s chilling is that we do see ourselves in them. I always wish they hadn’t done it so they could have stayed together, wherever that might have taken them. I like to believe they would have been together forever.
There’s a deep attraction to their friendship, to their love for one another. Peter Jackson captured this brilliantly on film - a hard thing to do with this kind of subject matter. As I watch more and more films and attempt to write and make more films, I realize how difficult it often is to portray a history, a bond and a love between two characters on camera.
The closest I have ever come to a Pauline-Juliet friendship is with my best friend Leigh. And that’s part of why our bond over this film is so important to me. It’s our avenue. We both understand. Another one of my closest friends, Jade, also has a love for this film that has developed over time. The bond over this film and case are special to bonds over other films, probably because it’s hard to find people who really get it. It’s meant a lot to my life. Those who do get it are passionate about it, about defending it and about that sense of community. Not only is it a difficult subject to absorb, understand and sympathize with, it’s not a very well-known film, even though Peter Jackson and Kate Winslet have risen to the A-list. For me, it’s a whole different level of understanding about a film or an event. As I slowly find more fans and talk with those who love it as much as I do, I find comfort in the community. We prove to each other we are not evil, crazy or alone. I think the kinship for this fandom is above any other fandom I’ve been a part of.
I suppose, simply put, the murder took place because their parents were separating them. As you may recall, Hilda Hulme - Juliet’s mother - suggested that they allow the girls to spend the last possible days together. I think about this often. It is one of my most pondered “what if” questions out of the many that come from this story. What if they hadn’t been allowed that time? Did Hilda ever blame herself? The film and murder case give me that nostalgic creepy feeling I love to feel about history. It’s a time and a place we’ll never, ever get back. It’s a mystery, even with the facts we have. That element frustrates me, but it also enchants me. There are so many questions to ask of the people who were there, who lived it, who have gone on to their graves. There’s so much to think about and speculate about that we’ll just never know the answers to.
What is it about this murder that captures us so? I think it’s the two girls apart - their differences, their relatability. And it’s them together. Their remarkable bond. It’s also their victim. Pauline’s mother. In their eyes, she was their major obstacle. And the method of the murder - so brutal. Forty-seven strikes to the head. They killed to keep their world, their lives, intact. They were afraid of their respective futures, of the unknown. Was it the desperation of losing the one person who ever understood them? When you consider these very normal and common human emotions, you wonder - would I murder to keep my happiness too?
One of the most fascinating things about the case is something that wasn’t touched upon in the film - the aftermath. The evening and night of the murder are something that Peter Jackson chose not to show, and I understand his decision. The visions of what went on are alive in my mind, though, from what we know. Juliet and Pauline were taken back to Juliet’s home at Ilam, and Hilda drew them a bath and fed them a meal. I’m amazed by the other two things we know of that night - Hilda sent their bloodied clothes to the dry cleaners and the pile of bricks from which the murder weapon came from was taken away. Those are such simple actions, but they speak volumes. The immediate response from the Hulmes was to protect Juliet, if not Pauline as well. We see all of this with a creepy, nostalgic feel - events on a murder timeline in a book. But for them, this was a day in their lives that really occurred, that they really had to get through, that they really lived. Pauline and Juliet went to sleep together for what was the last time. That’s the thought that always brings a lump to my throat. The idea of “the last night” for them. One last time to be savored. Did they know it was the last time? Did they really have no idea?
Pauline was arrested that night, and Juliet the next day. The police seized all of Pauline’s writings, and it’s rumored that Juliet’s diaries were destroyed along with the bricks. Pauline tried sending notes to Juliet during their time apart for questioning. She wrote a diary entry on a scrap of paper that said, “I’m taking the blame for everything.” That touches me as well. Someone sat between them at their rather short trial. They were convicted of murder but too young for the death penalty. They were sent to two separate prisons, and were each released after 5 years served. The diaries of Pauline are said to have been destroyed after they were transcribed and used in the trial. This is perhaps one of the hottest topics for me. One of the saddest. I like to believe that the diaries were smuggled by someone and kept - and will be found again someday. The idea of holding one in my hand - or even looking at one behind a pane of glass - is almost too strong a thought for me to bear.
Just a few kind of random words on another hot Heavenly Creatures topic - Netflix and IMDb both categorize this as a “lesbian movie.” I understand the categorization but I disagree with it on a deeper level. So many people say they were lesbians together, but I disagree. Not only did they often pretend one of them was a man, their having sex with each other was not about their sexual desire towards women, it was about their bond with each other. I think this is another area to mention that grey area that can happen between two women as friends. Sometimes the bond is so intense, that’s the level it goes to or lingers at. Not only was it a bond between them, it was a bond with their world and their dreams. It was almost religious for them. I think that they were portrayed accurately, and not as lesbians.
There would have been no magic to this film if it weren’t for the perfect casting of the two leads. And to think - these were debut roles for Melanie and Kate! As you might know, Kate Winslet recently earned her first Oscar (finally!). It touched my heart to no end to hear her thank Peter Jackson. Many people probably wondered why, but that’s perhaps what made me tear up the most. She remembers her roots. The roles were a leap of faith for Kate and Melanie. Mel had never acted before, and was chosen partially for her almost uncanny resemblance to the real Pauline. Kate beat out thousands of other girls. And what perfect casting!
Acting aside, the other departments of the crew were also amazing in their renderings. The art direction for this film was superb and bizarre and also took a giant leap of faith. Think of the plasticine world! What amazing concepts put into action. The music is also a memorable part of the film - and integral to the storytelling. Mario Lanza is both uplifting and haunting. Peter Dasent’s score is enchanting yet dark. The use of Puccini’s “Humming Chorus” for the murder scenes is pure brilliance, and Mario Lanza’s “Never Walk Alone” over the epilogue and credits is just pure, chilling genius. Peter Jackson wrote the screenplay with his wife, Fran Walsh, and they received an Oscar nomination for it. They treated the material with care, understanding and accuracy, and I appreciate that. All the pieces put together - the direction, the writing, the acting, the art direction, the music - make a bizarre, magical, enchanting film. And I think Peter Jackson really understands. I don’t think he could have done it without understanding. His use of text as an epilogue is a wonderful touch, especially the last line: “It was a condition of their release that they never meet again.” That line always gets me too. And judging from its placement and emphasis, it’s supposed to. Peter Jackson got it. He understands. That was their greatest punishment, and the irony of their killing their “major obstacle.”
I think Juliet and Pauline’s legacy through Heavenly Creatures is select; this film will never have a giant fan base. I’m all right with that. Over 55 years later, their case is still present in the hearts and minds of those who understand their story.
Upon her release, Pauline became Hillary Nathan, and now lives a quiet life in the UK at a horse farm. Juliet Hulme became Anne Perry, the famous author of murder-mystery books, something I’ve always said tongue-in-cheek. It wasn’t revealed that she was Juliet until after the film was released. She’s spoken about it a couple of times since, but generally doesn’t like to.
I had the opportunity to exchange emails with her a few years ago. Those emails have been lost to time, but I remember the gist of our exchange. I had been reading a book of hers, and I nervously emailed her, telling her I enjoyed the book, and I alluded to knowing whom she was. I said something like, “I know that you have dark events in your past and I just wanted to say that I’m in your corner.” Something cheesy like that. She replied, thanking me, saying, “It’s good to know you have people in your corner.” I don’t think it sank in right away. Sometimes I don’t think it sinks in now. I emailed - emailed - with Juliet Hulme. She saw words I typed to her and replied to me directly. She said my name. I mean… For me, that is just… unbelievable. Remarkable.
There’s so much I’d like to say to each one, to ask them. There are so many fantasies I have in my head. Maybe they still keep in contact, secretly. Maybe they never married because they were always and forever supposed to be with each other. Maybe Pauline got her diaries back. Maybe Anne writes code for Hillary in her books.
Maybe it’s the romantic in me, the dreamer.
I am dying to go to New Zealand on a “Parker-Hulme pilgrimage.” It’s my #1 travel destination since falling in love with this story, and I’d like to go alone. I want to go to Ilam, Port Levy, and most of all - Victoria Park. I want to find the spot where it happened and stand there, reveling in the fact that I would be standing right where history occurred. I’d love to photograph Christchurch and write in my own journal in the town where Pauline wrote in hers.
The Fourth World was a state of mind for them, and in that way it still exists. I suppose we all have our own little fantasy worlds, and we rarely get to share them so intimately with someone else. Theirs ended in tragedy and that’s why we know about them. But I don’t believe their actions or what happened were worth nothing.
It’s not right to murder, but isn’t that a part of love in the deepest, darkest parts of it? Wouldn’t you kill for the people you love the most? Wouldn’t you die for them? Their love meant that much - whether they really believed they could get away with it or not. Maybe I’m romanticizing a horrible crime. Maybe I’m crazy. But at the core of this horrible crime was something good, somewhere. And through the mysteries and the questions that will always remain, that something good captured me right from the start.
And it’s something I’ll take with me forever.