In Film Criticism series, we discuss what is meant in movies. This series includes film reviews than film proposals. Of course you may want to see and watch the movies in these series. But do not forget that these articles contain Spoilers.
Previous posts:
- Film Criticism : Garage Olimpo - Anomaly behind normality
- Film Criticism : The Help - Well intentioned superficiality
- Film Criticism : The Lobster - Social Pressure
In the series of film criticism, this week we will examine Jeanne Dielman who is one of the cornerstones of the feminist cinema and directed by feminist director Chantal Akerman. This film uses cinema as a tool and trying to tell you something about feminism. It was the most immobile movie I ve ever watched. But the message of the film is completely overlapping with the movie. If you want to see feminist cinema, you must watch it. Because it's almost first REAL feminist film of the world.
This film, which was made in 1975, draws attention in the years when the feminist cinema movement is experiencing. The film which is ignored in popular culture cinema, Jeanne Dielman's realistic story is quite successful. The film shows all the monotony of a widow. This story is portrayed like a real documentary. Far away from the fantastic world of cinema. Because the director wants to give the message without decorating. Jeanne Dielman symbolizes the silent screams of all housewives trapped in male dominated society. The film begins in the kitchen, where the woman is supposed to be found in the male-dominated society. Jeanne is cooking in the kitchen. The scene that follows is the bed scene, which is seen as the second place where the woman should be found in the male-dominated society. (Maybe the first place some views) But we do not see the bedroom as a audience. Jeanne welcomes the guy who comes home and takes the guy to the bedroom. There's only one plan-séquence about joining the guy, finishing the job and leaving the room, giving Jeanne's money and leaving the house.
On the first day, director told us all about the male dominated society without interrupting the whole point of view. The reason why all these 'boring' rituals are told close to real time without interruption is to make people feel the boredness of life dictated to women. Jeanne is a woman who is stuck in a male-dominated society. She is a socially ideal feminine, except that she is a prostitute. The problems expressed with the feminist movement have not been accepted by society at all. Perhaps it is not considered how horrible the situation of closing a women in the home is, and what the psychological consequences will be. The film showing us that how horrible thing housewife psychology is. Of course not all housewives are like that. But in unsuccessful marriages, the psychology of housewives is always disordered. Because there are no events to distract them from monotony. The film critics refer to this film as "visuality that moves our feelings of guilty". We should all feel this guilt.
Another point that we must look on is related to his son Sylvain. When we look at Jeanne's character is the "biggest" minus a husband. But when we look at the relationship with his son, we see that there is not much difference between the male son and the husband. What difference could have if she had a husband instead of a son ? The woman would continue her usual routine life in the same way. There will be no change in her robotic world. Meals will be prepared, dishes will be washed, shoes will be wiped. The only difference is that she will not need to be a prostitute. But as we mentioned above, the problem with our character was not that she was already a prostitute. If she had not been a prostitute, she would have to be with her husband every night this time. So willingly or unintentionally, the sexual relationship would be same in Jeanne's life. The only difference would be one male, not a different male each time. But this time, the money she earns is not her own. She will continue to her life with her husband's money. If she had a husband, could the woman have her own job ? When we ask this question, we need to look at Jeanne's previous life. If she had a career when she had a husband, would she need to be a prostitute ? In this case, during the marriage, we see that our character is actually stuck in the house and she is literally a housewife. Which is the worst of these two situation for a woman? The answer is clear for society , but for woman the answers are different.
Chantal Akerman created the film set entirely from women. This attitude has been criticized. The director has fallen into a mistake made by men and has made sex discrimination. Some people say it is a necessity for the movie. This situation has not been criticized too much because the film is already far from usual cinema concept. Homever, the film's durability over the years, and today it is the origin of feminist cinema. But according to my personal opinion, sexism is all wrong. Shooting a film with only women is sexist thing. But in the male dominated society, this is not a big sin.
