Thou Wast Mild and Lovely

So, I just watched this movie at the Literatur Festival in Berlin. Josephine Decker was there, to and she seems like a nice person so I am sorry I think her movie kind of (not totally) sucks. She calls herself a feminist and the movie was screened under a "About the status of feminism" focus at the festival so I guess I was expecting something different and smarter. In her defense: I couldn't stay for the discussion after the screening, I would have loved to ask some questions or tell her myself what I thought of the movie, so maybe I missed the big explanation why this film indeed could be read as feminist. The film should have a trigger warning, if not generally than maybe next time she presents the movie, she should at issue a trigger warning herself. The level of sexual and physical violence is over the top and not explained or necessary. I tend to like violent movies but I differ explained or somewhat logical violence in movies and exploitative violent movies, this one felt pretty exploitive. The sexual violence is pretty disgusting and shown in an affirmative way. Also, to be compared to David Lynch takes more than copying his sound-stage and usage of images.

So, like, a bunch of so-called cinephiles totally don't get mumblecore, man. They're all "ew, lo-fi Dogme 95 garbage." But dig it, those two trends are like, distant cousins who both threw some killer DIY parties on a shoestring budget, you know? And the vibe is still totally happening. Case in point: this post-mumblecore trip by Josephine Decker. Seriously, it's one of the coolest things bubbling up from the American indie underground. The style? Totally gonna make you think of, like, Terrence Malick's dreamy wanderings, Xavier Dolan's intense farm drama (Tom at the Farm, duh), and Bruno Dumont's super chill desert hang (Twentynine Palms). But it's got its own weird, amorous plush that takes a seriously odd detour. The chicks in this movie? They're playing, like, a double role, channelling this primal energy that's all hypnotic and freaky against this super mellow countryside backdrop. And dude, it was damn funny to see Joe Swanberg jerking off and use his pecker in all these bizarre locations. But the real MVP? Ashley Connor's cinematography. The camera just kinda drifts around, changes perspectives like it's on some serious chill pills, and totally gives off this drunken, bacchanalian buzz. Overall, Decker's experiment with sexual tension in its super awkward form is, like, totally open to interpretation, serving up this weird, exciting terror with a few stumbles. But yeah, Decker's totally a filmmaker to keep your eye on, man. Like, for real.

"THOU, whose title is taken after a gospel hymn from Samuel Francis Smith, is an erotic thriller threatened by insidious masculine aggression, here Sarah's primordial sexuality tantalizes Akin, who is a man of nondescriptness and artlessness. As much as he intends to keep his own counsel, Akin is too intelligible by half, it doesn't take long for Jeremiah to suss his hidden marital status, and Sarah can easily find a picture of his wife also shows that he is not particularly smart in concealment. The savage finish has been brewing for a long time, with Jeremiah's macho churlishness assuming a threadbare disruptive force while Traub's Sarah playfully inhabiting a temptress whose libido can barely be checked."

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I wanted to disagree with another reviewer who said that the film was not feminist.the the film does not put forward a programmatic feminist doctrine I think it is feminist because the female characters are complex, confounding and fully fleshed out. Especially too, the way Sophia Traub's character is viewed both as sexy but also having her own sexual desires and agency. But the film also shows the problematic nature of those desires and how they can express not only female agency but also maintain patriarchy. That being said, I do think the film ultimately errs at the ending into going more overtly into the horrific. The movie is a lot more unsettling when it is showing the low level humiliation of Swanberg's character than when it is going into over the top horror territory.

Josephine Decker has created a new style of thriller that employs allegory, incorporates touches of David Lynch as well as Magritte -esque imagery. Decker's setting of a remote farm feels like a metaphor for what turns out to be hell. The raw and emotional (and yes, sometimes funny) dialog tells a story that can seem familiar at points but really is meant to keep you guessing and off balance.

I really enjoyed how the undertones of this film came to life through her very deft contrast of the innocent with the grotesque. Her use of camera angles and focus creates an interesting symbolic and literal dialog of it's own - and evoked unexpected emotions for this viewer. This is a captivating film.

So if you are up for a cinematic adventure (more like a roller coaster) like no other, that doesn't disappoint -- this is a film to see.