"The virgin suicides" - A directorial debut by Sophia Coppola..
It is always difficult to
step out of the shadows of one’s parentage. Especially so, if the Parent
happens to be a creative artist of the highest order - A man whose legendary
film making skills has more or less made him a household name in the world
of Movies. I am talking about the Francis ford Coppola and his illustrious
daughter Sophia Coppola. With a family as involved in the art of Movie making
as Copolla’s, it is but natural (some may call it nepotism) that young Sophia
began acting as a child in the God father series, and then went on to essay a
few forgettable, undistinguished roles in sundry other films blessed by her
Father. It was clear though, that she was not cut out to be an actress. But
then, as they say, “Genes don’t lie”; and the artistic DNA in her evolved into
a film maker, director and screen play writer in the year 1999, when she made
her first feature film based on a remarkable book by Jeffrey Eugenides named
“The virgin suicides” - a story of five young, beautiful girls in the Lisbon
family killing themselves in fresh bloom of adolescence, in a quiet,
conservative suburb of Michigan. Sophia’s treatment of this sensitive, subtle
and emotionally distressing sequence of events is nothing short of masterly -
The young lady had found her vocation!!
The entire film is shot in a First-person narrative: A group of young boys relate the history of the Lisbon girls from memorabilia collected over years. The movie begins with the suicidal propensities of the youngest girl Cecilia, and her decision to jump from her bedroom window and impale herself on the fence. It is never clear, why the girl chooses this bizarre option. In one of the most poignant dialogues in the movie, when Cecelia is told by her psychiatrist that she doesn't know how hard life can get. Cecelia replies in a tone of philosophical nonchalance: “obviously Doctor, you have never been a thirteen year old girl…” But that is the point of the story: the sense of alienation, solitude and unfermented desires and dreams, that throng the threshold of pubertal consciousness - can prove to be too much of a burden to carry on young shoulders, when the biological pull is diametrically opposed by the ethical conduct demanded by society. Well, after Cecelia’s demise, the other four girls are then put on a tight leash. Though they are given all possible affection and care by loving parents (beautifully restrained performances by Kathleen turner and James woods), the girls find it difficult to reconcile their stirring desires with filial captivity. A group of four boys in the neighborhood, budding in their own adolescent infatuation try to woo them; and in the caressing light of their attention the girls begin to respond with innuendos and affectations that mark their gentle rebellion against the thin veil of morality that hides their hidden desires. It’s a tragic end though, with solitude, alienation and unrequited dreams getting the better of rationality; and the beautiful family is reduced to a state of inner annihilation – a systematic and equally seismic destruction of beauty, joy and sense of moral justice...
Sophia Copolla’s genius lies in the way she captures the emotional nuances of the tale. Her cinematography, her Camera plays and toys with light, color and depth to recreate the ethos of an American society twenty five years ago. Her choice of Kirsten Dunst as Lux, the most beautiful, subtly eloquent daughter, whose momentary moral transgression tips the moral curfew against the girls - is illustrative of Sophia’s understanding of the medium. Every look, posture and smile of Kirsten evokes a raw understated sensuality that is reminiscent of a conservative age and culture; and her slow transformation into a bold lady capable of risking her emotional cocoon of guarded morality and plunging into the abyss of sensual gratification, hoping it would last forever – show cases the talent of this young actress with great promise. What impressed me most though, about Sophia’s treatment of the story is her grasp of the “moving frame” and her detachment from it as a director, allowing the story to develop and unfold without the intrusion of the Maker. This is a skill that only great directors cultivate over years of experience. And Sophia seems to have it effortlessly right in her first film. In fact, it is this sense of abstract story telling that marked her masterpiece “Lost in translation’ as well. The prolonged silences, the meaningful background score subtly accentuating a scene, and getting each one of the cast to play their brief roles to a right pitch and intensity - marks this brilliant debut by this mercurial director. This is the third film of Sophia’s that I have seen and reviewed. And in each of them, she displays a heightened control over the art of film making. I am sure, we will see more of this young lady’s work in years to come. The Mantle has rightfully passed from the father to daughter…
Watch this movie, if you wish to see how a thin, but powerful story line is enough in the hands of a sensitive director to explore the passions, rationality and emotions of the Human psyche, without sacrificing any of the elements that mark a great film...
God bless…
The entire film is shot in a First-person narrative: A group of young boys relate the history of the Lisbon girls from memorabilia collected over years. The movie begins with the suicidal propensities of the youngest girl Cecilia, and her decision to jump from her bedroom window and impale herself on the fence. It is never clear, why the girl chooses this bizarre option. In one of the most poignant dialogues in the movie, when Cecelia is told by her psychiatrist that she doesn't know how hard life can get. Cecelia replies in a tone of philosophical nonchalance: “obviously Doctor, you have never been a thirteen year old girl…” But that is the point of the story: the sense of alienation, solitude and unfermented desires and dreams, that throng the threshold of pubertal consciousness - can prove to be too much of a burden to carry on young shoulders, when the biological pull is diametrically opposed by the ethical conduct demanded by society. Well, after Cecelia’s demise, the other four girls are then put on a tight leash. Though they are given all possible affection and care by loving parents (beautifully restrained performances by Kathleen turner and James woods), the girls find it difficult to reconcile their stirring desires with filial captivity. A group of four boys in the neighborhood, budding in their own adolescent infatuation try to woo them; and in the caressing light of their attention the girls begin to respond with innuendos and affectations that mark their gentle rebellion against the thin veil of morality that hides their hidden desires. It’s a tragic end though, with solitude, alienation and unrequited dreams getting the better of rationality; and the beautiful family is reduced to a state of inner annihilation – a systematic and equally seismic destruction of beauty, joy and sense of moral justice...
Sophia Copolla’s genius lies in the way she captures the emotional nuances of the tale. Her cinematography, her Camera plays and toys with light, color and depth to recreate the ethos of an American society twenty five years ago. Her choice of Kirsten Dunst as Lux, the most beautiful, subtly eloquent daughter, whose momentary moral transgression tips the moral curfew against the girls - is illustrative of Sophia’s understanding of the medium. Every look, posture and smile of Kirsten evokes a raw understated sensuality that is reminiscent of a conservative age and culture; and her slow transformation into a bold lady capable of risking her emotional cocoon of guarded morality and plunging into the abyss of sensual gratification, hoping it would last forever – show cases the talent of this young actress with great promise. What impressed me most though, about Sophia’s treatment of the story is her grasp of the “moving frame” and her detachment from it as a director, allowing the story to develop and unfold without the intrusion of the Maker. This is a skill that only great directors cultivate over years of experience. And Sophia seems to have it effortlessly right in her first film. In fact, it is this sense of abstract story telling that marked her masterpiece “Lost in translation’ as well. The prolonged silences, the meaningful background score subtly accentuating a scene, and getting each one of the cast to play their brief roles to a right pitch and intensity - marks this brilliant debut by this mercurial director. This is the third film of Sophia’s that I have seen and reviewed. And in each of them, she displays a heightened control over the art of film making. I am sure, we will see more of this young lady’s work in years to come. The Mantle has rightfully passed from the father to daughter…
Watch this movie, if you wish to see how a thin, but powerful story line is enough in the hands of a sensitive director to explore the passions, rationality and emotions of the Human psyche, without sacrificing any of the elements that mark a great film...
God bless…
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