Little Red KILLING Hood...

Warning: this post contains details about plot events of “HardCandy” – a 2005 psychological thriller movie. I rather recommend you not reading it before watching the film as even the smallest piece of information concerning twists or climaxes (yes, more than one!) will spoil bewilderment / shock / confusion / uniqueness (altogether let’s call it ‘pleasure’) of experiencing that independent production on your own...

It lasts 100 minutes. 99% of the time is led by two main characters, 14-year-old Hayley (perfect Ellen Page) and 18 years older Jeff (genuine Patrick Wilson). There are only 9 minutes of music. Rest is dialogues, speeches (but not preaches!) and silence...

Opening scene: as I am following the online chat between Thongrrrl14 and Lensman319, the picture which comes to my mind is of a bad-looking, sinister deceiver – exactly like from this social advert ‘you never know who’s on the other side’.

First twist: the moment Jeff the photographer meets Hayley the teenager at a public cafe, he turns out to be very nice, charismatic and likeable, so positive and sensitive – not dangerous at all. When the girl comments: You just don't look like the kind of guy who has to meet girls over the internet, he simply answers: I think it's better to meet people online first sometimes. You get to know what they're like inside. When you work as a photographer you find out real quick, people's faces lie. But so instantly they both behave more and more flirtatious and teasing – the teenager in a such sweet, naive way – I feel the tension grows. He invites her to his home and she agrees – yep! Gotcha! In a while I expect the horror to begin...

Second twist: ...but surprisingly at man’s house the young guest takes the initiative. With some intoxicant in the alcoholic screwdriver she poisons the adult, ties him to the chair, prepares some torture instruments. Woo hoo! Wait a minute! Who’s the villan, who’s the victim?? Hayley accuses Jeff of being a pedophile but he pleads himself unguilty. Quite convincing and empathic he is, isn’t he? And she... still intelligent, but more and more diabolic, scurvy, spiteful... That's that whole nature versus nurture question, isn't it? Was I born a cute, vindictive, little bitch or... did society make me that way? – hearing these words from her mouth I started asking myself: what the hell? Perhaps it truly is an act of blind revenge towards an innocent person??

First climax: here comes the time when tiny 14-year-old puts on a doctor’s apron and very seriously gets herself and her ‘patient’ ready for performing a... castration. I am uneasy. Even though I agree with what she says in general, I can’t help feeling sympathy to the exposed, helpless guy. But maybe it seems a kind of ‘catharsis’ for all underage rape sufferers, when they listen to arguments like this: "She was so sexy. She was asking for it." "She was only technically a girl. She acted like a woman." It's just so easy to blame a kid, isn't it? Just because a girl knows how to imitate a woman does not mean she's ready to do what a woman does. I mean, you're the grown-up here. If a kid is  experimenting and says something flirtatious, you ignore it. You don't encourage it. If a kid says, "Hey, let's make screwdrivers," you take the alcohol away and you don't race them to the next drink!

Jeff, horrified and sweating, tries his best negotiating skills: You're getting yourself in terrible trouble. If you cut me in any way, you won't forget it. It changes you when you hurt somebody. The things you do wrong... They haunt you. You wanna remember this day when you're with a guy on a date? Or on your wedding night? 'Cause I promise you, you will. Don't do that to yourself.

Hayley reacts with nasty laughter: You know, that is so thoughtful. You are speaking to me so selflessly. I mean, you just don't want me to castrate you for my own benefit? But then, when she says: I am every little girl you ever watched... touched, hurt, screwed, killed – it does sound painful and heartbreaking...

OK, I depicted like half of the film. I assure you, watching the second part is sitting on the edge too. I’m also leaving you with questions, doubts and enigmas: is Jeff a pedophile or not? Who’s Hayley for real? Why is she wearing a red, hooded sweatshirt at the very beginning and ending? What does the title mean? Final death is a suicide or murder? Eventually, how do you find the whole movie?... Cause I personally admire totally everything in it. After seeing numerous times it still is my favourite cinematographic masterpiece ever.

ABOUT EVE ON CHRISTMAS EVE…

The word ‘eve’ in English indicates two things alike: the name of first woman in the world and the vigil of some important day. In Poland both these meanings meet on 24^th December, as it’s Christmas Eve rich in traditions (f. ex. non-meat dinner consisting of 12 dishes and ‘shepherds’ mass service at midnight), among them also ‘name day’ of all people’s parents, Adam and Eve.

This custom of celebrating ‘name day’ as particular saint patron’s feast day comes from Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox calendars of saints. ‘Saint’ is the key word here but Adam with Eve aren’t saints! Hardly could they be, considering their disobedience to God’s injunction... He forbade them to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil but our furthest ancestors broke the Creator’s command and as a result were expelled from the paradisiac Garden of Eden...

There were other consequences of ‘the first fall’ too: Adam, Eve and all their descendants became mortal, born in original sin, in need of baptism to erase it, guilty of actual trespasses, hardworking to stay alive. Moreover the entire natural world was corrupted as animals divided into prey or predators with all the effects of pain and death... What a crude punisment for eating one small apple!

When I heard this story as a child I felt fury: how could the first human couple be so careless and reckless? Then I read for numerous times it was only Eve’s guilt and that’s why all women should be duteous and obedient to men – as it has been (and still is) in patriarchal societies. That made me even more furious, cause in my opinion if Adam hadn’t wanted the prohibited fruit, he wouldn’t have taken it and males shifting whole responsibility to females on that basis are simply immature. Until now this narration from Book of Genesis constantly gives me food for thoughts.

Today I agree more with psychological explanation: paradise is our childhood, blissful and serene under parental supervision, while expulsion from this heavenly garden begins with small naughtinesses against them. In teenage years it continues with bigger insubordinations and – I believe – finishes with first sexual intercourse (forbidden fruit!) as a symbol of total disconnection from ones’ mother and father cause it means possibility of conceiving a new human being. In ideal world it should be an act of the biggest maturity...

In this context ‘first sin’ understood as becoming independent and fully grown is just the evidence of adolescence and should be perceived as a positive phenomenom! Without rebellion against authorities there’s no psychical progress! According to psychology each natural crisis in human life is the occasion to development. Life is a series of lessons and challenges which help us to grow (Erikson); In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity (Einstein).

So... let’s not blame Eva or Adam for evil’s existence in universe especially on their name day... I personally choose to accept my human nature with tendency to making mistakes but also ability to improve. I believe we are all light’n’shadow, black’n’white, angel’n’serpent...

ONCE UPON A SEPTEMBER...

Raise your hands if you can’t help looking forward to next Sunday, 8 pm, premiere of the most fabulous ABC fairytale’s second season! I am counting down days and minutes, at the same time asking myself: ‘Why is that? What’s so addictive in this story? Am I insane or do I really want to believe in the magic of powerful feelings?’

Well, let’s try answering: as for me the greatest value of this show are strong women: not only the Evil Queen bending whole universe to her will but also Snow White with surprising underactions as a rogue bandit and Gretel the older sister winning over cannibalistic Blind Witch. 

Equally strong in both real and magical worlds are Cinderella bravely defending her new-born child, beautiful Belle deciding to live with the beast to save her father’s kingdom, as well as Ruby the not-Little very-Red Wolfing Hood... and even Abigail the princess generously releasing her ‘husband-to-be’ after she discovered he was in love with other – to me she counts as an independent, positive personality too.

But obviously ‘the strongest of them all’ is a female leading character, Emma Swan, mother fighting for her child so many times in so many ways stereotypically believed to be ‘male roles’: in the mine after earthquake, against the dragon monster, against the city mayor... She’s a butt-kicker, intelligent detective, courageous feminine taking all the neccessary actions. Smart, professional and lonely. So realistic even in the very middle of fantasy world.

Anyway all the women in season one are totally anti-Disney creations. They make their own choices, live with consequences, try to change unbearable – with or without men’s help... Yeah, what about male characters? Is it just my impression or do they really seem braver, bolder, more valiant in the fairy world than in reality?? Then what happens to boys in our 21^st century globalised civilisation, the example of which is Storybrooke? Why Pinocchio abandons small Emma? Why David Nolan doesn’t defend Mary Margaret as she defended him? Why sheriff Graham is Regina’s puppet?...

And the magic... This TV series helped me understand that magic does exist in our world – that our human emotions are magic, for some of us entirely mysterious, for others recognizable by intuition. Once I’ve read so true sentence: ‘you can’t control your feelings, only what you do about them’ – and the most omnipotent people are these who can take this control in their own hands.

Last but not least: I personally adore the episodes’ titles with double and sometimes triple meaning! “The Price of Gold” is a great example – in a fairy world that’s the price Cinderella must pay for Rumplestiltskin financial help while in a real life that’s the deal Emma makes with Mr. Gold. The same about “Skin Deep” or “Red-Handed”. 

I must admit I’m also a little bit afraid if season two will fulfil my both feministic and child-like expectations for true values shown in a unique way. Still I have seven days to wait. Are you counting them down with me or not?:)

STORK OR STORKESS?

Last week one of my students asked me if I was a feminist. The whole thing came into view as I was explaining why men do have one honorary title ‘Mr’ but for women we need to choose out of three: ‘Miss’, ‘Mrs’ or ‘Ms’.

I must admit I didn’t give a straight answer, just brought back the time, many years ago, when I had conducted workshops about feminism for students in Cracow. Yep, all I had known then was from books or magazines; in books I had read about this very wide variety of movements called ‘feministic’. Now I just have to type the F word in Google’s search box and voila, here it is:

Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights for women. In addition, feminism seeks to establish equal opportunities for women in education and employment. A feminist is a "person whose beliefs and behavior are based on feminism."

Yeah, according to this simply definition I am a feminist. I am definitely and totally for equal political (voting!), economic (earning!) and social (no more double standards!) rights for women. But when I go deeper into the topic, from catholic and conservative feminism on the right wing, through black and postcolonial, lipstick and third-wave, ecofeminism, socialist on the left wing, but also riot grrrl and anarchafeminism to radical, separatists or lesbian one – I find some issues I do agree on and some I disagree about.  

Generally speaking:

Division of labour within households – I’m completely for it;

Reproductive rights – mostly for, especially education and healthcare, but absolutely against abortion;

Gender-neutral language – nice idea, possible in English but not in Polish, no way...

Patriarchal concept of masculinity – entirely against!

Pornography or prostitution – honestly I can’t believe they may be mature and valid choices of any women, can I??

All in all I reminded myself of battle for ideals. Paul P. Mealing, Australian blogger, wrote that this kind of battle is the battle for the future. So, my students, are you feminists?