Over the course of October, I shall be watching one horror movie a day and reviewing it right here for your reading pleasure. I haven't seen any of the films I'll be watching before and you can find the full list here. Mild spoilers ahead.
Witches are one of those pop culture figures who have gone through the most fascinating evolution through the ages. The witch as a cultural figure is present at various stages of literature with examples in Homer's epic poetry and early European medieval beliefs, but it was the witch trials and the accompanying misogyny across the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries that remain one of the defining images. These women were supposed to have made a pact with the Devil for their powers to inflict misery upon those around them and were quickly ostracised, silenced and murdered by those who believed them to be witches.
However, during that latter half of the 20th century, the witch undergoes something of a reappropriation, transformed into a symbol of female empowerment and resistance to patriarchal rule. Over the course of the century, we go from the traditional Wicked Witch of the West to the ultimate badass Wicca that is Willow Rosenburg (we'll be looking at another cinematic treatment later this month in The Witches with Joan Fontaine). Films such as The Craft and Practical Magic spun the same message of empowerment as well as using it to examine female friendships and gender politics. Television shows such as Charmed helping it along the way.
The Witches of Eastwick is a great example of this, a film in which female autonomy, male entitlement and the clash between the two are all examined. Based on the John Updike novel of the same name, the film tells the tale of three women, Alex (Cher), Sukie (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Jane (Susan Sarandon), each abandoned by their husbands in their own way and finding themselves increasingly lonely. In what amounts to a spectacular case of 'be careful what you wish for,' they inadvertently summon the devilish Daryl van Horne (Jack Nicholson) who begins to play havoc in their small town.
It also happens to be directed by George Miller, he of the triumphant feminist cry that is Mad Max: Fury Road, and a lot of the same gender dynamics are examined here through the relationship between Alex, Sukie and Jane, and van Horne. Jack Nicholson's portrayal of Daryl van Horne is really fun and it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role. As an actor, he's adept at playing multi-faceted villains, ones who can charm and seduce you, wisecracking and producing some outrageous physical comedy at times, yet always with that sinister edge that never quite lets you settle.
Daryl van Horne is the schism that rocks the town, turning women against each other, allowing them to be ostracised and turning violent and manipulative when those women start to take a stand against him. In other words, he's the patriarchy. When other women call Jane a slut for the change they see in her and the rumours start to spread about the sexual activities she and her friends have willingly and consensually engaged in, it is van Horne who causes them. Felicia (a wonderfully histrionic Veronica Cartwright) is the only one to realise instantly that something is wrong, but it's put down to mental illness and she ultimately falls victim to male violence in an attempt to bring her into line.
This is where the witchcraft side of things comes in; at the beginning of the film, Alex, Sukie and Jane don't realise the power they wield with only Sukie observing that they might have caused the rain to fall on a speech all three were wishing would end. It takes the adversity and emotional turmoil of meeting with van Horne to realise just how much power they actually wield and that, yes, they would be better off without him. What follows is an awesome moment of sisterhood as they conspire to get rid of him, first by seducing him and then subjecting him to every torment they can think of. It's a great switcheroo and one that is air-punchingly satisfying. The effects of giant Jack Nicholson may look a little wobbly now, but there's something really amusing about the expression on his face once he's shrunken and about to go poof.
A lighter film than some of the last few, but no less welcome, The Witches of Eastwick is a great tale of female empowerment and devilish behaviour. It's also a welcome sight in the current dearth of films about female friendship and solidarity. We need more films like The Witches of Eastwick.
- Becky
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With so many films and franchises being resurrected on an almost daily basis, it is no surprise to see the engine roaring George Miller series back on big screen. It’s been an entire 30 years since Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome graced cinemas and there were rumours popping up, ever since 1998, about plans to realise yet another chapter in this post-apocalyptic saga. Obviously, audiences learned to tamper their expectation levels in the past two decades after or so. Few of 80s properties managed to reignite their old flame, the original crew’s involvement notwithstanding. No need to give examples on endless list to illustrate this point…
Mad Max: Fury Road is sort of a sequel to old films but doesn’t need to be viewed as such. Other than main character’s quick flashbacks, the plot and overall premise has very little to do with those. The main character is being played by Tom Hardy in this outing, thus taking over from Mel Gibson (who was apparently attached to the project up until 2003). Max is entangled in the plot after being captured by the War Boys army of monstrous cult leader King Immortan Joe (played by Hugh Keays-Byrne). He is basically only kept alive to provide blood for a sick boy Nux (Nicholas Hoult). At the same time, Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) leaves with a mission to collect gasoline with her War Rig vehicle. But, as it turns out, her plans are completely different. She decides to escape and that leads to a massive chase, with Max being dragged into it against his will.
The film itself is one gigantic action sequence, with few quiet moments. And for people expecting some sort of character development or thicker narrative, it might be wise to avoid this monstrosity at all costs. Which, of course, is not to say they should, really. Yes, Mad Max: Fury Road might be an excess in action and violence, with little emphasis put on the script. But it does so in such a cinematic way, one just simply cannot resist being dragged into this madness. The dialogue is often lost amidst the sound roaring engines, explosions and screaming. But then, those lines are mostly functional and give the audience only basic expository information. The film is pretty much told solely through its visuals. And, no matter your cinematic preferences, that in itself is a thing rarely witnessed these days.
Similarly to recent The Raid series Gareth Evans, Miller finds artistic beauty in violence and destruction. There is a poetic, almost balletic quality to his sequences. What is happening on screen might be beyond ridiculous but the director guides the viewer through his clever camera work and dynamic editing that. Viewer can always tell what is happening on screen at any given moment. Besides, Fury Road is an orgy of physical effects, stunts and pyrotechnics. Yes, there is some CGI here and there to enhance the world. But it never succumbs to this, whether you want to admit or not, cheap film trickery. Quite the contrary, you can almost smell the sweat, taste the blood and feel the impact. Indeed, the production process behind this project must be a geek heaven for cinema enthusiasts.
Special mention must go to the excellent production design. While all previous three films were made in the same vein, they would never be able to be realised on such a scale. Miller’s new opus has a truly epic feel and it dazzles with detail. Even though, story remains really sketchy all the way through, there is a sense that dozen others could be told about each aspect or location we get to see along this fast paced ride. It’s an universe that can be expanded upon and there are several hints of where it could go next. The overall fantastical look brings to mind the works of Guillermo del Toro. There is a similar sense of texture to the designs - both real and otherworldly.
Filmmakers are also endlessly inventive when subverting mundane imagery we know from our daily lives and applying different meanings to them. One of the most common visual elements are associated with gasoline and car machinery. For instance, steering wheels are treated as religious objects and insignias of war. They seem to serve a similar purpose to Christian cross in Mad Max universe. Indeed, the entire cult of Immorten Joe revolves around those types of themes: V8 engine is a deity, silver car paint serves as a symbol of warrior and martyr. These sort of distortions are not completely unlike the ones found in several films of Terry Gilliam. He seems to be yet another major influence on Fury Road, both in the feverish density of each frame, as well as quirky sense of humour.
Among this chaos are two central actors. Both Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron supply the cool, while everything else is set ablaze. Furiosa’s icy cold stare becomes the most prevalent and lasting image after the film is long over and her determination is what fuels the narrative. A lot has been said about the female energy to finally fuel (pun intended) this male orgy of destruction. And while this is certainly the case, the central character is very much in common with other terrific heroines of cinema past – Sarah Connor and Ellen Ripley. About time we got an update on this trope, especially as well done as this.
On the other hand, Max is a bystander, a reluctant hero. Similarly to Mel Gibson in old films, Hardy plays him as a man of few words and even those come out of his mouth with great difficulty. At the very beginning, he is clearly less than a man. More of a beast, really. But, as the story progresses, there is more focus and motivation. The tortured memories of painful past ultimately push the character into regaining the heroic persona. It could be even said that Fury Road is as much about female empowerment (as illustrated through Furiosa) as it is about male rebirth (which is the case with both Max and Nux). The film strikes a refreshing balance between those two, basically presenting them as equals. For once.
The one’s enjoyment of the new Mad Max will largely come down to one thing: whether one can tolerate an action film that doesn’t pretend it’s anything more than that. Miller clearly makes no apologies about it and neither should viewer expect to find subtlety and refinement. Normally, this kind of approach might be posed as an issue and it does apply to most blockbusters like this. But, because of its visual potency and horrific beauty, Fury Road is so much better than that. It might come as close to pure cinema as any action film ever made. And, frankly, it’s hard to imagine anybody doing a much better job than this.
- Karol
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