"Miss Violence": Life is stranger than movies

Jessika 2022-11-28 01:55:09

(Written by Zhi Ning on August 4, 2014)

Watching the Greek film "Miss Violence", the audience will deeply feel that no matter how the light and shadow describe life, it will not be more bizarre than life itself. The bizarre family in "Miss Violence", with their bizarre behaviors and bizarre relationships, does not seem to be alone in the world. One of the major drawbacks of modern society's developed information is that people become more and more numb, because they will Some maddening human events pop up.
If someone thinks that the screenwriter and director of the film, Alexandros Aranas, concocted such a perverted story in order to win a position and an award, it distorts the original intention of the main creator. The background of the film's story is the economic crisis in Greece, and The perverted story of this bizarre family is based on real events that happened in real life. The crew investigated for more than a year before they dared to start shooting. And Alanas is so diligent in dissecting the dark side of society, not with ulterior motives, but with the hope that people can do some useful thinking and discussions on such things.
Perhaps if you zoom in a little bit, you can look at the father in the film as an image of a dictatorship, while the wives, daughters, and grandchildren who have been oppressed and betrayed are the representatives of the masses. In the face of non-human evil, they can only Accept and cooperate silently, otherwise you will face a more miserable life. Often in the face of oppression and violence, people's coping strategies are nothing more than resignation (such as the eldest daughter Elaine in the film), fierce resistance (such as Elaine's daughter who committed suicide at the beginning of the film, and 11-year-old girl Angelie base) and submissive while dissatisfied, the latter's middle mode, both resisting and forced to accept, is the most tragic situation (such as the 14-year-old daughter Mei Duo in the film).
At first glance, the family's imbalance and immorality in the film seem to be reflected in the male protagonist, but if you think about it carefully, adult women also have signs of imbalance and immorality. The hostess turned a deaf ear to the extreme events happening around her. Although she covered the scar on her neck when the social welfare agency visited her, it showed that her indifference was a kind of helplessness and a deterrent from domestic violence, but she has long been The immoral behavior of inaction and non-intervention is also the product of the imbalance of family identity. The eldest daughter, Elaine, has lived in this abnormal family environment for a long time. She always has a nervous smile that seems to be suppressed and pleasing. She has given birth to three children without a husband and a regular boyfriend, and is currently pregnant with one more, and thus obtains social benefits. This seemingly unethical behavior reflects exactly how she is. A humble, miserable and unbalanced life.
When showing the progress of the story, the film has a kind of relative restraint. It does not reveal the mystery of the girl's suicide at once, but patiently and confidently talks about the daily life of the family and the "different", in the middle. Interspersed with some cold violence to promote the revealing of the mystery, such as slapping the face, such as self-mutilation with a blade, the camera picture is also cold to the end. Most of the scenes in the film take place at home. The desperate and suffocating home, in terms of area, is definitely enough for this large family to live in, but it always gives people a sense of messiness and crampedness. Although the audience had already guessed what the family was doing under the pressure of the male host, when the 14-year-old Mei Duo knelt and climbed on the bed, the direct view of the fixed camera was still shocking, and then the characters Changes, relationships change, and the camera changes, aiming at the face of the domineering, ruthless and unscrupulous father.
This film is the second feature film directed by Alexandros Aranas, and its current quality shows that it has enough ability to use light and shadow to narrate. Throughout the whole film, it can be found that Alanas' shooting concept is clear, and he is also very confident in his control of artistic expression. When he has enough material in his hand, he also knows how to foreshadow step by step, although in the process of revealing the mystery. It seems to be deliberately suppressing and slowing down, but it does not hinder the viewing, and it has the effect of bursting out a certain shocking force at the most critical moment.
When showing the scene where the hostess makes an important decision, the camera focuses on her behavior for a long time. She is so patient and so carefully wiping the tableware, especially the knives. Brewing and waiting... Seeing this, the string in the audience's heart is also stretched to the extreme, as if they are also waiting for a long-awaited storm, but Alanas uses another way that seems light but heavy inside. Pause this film.
(magazine appointment)

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Extended Reading

Miss Violence quotes

  • Father: Next time smile more. Otherwise they won't even screw you for 30 euros.

    Myrto: You didn't pay.