The most suffocating horror element in a thriller horror film is described in a language that is so vulgar in domestic film and television: there is something scary about ghosts, and talents are scary.
Esther, who suffers from dwarfism, was not understood by anyone until the end of the film. 33 years of time did not give her the respect she deserved, even if she learned the so-called modesty in the secular world: color, line, rhythm, melody, dressing... To be honest, from Esther is completely a genius. The strong colors of the paintings, the first fluorescent multi-layer wall paintings and the strong rhythm of the piano playing in the film all impact the viewer's heart from sight to hearing (I repeated it while watching the film). 3 times or more).
The world still abandoned Esther and left it in her 9-year-old time and space. She longed for love, and longed to use the they fuck way she understood to gain the world's respect for her. Yet her only option for freedom is to deceive the world with her 9-year-old identity, and once she has used that identity, it is impossible for her to gain the adult love she desires. This may be the true meaning of the "orphan" in the film, she is abandoned by God, the door is closed, and even the window is not left.
At the end of the film, there is a scene where Esther emerges from the ice water with a knife and asks Kate for help. This scene makes many viewers hold their breaths, begging the director to leave a little love to the world, so that the mother can be rescued... When Kate shouted IM not your fucking mother mercilessly and kicked away the girl's last life-saving straw, I believe all the viewers were clapping and applauding... Esther was still holding a knife in the process of sinking into the depths of ice water. The eyes are full of resentment, I definitely don't think she is resenting Kate for not saving her, as she always "understands", Kate's failure to save is acceptable to an Esther, she and Kate have long been at odds with each other, this is not worth resenting, she What resents this world is that in the end it failed to give her any understanding, any hope, any love she longed for...
Here I would like to talk about the logic of the director's cut shots. The shots did not use the suspense film technique to make the plots such as the death of the nun, the slide incident, and the broken hand incident confusing (compared to a similar set of Hong Kong film Aaron Kwok), but from the very beginning. Just using the camera lens to let the viewer know Esther's difference, and using the sequential logic lens to tell the development of the whole plot, only hides the clue of Esther's true identity. I think that's what really pushed Esther into an "orphan" territory where the whole world abandoned her, including the screen. Because the viewer knew right from wrong from the very beginning, so he stood firmly on the side of justice, and Esther became a real orphan who didn't even have a side!
Finally, back to the topic, in the film Esther's disease can be commonly called physical dwarfism leading to psychological violence, which is not accurate, or it is not what the film mainly expresses, because generally violent madness destroys for the sake of destruction, and Esther is for the sake of getting Destroyed by love, I would like to use a more accurate word to describe it as sacrifice, sacrifice to the devil.
There is a scene where Esther goes crazy and screams in the toilet after seeing a psychiatrist. In the film, Esther's explanation for this out of control is "she didn't see, she doesn't know", she of course refers to the psychiatrist, however, seeing What?
The most appropriate answer is to see the devil in Esther's heart.
Esther failed once before, the man from the previous family failed to give her the love she longed for, so Esther burned the family to death. Now this family, from the very beginning when John was the one who admired her paintings, to when she said she liked to be in the room with the two of them, John was the choice she longed for love. Esther was terrified in the psychiatrist's office, terrified that her seemingly accessible love would be lost.
Esther's sacrifice was for love, for which she dipped her hands with blood and endured the pain of broken bones. But she understands that this is an unspeakable secret, for love, for love.
Finally, an interview from Isabelle fuhrman, who plays Esther, is quoted: In the end, all Esther wants is love.
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