BEYOND THE LAST FRAME
Sophie Deraspe · 2024
When the Simple Life Isn't So Simple
An advertising executive from Montreal, Mathyas, gets fed up with his 9-to-5 life and moves to Provence to become a shepherd.
This is a movie where I felt obliged to slow down and soak up the beauty of what I would, as a lifelong city-dweller, dare to describe as the ’simple life’. Away from the rat race, pollution, litter and congestion of big cities. Instead, what you get in this movie is the beautiful scenery of the Alps and Provence, which the film captures sensationally.
Mathyas’ days seem simple, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy. Admittedly, he wasn’t dealt the best hand to start with. A 30-something-year-old with no experience of the country life, aside from all the times he’s dreamt about it. It was foreseeable that he would be in for a long ride.
In spite of that, possibilities present themselves to our protagonist as he finds work and even a romance on the side. He works at various farms, trying to find an employer worth working for, especially since some shepherds seem to hate the very animals that give them their raison d’être.
One shepherd’s statement that the job of shepherding is dying out managed to keep me awake at night. It sent me down a rabbit hole of various jobs that are becoming obsolete, despite being professions that can be incredibly fulfilling.
With a nudge from the movie, I asked myself, “What does society lose when these professions disappear?”
Traditional farmers are being replaced by large-scale livestock farming and automation of agricultural practices, which admittedly are much more efficient.
However, this efficiency comes at the cost of many things that are hard to quantify. Many (surely not all) traditional farms prioritize the preservation of natural resources and long-term health of ecosystems while also fostering a sense of community and cooperation and creating a stronger connection to animals and the landscape. Farmers also help keep local knowledge and cultural heritage alive. No one ever went to a large-scale livestock farm and thought “wow, this seems like a great place to spend some time” (if u ever did, please seek help).
At first, this might seem to be a change that just has to take place as time goes on, as demands of various jobs change. But we should not forget that modernization gives us efficiency, and efficiency isn’t the same thing as improvement. As presented above, there are many advantages to some traditional jobs that are fading away or transforming.
All in all, I can say that the movie was a treat for my eyes with its beautiful scenery. Yet, it managed to spark a sense of anger in me, as I watched how some shepherds mistreat their workers and animals. It drove me down the rabbit hole of various community forums, as I listened to the tired voices of shepherds in the movie, all of whom wanted to fulfill their dreams of keeping a healthy herd of sheep. I can wholeheartedly say that the movie managed to set off a domino of emotions within just 113 minutes and, in my eyes, that makes it a successful movie. 4/5 stars, with a star being deducted because Mathyas didn’t even care that Elise was hurt from all the hiking?!?!?!?!
BEYOND THE LAST FRAME
Park Chan-Wook · 2016
Power of Love and unity>Patriarchy?
First lets get some context. "The Handmaiden" by Park Chan-Wook plays in 1930s Korea, while it was ruled by the empire of Japan as its colony. Count Fujiwara, a con artist, sends a pickpocket named Sookhee to be the handmaiden of a rich Japanese heiress named Lady Hideko. The plan is to have Sookhee help Count Fujiwara seduce Lady Hideko and steal her fortune. Seems like a simple plan at first, but the movie is anything but simple. Don't read further if you want to avoid spoilers, but honestly, the movie is from 2016, you should have watched it by now.
Power dynamics, female agency, and the struggle against patriarchal oppression are central themes in The Handmaiden along with the male gaze. The film explores how women navigate and resist oppressive systems, particularly through the lens of a complex romantic and political narrative delivering lots of food for thought alongside being visually stunning. Definitely happy I got to watch this.
An exciting romance movie by Park Chan-Wook with a masterfully executed plot twist. The movie consists of three parts, each revealing secrets only accessible by various perspectives. Part 1 tells us the story as it was first planned out. Count Fujiwara seemingly executes his plan flawlessly. Even sacrificing Sookhee. "The patriarchy lies its way to another win" one might think at the end of part 1. But then part 2 rewinds everything to the beginning, this time showing us Lady Hideko's perspective and revealing that Sookhee and Lady Hideko were setting their own trap for Count Fujiwara all along. We learn in this part about the years of abuse Lady Hideko suffered at the hands of her uncle. Not only is she trapped financially but also emotionally as seen in the wall jump scene in which, on first glance, she "just" needs to jump over a puny wall to escape. Yet the scene is depicted powerfully with the camera storming towards her face as she dramatically jumps down the puny wall seemingly into an abyss and killing her old self, thus escaping the patriarchy and running towards freedom. Similarly filmed to what we saw her aunt do, also jumping into an abyss, however in her case it was towards her own suicide out of powerlessness. Part 3 concludes the movie with Lady Hideko and Sookhee escaping on a ship together, leaving Count Fujiwara to his own demise, "love and unity 1:0 patriarchy".
Straight men making movies about queer women. Somehow extended explicit content made for the male gaze is always a part of this equation, feels weird saying that as a straight male. Would the film have been captured differently if it was made by a queer person or a woman? Should it have been so? Is it morally right to make a movie about women being sexually exploited, just to do the same thing in your film?
Despite the critique, I am still very much a fan of the movie. With a star being deducted for said critique, I would give it a solid 4/5. In terms of storytelling, cinematography and overall execution, it is simply a masterpiece. The themes it explores are very important and relevant and thus, 4 Stars seems fitting. Would love to see a movie like this made by a queer person or woman. If anyone has recommendations, hit me up on Instagram @m.oguzates !