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Imagine how hard it must be to be the V.P.—sorry, Archbishop, in charge of
P.R. for the Catholic Church. A movie like this must make
your life a living hell. I, for one, certainly hope that it
does.
For example, in an interview with Warren Curry, 8/1/03, on
www.cinemaspeak.com,
Mullan relays a story where Vatican priests attempted
to influence the film’s performance at the 2002 Venice Film
Festival, videotaping filmgoers with the threat of eternal
damnation. I am not kidding, though I can’t imagine that even
the Catholic Church could be so transparent in unintentionally
validating the need for this very film. Fascinating reading!
You thought that the brouhaha over Mel Gibson’s film
was entertaining? I sure hope that someone caught this incident
on tape and we will get to see it, eventually! There is a
larger struggle here that is beyond the scope of this review.
This film serves as a chilling cautionary tale of the dangers
where government allows religious institutions to operate
unquestioned.
In any case, this film is “based on a true story” of the
Magdalene Laundries of Ireland, the last of which closed in
1996. Maybe you should look twice at that date. These were
Catholic asylums where girls were committed by their families,
doing hard exhausting physical work under harsh conditions
in order to absolve themselves of one “sin” or another, invariably
sexual in nature. Mullan, who viewed a documentary,
Sex In A Cold Climate, on some of the survivors of
these institutions, was moved to create a movie that works
as a sort of morality play. Through the suffering of the fictionalized
accounts of four young women, and the ironic brutality of
those nuns and priests whose job it was to “help” them, he
arrives at some wonderful insight as to the corrupting effect
of religious power on those who wield it. All of these characters
are probably composite representatives of some of the more
egregious cases of abuse that one might care to watch on the
screen. As with all fictions that are “based on a true story,”
you must wonder where the truth stops and interpretation starts.
All I can say is that I have read of many Catholics complaining
of “anti-Catholicism,” but no one seems to question the veracity
of the events depicted in this film. Now, there is a truly
scary thought: that Mullan may have even pulled his
punches for the sake of the greater story.
I had some dread that this film was going to be a relentless
and sensational melodrama that further exploited these poor
women, another agonizing entry to the “women in prison” genre.
I was amazed. The Magdalene Sisters is simply beautiful.
Mullan has written a film that he directs in a purely,
almost obsessively, visual style. From the opening scene,
where all dialogue is obscured by a wedding band, you can
forget about straining to interpret the dialogue. Instead,
watch for the smallest visual clues, which tell the whole
story. The music, deftly provided by Craig Armstrong,
is absolutely unobtrusive. Nigel Willoughby gets some
shots that are so stunning that they would detract from the
narrative, except that they are the narrative. Together,
they make the violence almost parenthetical; they generally
show you just enough so that you get the point. What emerges
is an infinitely more compelling indictment of religious cruelty,
much more effective than a speech or maybe even the power
of the documentary itself, because the visual narrative works
so well on a subconscious level.
The acting also shows sublime restraint, as well as the anticipated
dramatic outrage. Duff (Margaret) gives her character
an inventive and resolute dedication to a morality beyond
the sham of the asylum. Duffy (Rose/Patricia) never
overplays the beauty and frailty of her character, a woman
of hope. Noone (Bernadette) conveys an anger which
is truly frightening, illuminating another predictable reaction
to such abuse. Walsh (Crispina/Harriet), has the most
incredibly difficult and pivotal role. Her performance, though
not perfect, is the one that nails this tragedy into your
memory. McEwan (Sister Bridget) portrays the evil head
of the asylum with all the relentless psychotic intensity
the role demands. There are times when these superb actresses
go over the top and lose the reality of the moment. There
are instances where the narrative stops for a deeply symbolic
moment, and then the film discards all pretense of subtlety.
These are the moments that serve to underline the message,
and they make it unmistakably clear that there is a
message. Trust me. You will know.
I can’t exactly tell you that message, you must interpret
for yourself. Please permit me to indulge myself in one of
my favorite quotes, particularly relevant to this film:
"Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or
without it you would have good people doing good things and
evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil
things, that takes religion."—Steven Weinberg,
Physicist and Nobel Laureate
On a practical note, this film is truly entertaining. Girls,
this is much more than the frustrating and exploitive tear-jerker
that you may fear. Guys, make no mistake, this is not a date
movie. See it anyway. The exercise you will get in the art
of understanding and compassion will do you good.
—Steven Harding
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