Returning from another involuntary hiatus, I’d rather not get into the habit of introducing my every post like this. There’s always the sense of societal dread and self-hatred that comes alongside expressing oneself honestly online; juxtaposed to the many inarticulate and mostly insane-looking souls spamming their own newsfeeds/elderly bigots appraising newspaper articles with comments fighting fire with fire.
Anyhow, with the ridiculous spike in unique visits I’ve witnessed over a couple of days, I figured it’s due time I posted something else. I’d prefer it if you all didn’t read this blog. This was the one time I found myself able to write/rant without being scrutinized for quality.
From the very beginning of this film, you’re faced with an ominous and potentially malevolent environment that plays host to a girls-only school; accommodating to just infants and juniors from my observations as of forty minutes in.
I’m writing before returning to finish the rest of it now and the way in which the pupils conduct themselves and organize one another (almost unsupervised) amongst their own delegated, hair-band colored hierarchy begged one question of me almost instantly. Would it be possible for males of such an age to behave in a manner so code-pendant and organized? Or is this film just illustrative of a fictional reality itself?
Ten minutes later after resuming watching the film I’ve been bombarded by scenes that don’t work to dispel the cynicism/truth of society and maybe that’s a good thing. Why can’t you just watch a comedy, Sedlo? Why are you writing about yourself in the third person, Sedlo? Looking at the film from a detached and wordily perspective, though, it’s a testament to the integrity of the director and those involved that this film even exists. No more blathering from me until the conclusion, I promise (I lied).
It’s blind fate that I’ve discerned the leading actress from Love Me If You Dare whilst watching this. Innocence is one of those films long stored on the external hard drive that I dared not face up to watch, just through the gravity of a French film being entitled ‘Innocence’. For some reason, I had some preconception the film wouldn’t end up being all that innocent.
In conclusion, I’m getting strong Martyrs (2004) vibes from this in observing the friendship between Bianca and the main protagonist. Whilst I haven’t brought myself to watch Martyrs without skipping the ending (fuck the remake), the imposing, cavernous settings often remind me of it; alongside the cult-like behaviour of the figureheads behind it.
The exploitation of innocence and the later exploitation of maturity is made so succinctly clear in this movie and the occurrence of aristocratic grooming on an incredibly contrived, covert level is something all too observable, be it in generational gaps or that of wealth.
Nexpo made a great video about childhood behavioral camps not too long ago that resonates with this film and my thoughts about it a lot; agents of morbid-curiosity or truth that we may be. I’m always of the belief that fiction is a reflection of reality and most often, the reflection is not so clear and things are much likely to be worse.
This film was difficult to get through, in a good way. There’s so much ambiguity and fear of the unknown that you feel at one with the victimized parties – and that is what makes a good film, be it horror, or drama. I won’t describe the ending; some things are better left unsaid. I’m glad I wrote in cohesion with the film, you lot asked for it.
Thanks for reading, and good luck to you, if you decide upon facing up to this one. It plays with one’s own locus of innocence, too, but I’d rather my writing be derivative of my own perceptions as opposed to those of others.
Sedlo