Originally published June 30, 2020 at Cinema76.com
“You never loved me, you just loved how much I loved you.”
Mother! was one of the most memorable and stressful movie going experiences that I can remember. I hunkered down for a two hour film, with one of my best friends, and literally spent the whole time suffocating from the amount of anxiety this film brought up. Don’t get me wrong, I like this movie, but damn was I not excited to watch this again. Ultimately, it is a film that I am entirely unsurprised was a flop and can see how easy it would be to not like this movie. I vividly remember the confusion and frustration of the theater when the lights came back on. However putting myself through this experience again reminded me how much fruitful conversations this film spurred on. It is also a fascinating film to think about when you know a little bit more about what was happening behind the scenes.
Mother! is directed by Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Black Swan). None of the characters have proper names but, Mother (Jennifer Lawrence) and her husband Him/The Poet (Javier Bardem), find a quiet fixer upper to escape to. Mother spends her time trying to make their home perfect while her writer husband wanders around looking for inspiration. Life quickly descends into madness when Him invites some strangers to stay (Ed Harris & Michelle Pfeiffer). Soon the doors of their home swing open and Mother has no control over who is coming in. Mother finds herself alone in her fight to get back their quiet life. It is not long until things truly descend into madness and poor Mother is powerless to fight these numerous unwelcome guests.
However this summary does not entirely do mother! justice considering how much is going on under the surface. The religious implications become more and more obvious as the film goes on, before long it is obvious that Bardem embodies the identity of a biblical god. And his “goddess” (as he refers to Lawrence’s character frequently) embodies mother earth or Gaia. The home she tends to is alive and when their guests wreak havoc it bleeds. Humans begin to bring all of their problems into the home with little consideration in caring for the home they are guests in. Although the madness is jarring for many of those that watch there are a lot of important ideas to glean from the story.
These layers of symbolism are fascinating but it is hard, at least for me, not to get swept up in the more literal aspects of the film. Mother is in a relationship where she is essentially alone, there are no partnerships, decisions are constantly made without her consent, and anything she asks for seems like a giant inconvenience. Everytime she is ignored or overlooked I want to scream. There is an insane amount of stuff that happens in this film but all I really cared about was getting those people to STOP SITTING ON HER DAMN SINK! This film immediately taps into my feminist killljoy rage. The thought of people not leaving my house when I want them to is something I legitimately have nightmares over. This is truly a horror film.
I think that many women can find something to relate to in mother! It is not hard to put yourself into Jennifer Lawrence’s shoes. After my first watch I was immediately swept up in what it is like to date gaslighting male creatives. It becomes obvious that they will not be able to love you as much as their work. It is interesting that this film was made by Darren Aronofsky who was dating Jennifer Lawrence at the time. And this inevitably tore their relationship apart. I think this is an amazing example of a film made by a male creative who is at least semi aware of what he does to women. These films that are about a woman’s experience through a male lens are fascinating. Perhaps Aronofsky being aware of his issues in relationships was why he could effectively show what Mother goes through.
It is also an interesting film to revisit right now in 2020. When chaos reigns in the household there are moments when cops are pepper spraying protestors, and images of people in actual cages. All of it feels so incredibly raw. In a two hour film you are able to see the condensed history of the human race and their wars and injustices that ravaged the earth.
Although this is an anxiety carnival ride there is plenty to love here. The film itself is gorgeous and much of the imagery sticks with you, it is definitely a memorable journey that Aronofsky takes you on. Jennifer Laurence is incredible in this role that I have to assume was a nightmare to go through. There are several famous faces that make appearances and all of them are amazing Domhnall Gleason, Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer, and even Kristen Wiig all shine. Ultimately Pfeiffer gives the best line in the whole film: “Wow, you really do love him, god help you.”
This is an impossible film to recommend but there are gems to find if you decide to take the time.
The Neon Banshee 