Cecilia & the Silhouette Saloon
DON'T READ THIS PART: I've been a member of IMDB for over ten years, but I decided to create a new account where I would actually sign-in & participate & vote & talk w/ others about something I care passionately about. So my first post will go to this beautiful tragedy. & If you're pissed you wasted 3 or 5 seconds reading this part, I told you not to. But cheer up.. because you're a rebel!
I forgot how Cecilia was introduced in the novel, but in the film it's obvious that Cecilia was doomed before we even saw her on screen, in the tub. She was the youngest but her eyes seemed to be openeded the widest. Cecilia's (Beautiful, yet married, Hanna Hall) performance is mesmerizing in the 'party scene' that the boys are invited to. You gotta love when young actors carry & dominate a long complex scene like she does in this scene. Having seen this two days or so ago, I was drawn in at how effortless she was acting w/ her eyes. She tells you everything you need to know about the character of Cecilia. It's not only that her parents are so ignorant, but in the scene, it seems like the other sister's are putting on a sort of charade for the boys.. or at least are able to get into a mind-set, where they are able to pretend like they are comfortable in that most-awkward situation. Cecilia either doesn't possess these skills, or she just has no desire to "act" any way, period. & if the situation wasn't unbearable enough, by the time you see how superficial everyone is acting throughout the scene, the boy with down-syndrome walks in & is the first person that the film shows that actually greets her at the party. She's not bothered by the fact that he is mentally disabled. The tipping point is when she gets an idea of how the boys interact w/ the mentally-disabled boy, on what seems like a regular basis, run-of-the-mill type, everyday, sort of casual interaction. Since Cecilia is already so withdrawn from the outside world, this is her first major glimpse into the reality of it. It's at that point where she asks her mother for permission to leave the party to do what she eventually does...
...which is kill herself.
I would've put a spoiler on that, but if you're reading "The Virgin Suicides" message boards, then you obviously won't be upset finding out that a young teenager does indeed commit the sin of suicide.
I guess if I'm looking for a response, I would just like to know what others felt about this particular scene.. I mean, you can't really blame the Lisbon sisters, but does anyone feel that they unintentionally contributed to Cecilia's fate? & I'm not even sure again how this is portrayed in the novel. It's been a while since I read it.. I know this is IMDB, not INDB, but does anyone that is familiar with the novel remember if there are other theories and/or interpretations of Ce's behavior at the party? & of course your own opinion's on the scene in the film? Thanks.
DON'T READ THIS PART: After writing my first post, I must admit (& as much as i love to write) that I do not know how to write. I mean I do, but it's in this strange sort of sloppy slang mess.. The times of text after text after text has ruined everything I ever thought I knew about grammar; so I'm stuck using comma's where comma's don't even exist, yet; (but it's my style & I like it & if you're still reading, which again were told not to, then it must not be too bad. I added a little ZL in there, if anyone noticed.. I was trying to be subtle, but as the soon-to-be-famous saying goes,
"You can't wear flip-flops while doing a diamond heist & act subtle all at the same time. That'd be equivalent to juggling at the same time as juggling.." - Michael S. Bement (1983-201?)
I always had a feeling Mr S. Bement had more to say before that quote symbol shut him down. There's the evidence of the double .. before the quote symbol, suggesting that he wasn't finished. Personally, I think they had to shut him down. He was onto something that seemed potentially dangerous. Where he was going with his belief on flip-flops & the art of juggling2(squared) could've only lead to something like that of a split-atom2. As most of you know, after that infamous, soon-to-be famous, "Quote Symbol Shut Down Conspiracy" aka QSSDC, as the national news so lazily put it, Mr S. Bement full-filled his long-last dream as the editor-in-chief of "Sickly Man Magazine", in of all places, the beautiful state of New York. It's hard for me stand back and say he's a better man than he is an editor-in-chief, so I will simply say that he is a better editor-in-chief than he is a man.