MovieChat Forums > Malèna (2001) Discussion > Symbolic Scene..yes, no?

Symbolic Scene..yes, no?

posted 20 years ago by KidmanBellucci
21 replies | jump to latest

In the beginning when the boys are hovering over the ant with a magnifying glass..could this possibly be foreshadowing of Malena's fate? But unlike the ant, of course, Malena returns..more graceful than ever..but with a scar.

Could this scene symbolise that the men of that town have her under a microscope..or a "magnifying glass" if you will. ANd I believe that it truly is the fault of the men of Castelcuto that the women despised her so avidly.

IN the torture scene in the end even. When Malena is finally able to pick herself up, she faces the men and screams in agony. But she doesn't retaliate towards the women...

[–] FirstBlood1982 20 years ago

Very good point, I agree with you about the magnifying glass being symbolic for Malena.
I don't agree that it was more the men's fault than the women though. I think it was the fault of the people of the town in general. I think her crying out toward the men when she gets up was sort of like her saying "why didn't you do something!" Since it's quite obvious that someone should've tried to help her. Hell, if even Malena were a bad person(which she wasn't)she sure as hell didn't deserve that and someone in the crowd should've stopped it before went so far.

"I'm not your *beep* mommy!"
-Rachel Keller in The Ring Two

[–] KidmanBellucci 20 years ago

I looove your signature! Best line in the film.

But about the fault of the men, that is how I viewewd it at first. But if Malena was 'just another woman'..the men wouldn't stare, and the women wouldn't care...no intention of making that rhyme : ). But since Malena is ravishingly beautiful and pure, unnecessary and undeserved situations were brought upon her. I see it as sort of a chain reaction or cirucmstancial reaction. But it begins with the men and their uncontrollable fantasies.

[–] FirstBlood1982 20 years ago

You have a point, I'm sure how men felt about her certainly contributed to the women's hatred of her, though I still feel that the completely unwarrented and uncalled for fate Malena receives at the end of the film is the fault of the town in general. I mean there are people that have things I want too, but that doesn't make me want to beat the hell out of them or treat them like trash. I think the people of the town, men and women are alike, were acting like miserable excuses for human beings, though I was glad to see the women of the town who had persecuted her redeem themselves at the end. You can admire a woman's beauty without viewing her as or making her feel like an object, as the men of the town were doing (which is another great message of this movie. Renato's was the proper way of doing it, how the townspeople were doing it is exactly how not to act toward a beautiful woman).
If you notice during the beating, there are some women in the crowd with shocked and appauled looks on their faces, like "what the hell are you doing to her, she doesn't deserve this!"

Great username by the way, I love Nicole too.:)

"I'm not your *beep* mommy!"
-Rachel Keller in The Ring Two

[–] KidmanBellucci 20 years ago

'You can admire a woman's beauty without viewing her as or making her feel like an object, as the men of the town were doing (which is another great message of this movie. Renato's was the proper way of doing it, how the townspeople were doing it is exactly how not to act toward a beautiful woman).'

Exactly. But this is how women were treated in those days and even today. It is proper to respect and acknowledge the qualities of another, and not beat the living hell out of them. But rumors are spread and people talk, there is no way to supress that. It is human nature that this film showcases so well.

Also...Malena is also seen as an allegory for Italy at the time of WWII.

[–] ireadthatgrassisgreen 16 years ago

So how come they burst all of a sudden? What was their excuse? That she was alone, her father and husband not being there?

--
Forget her, she's a predator posing as a house pet.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ireadthatgrassisgreen 16 years ago

Haha, I know, I noticed after I posted the reply. But I'm sure if (s)he'll re-read what he said, he'll remember. The topic's still here, so...

--
Forget her, she's a predator posing as a house pet.

[–] nuwansube 15 years ago

I think Malena's character symbolizes Italy during WWII in the movie. Beautiful Malena was Italy, her husband was the Italian people (true love of Malena-Italy- and the only ones to really suffer from the war). Men in the town are the fascists (The lawyer's speech at the courtroom reminds me of speeches of Hitler and Mussolini).

About the ant scene, it was right after the scene where crowds were cheering in the streets to the news of Italy declaring war on the allies. It was more of a symbol of Italy, not knowing their fate at the beginning of the war.

"I'm sorry, I don't speak Monkey..."

[–] itsawonder 14 years ago

You should get a job...

[–] compact_disc_rack 11 years ago

Piss off, loser.

[–] itsawonder 11 years ago

[–] compact_disc_rack 11 years ago

She was the nazi whore and the nazis/fascists had just lost the war, so it was a good time to finally do what they had wanted for a long time.

[–] vicky_lc2001-1 14 years ago

But rumors are spread and people talk, there is no way to supress that.

I think it can be thwarted or at least lead to another direction. If the boy or some other spoke up for Malena, I think that would cause enough waves for it to lead to another path. Remember the only thing that evil needs to thrive is a complacent & uninvolved observer. If we all sat around & aloud something to foster then we ourselves had a hand in the result.

OPEN YOUR EYES! dailymotion.com/video/xbi2hi_1993-chandler-molestation-extortion_news

[–] altamont-1 15 years ago

Good observations. However, I am not sure if the women redeemed themselves at the end. It was more like - her husband is back and she again has a family and so is socially acceptable. However a single woman, living alone and taking care of herself must necessarily be take recourse to immorality.

The action is morally justifiable though technically criminal

[–] ciprianl 12 years ago

I agree that social acceptability is the reason, but not only as normalization of Malena's status, but also of their own. The war was over for some time now, and it seems as if they just wanted to forget what they have done, the excesses of war. They are all nice, decent people, after all. Or so they like to believe about themselves. Supporting this interpretation, the smile of the barber's wife, near the end of the movie, in the market, when Malena answers to her salute, may be one of relief.

[–] vicky_lc2001-1 14 years ago

I agree that I think the fault lies in both the men & women, women always speak of their superiority of a conscience, of a compassionate nature but this film brings to home that both men & women are capable of cruelty equally. The thing we have to keep in mind though is people as individuals tend to shine as the best that they can be but as a mob? When they're in company of others, they tend to band together in a mob frenzy. What happened to Malena is an everyday occurrence in the world today, just see the tabloids, the sensationalism of the media, everytime you turn on your tv a minority is being demonized for his race, culture, religion, etc. & we can blame all these external forces all we want - the tv, the media, the tabloids - but at the end of the day, it's the people who buy, who encourage & who eat up their BS like ravenous wolves & the mob lynching personality will continue to be exploited until people learn to see their own faults & flaws instead of blaming it all the time on others.

OPEN YOUR EYES! dailymotion.com/video/xbi2hi_1993-chandler-molestation-extortion_news

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] infinity8 13 years ago

I also kind of saw this scene as symbolic for the boy. Remember that he saw Malena for the first time right after the ant fried. He, too, did not know what was coming and was powerless before his obsession.

[–] VittoriaVetra 11 years ago

Good point.

[–] krenfield 12 years ago

You know, I never made that connection and I've seen the movie quite a few times (it is one of my favorites) Very good observation, thank you!

[–] dweediecat 12 years ago

I really connect with the rich symbolism in Tornatore's films and always come away deeply moved and changed, as well as impressed with the intimacy of his story-telling.

The observation that she (AND her husband, too, I would add) symbolize Italy before and after the war is brilliant - I see it, too.

And if that is the case, does Renato symbolize Tornatore? For everything they suffered, the only one who really benefitted from their pain was a complete stranger from a different generation who only observed their lives as a bystander.