**SPOILERS** Not a lesbian interest movie! **SPOILERS**

I don't think the scene was romanticised, but I get what you're saying.

It's not just this film, but I think lesbian sexuality (it's debatable in my mind whether Miss G is actually a lesbian*) is still treated quite lightly by the media and society in general - as if it's not authentic and therefore unthreatening. I was glad 'that' scene wasn't more than suggestive of what happened.

I personally watched the movie because Eva Green intrigues me. Her acting style is a bit odd, and I find it funny how she 'growls' when trying an English accent, but she's captivating somehow.

*I think Miss G is in many ways a victim of institutionalisation, and given the power over the girls, she's turned into a predator... it's hinted that she's never really left the school, and the encounter with the headmistress in the library (after she is caught looking at Fiamma's files) suggests there was some previous 'incident', maybe from when she was a student herself. She's obviously very maladjusted, a fantasist, cruel and emotionally immature.

Yes....I almost vomited when Miss G starts spiraling downward. I was like, "Oh, OF COURSE the crazed CHILD MOLESTER is a DAMN HOMO! Those scary scary scary GAY PEOPLE!!!"

Then I though, Oh well...it's not like these days it's how it was in Old Hollywood, when the only depictions America had of gays and lesbians was as miserable/suicidal/alcoholic/predatory outsiders. We do have major TV shows and movies that show gays and lesbians in a more realistic light now, so I guess there's still going to be some wacky villains that show up along the way here and there, as part of broader spectrum of characters.

But I did think, "Oh god....so horribly, horribly...retro. Welcome to the 1950's all over again!")


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Miss G has issues like most people and she is also a lesbian. Far from Humbert Humbert, and more like Gustav from Death in Venice, whose ideal materialises in front of him (Tadzio). Plus, she wants to be like Fiamma and probably sees herself in her, thus the obsession and confusion in such a repressive environment.

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I'm not a lesbian but neither is the character IMO.

Ms. G Wants to BE Fiamma, she wants to consume her, to live her life, and have her experiences. She, herself, is too afraid to step outside the school gate and falls apart when she does. If any romanticizing goes on its only in the teachers stories and tales to the other students of traveling and a life outside that school.

She compares herself to Fiamma as if, she herself, is either arrested in development or the girl is older. The physical touching is just a gross manifestation of her wanting to be her. Its wrong. Its abuse. Its not romanticizing to show where this comes from. It is the adults responsibility to put a stop to something like this if it is suspected and the other administrators and teachers had several clues (lunch tray for one, Fiamma running away another) that something inappropriate - beyond normal teacher student relations was going on.

I never heard anyone say this was a lesbian movie or had a lesbian character.

I think something happened to Ms G when she was a student there that the headmistress felt guilty for it but rather than risk anyone finding out (and having the school look bad) they kept her there & give her a puff position as a dive coach. At least they can keep a tenuous eye on her. I don't think they knew she would harm the girls but they missed the signs that it was headed down that road.

As the cracks start to show in her personality & she begins to lose her grip and it shows in her physical appearance so I don't get why the other teachers were not paying attention to those clues.
Maybe I will read the book.

I dreamt of a roaring river and a woman that was a fish. Dead she drifted, with red tears...

I think it was pretty clear that the Head Misterss abused Miss G when she was a student. Unfortunately many kids who were abused turn to abuse children when they get older. I think a lot of people will assume Miss G is a lesbian and it reinforces the Hollywood trend that lesbians = predators. Female predators exist, not at the numbers of men but certainly more than the general public would like to think. I agree that Miss G only abused a female as her mental psych wouldn't allow her to move outside the cocoon of the school. Seeing that she spent almost the entirety of her life at the school it was environmental lesbianism . As being gay myself I'm really getting tired of evil lesbians movies.

I wouldn't be surprised if like you O.P, many people went into this film expecting Eva Green and Maria Valverde characters to fall in love as teacher and student, and Juno Temple's character becomes jealous and ruins it for them. Basically a romantic Lesbian drama set at Boarding School. And after watching it many were let down that it's a story about Infatutation.

I wouldn't call this a Lesbian film, it's definitely undertones of Lesbianism in the film with Di love for Miss. G and Miss. G Infatutation with Fiamma. Come on, I do buy the "oh Fiamma is everything Miss. G lies to her students that she is and that's why she's crazy for her" angle but there is definitely sexual feelings there to from Miss G to Fiamma. I believe she's a closeted lesbian.

She's a sad pathetic evil woman really but Eva Green makes you feel some pity for Miss G. I do wonder if the book tells you more about Miss. G's time as a student in that boarding school. Either her time as a student was so happy for her with her sexuality coming to the fore with the other girls and she could reinvent herself there, that added with mental illness and some kind of abuse at the hands of family or something. Just makes the boarding School a safe haven for her. Sinead Cusack headmistress brings it up in the office about Miss. G having some sort of issue during her time as a student.

I don't know if I buy that she was sexually into Di and other girls in the group before Fiamma came. She seemed caring for them, but was equally as cruel and hurtful when her infatutation of Fiamma kicked up a level. They were thrown to the heap and her true colours shone through.

I wouldn't call it a Lesbian film but if you were going to put a few more tags on what this film is about then Lesbian tag definitely should be put there.