Ms. G made me sick

I agree -- not a very pleasant character by ANY means. I believe that there is less vocal hate for the character because so many people love the actress portraying her.

A very interesting and perceptive post, hyene_r. My day job involves dealing with victims of sex offences and Ms G's behaviour was classic "grooming." Even if she hadn't acted on it physically, her hold over these girls (to boost her own ego and self-worth), obsession with Fiamma, and "Queen of the Kids" persona was really disturbing. I've also known some older men who've behaved like that with teenage girls (or boys) - while not being classic paedophiles (they're arguably ephebophiles/hebephiles), they set themselves up as "Kings of the Kids" and supply them with alcohol etc, encourage them to rebel. Even without any sexual element ... it's creepy and inappropriate.

That said, I found it hard to totally hate her - she was obviously an extremely damaged and screwed up woman - although I did find her character both pathetic and repellent at the same time. Of course, whatever her psych issues and past traumas, it did not excuse the way she abused Fiamma or manipulated the others. There are plenty of people with anxiety issues and lack of emotional maturity who don't feel the need to bolster their self-image in this way.

I found this a really compelling albeit disturbing film. I don't think it glamourised the abusive dynamic of Miss G's relationships with "her girls" at all, although it's not for everyone and I can understand why some viewers might be troubled by it. It's also a very powerful indictment of such repressive, claustrophobic school environments, as well as highlighting the more subtle methods of female bullying. It's definitely the sort of film that would get people talking afterwards about the sort of issues it raises, which is a good thing.

Strangely enough, there was a teacher in my high school, who was also named Ms. G, and she was the same way. All the kids loved her because she was 'hip', 'cool' and could 'identify' with them but I could totally see right through her. She wasn't involved with any student sexually but she definitely manipulated them psychologically.

Agreed. I have no sympathy for a charlatan who, oh right, raped and murdered a child.

It was clear from the beginning that Ms. G never gave a sh*t about her students. All she cared about was her self-image. It was clear from the way she openly resented Fuzzy, from the way she traded in Di, and especially the way she tried to associate herself with Fiamma.

Maybe Ms. G was crazy, but she was primarily a sh*t. I'm of the notion that books and films can teach us equally about good people and bad. To me, morality is a binary - you either did right or did wrong - but that doesn't mean someone who messed up can't make amends. It depends on what they did. There's no way for Ms. G to make amends for what she did.

Besides, "shades of grey" is a cliche. It sucks to have to listen to that tripe every time you're presented with a charismatic villain. Books and movies shouldn't teach us to all think the same way about morality. If I want to hate a character, I'll *beep* hate her, thanks very much.

In my opinion, "Cracks" does more to expose the dangers of pack mentality than even "Lord of the Flies." In the latter, all the kids are away from civilization. The "Cracks" girls prove it's not just castaways who succumb to their basest instincts when under pressure. Forming the mob was enough.

Don't get me wrong, I loved-hated the movie... It was good. But the big takeaway, for me, was just this: people turn on people who tell truths they don't want to hear. And the people who boast that they're nonconformists are usually the most desperate to be taken in by a group.

blacknyellowsquid, excellent points and I agree with everything. The truly strong individuals see through these sociopathic type behaviours. In the movie and in real life, I see exactly what you see.

I think that you are being a tad harsh on her to be honest. Yes, her actions were completely disgusting and there is no excuse for what she did, but at the same time it is obvious that she has had a fairly traumatic upbringing herself and this moulded her into the person she became. I saw her as a tragic character deserving of pity as I thought she didn't seem particularly unimpassioned and methodical with her actions but instead seemed to act out of foolishness and desperation.

Well while i did kinda hate her and didn't want her to get away with it I do in fact feel bad for her social anxiety. I have it myself, though probably not quite as bad but in some ways yeah. At least it's kept me from having any sort of normal life and while there's never any good excuses to become a cold manipulative person, I can in a way sympathize or at least understand how it could lead to someone becoming this way. I see it really that in the end Miss G was just a terribly frail and psychologically unstable individual that had such an abnormal and sad life that really it's no wonder that she would end up as she was.

This might be fiction but historically there wasn't much help for people with her kind of problems even back then. Nowadays she'd get proper follow ups with a shrink, probably some meds and would be encouraged to try and go out into the world, all things ensuring she wouldn't have become the individual she is in the film. If on top of it she really WAS a lesbian ....back then too...then her anxiety issues were only the start of her problems (i mean IF because with the life she had she might simply have gravitated towards girls because that's all she knew and felt comfortable with and the only people she ever felt love from, in the scene in the shop though she DOES seem very wary of men in particular so i wonder if it isn't some hint that maybe part of the reason she had those anxieties is because she was abused by men when she was young?) I think things are always more complex then just people being "evil". Evil is a religious notion more than anything else.

I think really the real reason i kinda hated her is because i can't stand fake people. People who pretend their lives are something it isn't. That's more what i didn't like about her. If i'd written the book she would have been called out on this, the girls would have found out, they'd have resented it and her at first and then would have understood why she's made those lies up and would have felt sorry for her and then in the end everyone would have been friends........a lot less dramatic and a lot more boring surely. :-p

ugh! I was out of town on vacation when I was watching bits and pieces of this movie and one of the parts that I caught was when they were beating her up and Ms. G just let her die. Just that nearly killed my vacation. I was wishing there was a way to just reach through the screen and strangle her to death.

But I also could relate to your thoughts on manipulative people. Thankfully, I never had a problem like that with any of my teachers, but other kinds of people: a former friend who some people would not believe me about the real truth about her. She would manipulate you into believing she was a close friend of yours just to make you believe her side of the story on everyone she has a beef with.

And I never really believed that being a victim gives you a free ticket to start causing harm to others physically or psychologically. Sure, you could sympathize with them to some extent, like I do myself, but you could only sympathize with them so much. I mean, come on, if it was your daughter or another relative that Ms. G molested and allowed her to die later on, would you really pat Ms. G on the back and tell her you forgive her because you know how much she's been through?