MovieChat Forums > Cracks (2011) Discussion > Another evil lesbian movie?

Another evil lesbian movie?

posted 13 years ago by eagle79-1
11 replies | jump to latest

Don't get me wrong: I really liked this film. Beautifully shot, scored and directed with good performances by the whole cast (Eva Green specifically). But the one thing that I haven't been able to shake off is WHY, oh why, must these conflicted characters such as "Miss G" have to be the ones with the questionable sexuality traits. Her character was like the one Maggie Smith played in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie but stretched to the max & then some, not only molesting a passed-out young woman but enabling her death. What I'm referring to here is the problematic treatment of gay (or seemingly "gay" or bisexual? - but most definitely not straight) characters in film in general through the ages. Just reading some of the posts on this board revealed how some viewers instantly pounced on Miss G. as being this evil, on-the-prowl creepy lesbian violator. What bothers me is that less-sophisticated viewers might watch films like these & re-inforce their ignorant attitudes or prejudices. In the case of CRACKS, it's a mystery to me as this film was co-produced by Christine Vachon, the openly lesbian producer of Todd Hayne's films & GO FISH. Remember NOTES ON A SCANDAL? Judi Dench's character was riveting & she played the heck out of it. But once again, here we have another pathetic, love-starved person who is so desperate when the object of her desire shuns her, that she goes on a destructo-mission. Remember HIGH TENSION with Cecile De France? Aaarrgh.
I know some of you might disagree, plus I don't want to sound like the director of this film should carry the weight of this bigger "problem" as she is just crafting a movie with a specific story. I just wonder what their take on this subject would be.
With that said, I recommend the movie &, for those who'd like to see a very intriguing & disturbing film set in an all-girls school in the forest, watch INNOCENCE starring Marion Cotillard (before she starred in LA VIE EN ROSE).

;)

[–] scissorhands__emily 13 years ago

I have to agree that there seems to be a string of films like this, which center around some crazy lesbian/bisexual woman. I also just watched the film Chloe, and it's main character is another one of these lesbian/bisexual women that is absolutely psycho. I don't think its really an intentional thing to reinforce negative stereotypes of gay women, but it is a bit odd.

In this films case, the fact that it centers around an all-girls school makes it a bit more realistic that Miss G's object of affection is another girl. However, it still bugs me a bit. I see this film mentioned under lesbian film lists, and I'm just thinking "What about this is a lesbian film?" The only thing that would categorize this as lesbian is the fact that Miss G appears to have sexual attraction to women. The main character is very obviously troubled and seems more like a pedophile. Anyway it just bugs me a bit that we have to categorize basically any film with gay/les/bi people as a gay film, when really this is not a gay film.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] SanSanSan 12 years ago

I was thinking about this recently, in regard to lesbianism in French movies. With the exception of GAZON MAUDIT (with Victoria Abril and Josiane Balasko), I can't think of any in which it is depicted positively, or even neutrally. Even a harrowing movie like this (Cracks), featuring a rape and a murder, doesn't come across as sheerly UNPLEASANT as depictions of lesbianism in ORDINARY French movies!

And it's even worse, in a way, how often lesbianism is used as a throwaway spectre, like a threat of bubonic plague or something, in stories with characters who aren't even gay. Recent examples: CRIMES D'AMOUR (with Kristine Scott-Thomas and Ludivine Sagnier), PAGE TURNER (can't remember the leads, a young girl thwarted in becoming a pianist takes revenge on one of the jury members), and WATER LILIES. In each of those one character cynically uses their sex appeal to enthrall and destroy another character--and nobody's even gay! It's as if sex is nothing but a weapon, and lesbian sex something like the nuclear bomb--nobody survives.

At least we have seen the arrival of some romantic fluff in the past decade or so; otherwise, it's like it's still the bleeding 1950s and all gay sex/instinct/flirtations will be most. strictly. punished!!!

[–] chas437 12 years ago

I don't really think its a trend, and it certainly didn't detract from my enjoyment of this film. I don't see Ms G as strictly defined by her sexuality. She is a troubled person to begin with. Ms G's personality, as formed by her extremely sheltered life (contrary to her stories of world travel and adventure)is important to consider. She's never been around men in her life, and a trip into town to run an errand is a traumatic event for her. This leads me to question if she is really a lesbian. She may be Bi-polar and may have suffered from being an orphan, marooned at this desolate boarding school. We see other faults in her, dilusions of grandure, and preying upon the vunerable nature of these lonely girls. So, I guess I see Ms G's problems and actions as manifestations of a mentally unstable person, rather than a lesbian.

[–] MariposaLisa 12 years ago

I didn't view her character as lesbian at all (although I agree that in mainstream cinema women can be portrayed negatively and stereotypically). I don't think her attraction was sexual; she wasn't obsessed with Fiamma because she wanted her, the obsession, as I viewed it, was because she wanted to BE her. Finally, she attempted to consume her. Fiamma represented to her everything she wasn't and would never be. The molestation was obviously very difficult to watch and clearly a heinous act, but I think it was motivated more through this obsession and her descent into madness triggered by being exposed for what she really was.

[–] Brennan-8 11 years ago

And that's a good thing. Thanks for the INNOCENCE recommendation = I'm off to Netflix now.

[–] lazarillo 11 years ago

It's not like they don't ever make movies about evil men or evil straight women. Evil characters are interesting. Besides, I can't say I've seen too many movies about lesbian rape, usually the lesbianism is completely consensual.

A more fair criticism is that movies often portray a male perspective of lesbianism (with heterosexually desirable women going at it rather than genuine lesbians), but nobody is stopping anyone from making a realistic and sympathetic lesbian film. Moreover, Eva Green's was both evil AND kind of sympathetic. The two things aren't always mutually exclusive.

[–] cookiela2001 10 years ago

I don't really think its a trend, and it certainly didn't detract from my enjoyment of this film. I don't see Ms G as strictly defined by her sexuality.

Good goddess...I hate it when people use this wishy-washy copout, as if a sexual drive weren't a HUGE contributor to a person's life. OF COURSE who we are attracted to shapes our lives: who we pursue, the situations we put ourselves in, the dreams and fears we have, maybe where we choose to live or work, the baggage others bring to perceiving themselves or another...

Eliminating someone's sexual orientation is like trying to erase someone's role as a parent, or their pursuit of money or career or charitable works, or their belief in spirituality, sobriety or drunkenness.

If you amputate all these central aspects of a person's life, you're left with a lobotomized blob of a being, and that would be totally unrealistic

Someone's sexual orientation does not completely define them...but to say it's not a contributor to defining them is a joke.

When someone trots out that tired line about "sexuality not defining people," they strike me as those who are ashamed of or don't want to realistically talk about sex. In fact, they strike me, more often than not, as closeted. (ie, see Hugh Jackman interview)

.

[–] lazarillo 10 years ago

OK, but what if you're bisexual? The girl in "Chloe" is. Straight and bisexual women also sometimes experiment with each other. So do straight and bisexual men--it's just dealt with a lot less in movies (with a few exception like "Gran Ecole" and "Y tu Mama Tambien").

The problem I have is with people assuming THIS evil woman is somehow supposed to represent the so-called "lesbian community". She may not even be lesbian. Not everyone who ever has gay sex is 100 percent queer and a dues-paying member of the Rainbow Coalition. REALISTICALLY, there is a whole lot of sexual ambiguity in the world. "Closeted" gays often only pretend to be attracted to the opposite sex, so they think everyone else is like them, but some people genuinely have a very free-floating sexuality that might involve both sexes, or no sex, or might change over time.

This character also might have more in common with the kind of straight MALES who tend to prey on adolescent girls. Those kind of men don't necessarily represent all straight males and this character doesn't necessarily represent all lesbians.

[–] ConsciencePending 10 years ago

There is hardly a trend or a vendetta of evil lesbian films. If anything, there is a trend of normal lesbian films now more than ever. Are we to believe that lesbians can't do terrible things like straight people? Anyway this film, if you pay attention, is not about an "evil" lesbian. I'm not attacking anyone. I just think that if that was your impression then you should watch it again.

[–] josephnatescott 10 years ago

"Anyway this film, if you pay attention, is not about an 'evil' lesbian." What's it about then, an evil bisexual? It's about a female who is sexually attracted to another female, molests her, and later deliberately allows her to die. The fact that she's very troubled doesn't somehow mean she isn't doing evil.