Nylons and shower?

In Film School in England 40 years ago we were told that if we want to show a wife’s torment as she waits to see whether her fisherman husband survived the storm and will return together with the other boats, you cut back and forth between the wife, the boats returning, families greeting those who return, and back to the wife, and bask to the boats. Or, if you got Vanessa Redgrave, you just shoot a long tight close-up of her and you’re done. She does the rest.

In this case we had Portman, just as good a choice of an actor as it turns out. So why did we need to see Jackie in black satin undergarments and nylons? Jackie in the shower? Jackie confessing to John Hurt (the only dialog that was definitely and completely made-up). Couldn’t the exact same feelings and story moments be conveyed on different vehicles, a little more respectful of an icon?

Director Larrain “painted” his motion picture but… he seemed oblivious to the fact that Natalie Portman could have told the story just by being there, without messing around in cuts and props and cinematic devices.