The Reversal of Civilization and Barbarism

There is a readable and straightforward anthropological work titled "Civilization and Barbarism," which delves into the obscure details of human civilization's progress, some of which, when read today, leave readers astounded. What appears to be the highly developed Western civilization today had its share of extreme savagery and darkness in the past, while many civilizations concealed by current world order have an astonishing history beyond imagination.

Civilization or barbarism? It's often not easy to discern. After watching "Midsommar," let's discuss this topic of civilization and barbarism.

The Boundaries of Intimacy

Do you still recall the beginning of the movie when Dani was fraught with worry because she received emails from her sister, who suffers from bipolar disorder, with threats of self-harm? Her sister didn't reply to emails, wouldn't answer calls, and Dani's emotions teetered on the edge of collapse. Despite this, she had to maintain an appearance of normalcy as she left voice messages for her parents and called her boyfriend Christian, restraining her tears, and adopting a tone of casual politeness, always ending conversations on a positive note: "Alright, alright, alright, I'm fine, you make a valid point." This scene offered the actress a small moment to shine and also highlighted the typical social etiquette of Westerners: maintaining boundaries, wearing a smile, emotional moderation, and not burdening others.

However, even with Dani's restraint, Christian's friends felt that he was being "abused" in this relationship: "She should find a therapist rather than turning to you; after all, you're not a therapist!" When Dani's sister killed her parents and herself, leaving Dani completely alone, she struggled to meet Christian's friends while wearing a smile. Their reactions were bizarre and cold, especially their reluctance to let Dani join their trip to Sweden. Christian had to repeatedly reassure them, saying, "She says she's coming, but she won't actually come. She—won't—come." It was incredibly hypocritical.

These meticulously maintained interpersonal boundaries were shattered in the isolated Swedish village. The ceremony of the young girl Maya's first night was a complete cult rite. Ten naked older women not only "observed" the proceedings but also "cheered" on the sidelines. Their synchronized moans resembled a multi-part chorus. At that moment, both the "stoned" Christian and Dani, who peeked through the keyhole, were left shocked— by their shared civilized/mainstream worldview crumbled in an instant.

When Dani could no longer bear what she had witnessed and, more importantly, couldn't accept the ultimate betrayal by her last "family member," Christian, she could no longer shed tears. Instead, she wailed in despair. However, the group of Swedish girls from the celebration continuously surrounded her—May Queen was one of them—, and they cried together, howled together, mourned together, forming a unique vocal ensemble (the sound effects and direction were excellent, and the transition from Christian's scene was well done). This, in America—Dani's place of origin, was unimaginable.

Humanity or Coldness

The film's first minor climax is the elderly couple jumping off the cliff. Seventy-two is the human life limit here, and when the time comes, they must face inevitable death. Faced with the gruesome sight of the couple being smashed with mallets after the fall , the British couple first lost their composure and threatened to call the police—after all, Sweden is a country at the forefront of euthanasia, and in the civilized world's perception, forcing someone to jump off a cliff is ten times more horrifying than "Breaking the Waves."

How did the others react? Dani was extremely distressed, and Mark's attitude was very American: "It's scary, but it's none of my business." Christian and Josh's reactions were quite interesting as "anthropology researchers"—distant, calm, restrained, and even somewhat excited—smelling the excitement of a research topic. They even expressed the view that "Is jumping off a cliff at 72 more dignified than spending the rest of your days in a nursing home?" This kind of messed-up logic... Strangely, it almost makes sense...

The social model in this Swedish village is actually similar to a commune's organizational structure. People have broken down the barriers of traditional families. For example, Pelle lost both his parents at a young age (most likely as outsiders sacrificed to the community), but his upbringing wasn't lacking in the support of "family." Everyone eats, sleeps, works, worships, shares emotions, and even "watches" each other's sexual activities together. Outsiders, as providers of fresh genes, are introduced but ultimately met with cruel death because they can't fully embrace the community's values (as seen in the intense reaction of the British couple). Those who attempt to judge the local civilization with an outsider's perspective, whether through blasphemy of community beliefs (Mark urinating on the sacred tree) or trying to plunder and transport local culture in some form (Josh secretly photographing the community's religious texts), inevitably meet a grim fate.

Why did Dani survive? Apart from Pelle's favoritism, it's more about her realization that in this village, there is a brutal cliff-jumping ritual but no "family" that kills both parents and commits suicide. There are primitive "mating rituals" here, but not the kind of rigidly defined, tasteless love between her and Christian.

Humanity or Coldness? It all depends on your interpretation.

The Justice of Drugs

One highlight of the film is how it visualizes the trippy sensations after taking hallucinogens. From the moment the group gets off the car upon arriving at the village, various hallucinogenic herbs are everywhere. The long days and harsh sunlight within the Arctic Circle, combined with hallucinatory experiences, create a psychological stream that's far from ordinary in a horror film.

Remember Mark's awkward and tripped-out behavior as soon as he got off the car when he heard about hallucinogenic mushrooms? Perhaps he was imagining the crazy nightclub or wild party experiences typical of American youth. However, hallucinogens have deeply permeated local life. Whether it's the "pick-me-up drinks" in everyone's hands, the mysterious white smoke Christian inhales before "donating," or the terrifying powder that paralyzes his entire body just before being turned into the "bear-man"... Hallucinogens and snacks laced with pubic hair, drinks mixed with menstrual blood, and small wooden pieces under the bed are all part of their faith and way of life. Or rather, hallucinogens here are considered very pure.

Correspondingly, there are products from the civilized world's major pharmaceutical companies. We learn early on in an extreme close-up shot that Dani is taking antidepressants. (It's likely that her sister was also taking medication to combat bipolar disorder, but it clearly didn't work. The question of whether psychiatric medications are truly effective and how big pharmaceutical companies manipulate concepts to deceive the families of mentally ill patients could probably fill several books...) Later, Dani asks Josh for sleeping pills twice because she can't sleep, and he gives them to her without a word.

Are synthetic drugs effective? Clearly, they are of no use in this community that advocates natural hallucinogens. Here, pharmaceuticals represent narrow scientific worship, symbolizing the pathological expectation of "medication cures all" (the obsession with fixing and returning to "normal") and the human desire for control over oneself and the external world—control over emotions, desires, sleep, diseases, and inappropriate lifestyles... In the past, when Dani broke down each time, she would rush into a confined space to shatter silently. She needed to constantly tell herself to "stop, stop, I'm fine, I'm okay" in order to return to an emotional trajectory that met others' expectations.

The fear of losing control terrifies people; everyone worries that the slightest misstep will cast them out of the trajectory of this civilized world, where all abnormalities are seen with cold eyes by society. Even if one becomes an orphan overnight, they cannot break down in front of others. But in this small village, even the deformed, close-kin born here still has a place for the celebration.

If drugs cannot make us better, then what do we have left?

"Midsommar" actually depicts a clash of civilizations, a reflection on the relative meanings of civilization and barbarism, and on the so-called "highly developed post-modern society" of today. When everyone promotes Western individualistic values, pursues "more civilized" interpersonal relationships, and family organization, talks about "setting boundaries," and avoids "getting too involved," we also need to turn around and think about what we have lost.