Poor Things: Pushing the Boundaries of Acceptability, an Odyssey by Lanthimos

The film tells the story of Victoria (played by Emma Stone), who, while pregnant, jumps off a bridge and dies. She is then resurrected by the grotesque scientist Godwin Baxter (played by Willem Dafoe), who replaces her brain with that of her unborn child, making her both a mother and a child in one body, named Bella.

Under the "care" of scientist Godwin (whom Bella calls God) and his assistant McCandle, Bella is treated as an experimental subject and arranged to be engaged to McCandle. During this time, in what can be called a period of sexual awakening, Bella meets the desire-filled businessman Duncan and decides to put aside her engagement to go on a journey with him. Experiencing curiosities and oddities throughout their travels, Bella undergoes various stages of nonsecular growth: sexual freedom, class consciousness, and bodily liberation. Eventually, she returns to London due to Godwin's illness, unravels the mystery of her own suicide as Victoria, and breaks free from the societal constraints imposed by Godwin and McCandle to become a new and liberated Bella.

"Poor Things," a nearly two-and-a-half-hour film, is a modern odyssey crafted by director Yorgos Lanthimos. This lengthy journey provides numerous interpretations for the film, and here I’ll try to offer a few glimpses.

A Road Film

"Poor Things" can be considered as a road movie, evoking memories of 1970s urban wandering road films. When Bella rushes out of her mansion and embarks on a journey through various cities, it is a moment when she actively embraces her coming-of-age.

Similar to the protagonists in road films from the '60s and '70s who were often disillusioned, Bella initially expresses her confusion through her "sexual cravings," much like those hippies who overdosed in that era. However, within this confusion, there is always a hint of vitality and a willingness to take risks, and Bella ultimately grows as a result.

A Coming-of-Age Story

A classic moment in the film is when Bella and Duncan meet Martha, an elderly lady, and the cynical philosopher Harry on a ship to Athens. Under their influence, Bella begins to read literary works by previous thinkers to gain a better understanding of the world.

At the beginning, Bella quotes some lines from Emerson, and the audience generally associates Emerson with being a foundational figure of the "American soul," characterized by an adventurous spirit yearning for freedom. However, Bella starts to reverse this by quoting from Godwin and bookish dogmas to oppose Duncan who harbors resentment against her. This conflict between a priori and empirical knowledge in a baby's consciousness growing within the womb directly represents that sense of division.

Martha(played by Hanna Schygulla) suggests that Bella start reading Goethe, pointing out that the film's overarching structure is exactly a Bildungsroman, in which the protagonist gradually grows through a series of experiences to achieve inner fulfilment. This parallel growth through experience and exploration may have educational significance for all audiences.

Gothic Elements

While some argue that "Poor Things" is a highly cultish and gothic film, it may not entirely fit those categories for deeper enthusiasts of gothic culture. However, it does contain elements of both, and it is truly exciting enough that such film is selected into competition section.

A profound scene in the film is when a man compliments Bella as "cute," and she immediately covers her ears. Real goths actually hope to be praised as "cute," but if and only if the one making the compliment is also considered cute by them, so when Bella covers her ears, it reflects that she doesn't like the man.

In general (very irresponsibly speaking), goths are typically "introverted people" and tend to disdain personality tests. In comparison, Bella can be considered an "extroverted person." She is unafraid to express herself. So, let's consider "Poor Things" a gothic film, as it stands from Bella's perspective, alienating the polite and civilized society that oppresses people. Bella's "abnormality" becomes the new normality. It can be said that gothic films are inherently against alienation.

Blasphemy

Blasphemy signifies a kind of free will declaring the death of God. Bella refers to scientist Godwin as God, perhaps stemming from a verbal simplification due to her childhood inability to grasp complex language, but it cleverly serves as a double entendre.

Science itself is blasphemous. Godwin's repugnant appearance is inherited from his father, a mad and ruthless scientist. Initially, he treats Bella as merely an experimental subject, but as the story progresses, the audience glimpses a trace of humanity beyond his meticulous scientific spirit. This is also a form of blasphemy completed by Godwin—a rebellion against his own creator, his father, and that unethical science.

Bella's blasphemy—her recognition and deconstruction of Godwin's identity—becomes the highlight of the film. Godwin admits to deriving more pleasure from parenting than from sex. Therefore, blasphemy belonging to Bella becomes a rejection of desires imposed on her by others. She deconstructs parenting initially as a surface-level partnership with men but ultimately transforms it into a soulful self-care.

During sexual intercourse, Bella gradually attains physical integrity, and her spirit becomes complete; this is a gradual process of integration between herself and the civilized society. This confrontation with a certain known immense thing could be comprehended as a universal form of blasphemy. The result of blasphemy, much like "fallen Adam," is gaining the completeness as "human" because that "guilt" has already been deconstructed.

And the process of watching and reminiscing about this film is akin to how Bella forms a systematic concept from a few vocabulary words. Amidst the various reflections and thoughts about the film, a multitude of possible interpretations could be embraced.