My criteria for choosing movies this year revolved around finding films that confront the evolving reality of the world, aiming to bridge divides, foster communication, and promote integration. Thus, when I had watched around two-thirds of the available films, I realized that "Anatomy of a Fall" perfectly aligned with these criteria.
Last year's "Tár" was outstanding for obvious reasons. When a man presents a bad state, it's because they've always been bad, but when a woman walks to the top of the tower constructed by men, she immediately possesses male qualities, becoming one of them. How can a person who has been persecuted turn around and become the persecutor? This further confirms that women are defined, not born. This year's "Barbie" could have continued to discuss these issues, but it's too shallow. It uses a narrative that is suffocated by the beauty myth to gain popularity, but this is by no means the true situation of women. Whether to meet the expectations of others, each individual can rely on their own cognition and actions to respond. However, in a family composed of one man and one woman, the severe imbalance between "I" and "we" is the most significant exploitation of women under the patriarchal family system.
"Marriage Story" tells the story of a couple in love but forced to tear apart, while "Anatomy of a Fall" might be considered a gender-swapped version of "Marriage Story." In contrast to the onlookers in "Marriage Story," who initially regretted their actions but ultimately reconciled with others, "The Analysis of the Fall Death" presents its conclusion from the outset. In this scenario, the husband falls to his death, with only the wife present at the scene, while the son departs with the dog. The fatal injury to the husband's body and the presence of bloodstains, unlike in a suicide, cast suspicion on the wife, making her the primary suspect.
This narrative peels away the layers of the family's life, not abruptly but gradually, like folding a blanket. The husband, a French writer, and the wife, a German writer, grapple with challenges in Germany. Seeking a fresh start, the husband proposes relocating the family to his rural hometown in France to focus on their writing. However, a pivotal moment occurs when, absorbed in his writing, the husband allows someone else to pick up their child, resulting in a car accident that affects the child's vision. This incident plunges the family into turmoil, with the husband sinking into a self-reflective state while the wife manages to pull herself out of the chaos. She not only produces several successful literary works but also engages in extramarital affairs, justifying them as a necessity due to her husband's unwillingness and her inability to do without affection. If the couple had better economic conditions, they could afford a nanny; if they weren't both writers, it could reduce conflicts; if they could understand each other; if they communicated more effectively. If there were these "ifs," the outcome might have been different.
The storyline depicted mirrors approximately 70% of households worldwide, where women often sacrifice their time and energy to care for the family, while men advance in their careers, receiving recognition and encouragement. However, this dynamic often leads to men subsequently blaming women for various issues. Beyond the responsibilities of household chores and nurturing, women are encouraged to pursue their own interests and individuality. The conflicts showcased in the movie are intensified because both individuals are highly expressive. What might appear as an ordinary narrative to some becomes a dramatic scenario due to the gender role reversal, and this reversal, in essence, creates dramatic tension within the storyline.
When the husband needs a year to focus on writing, the wife refuses: "This is my time, and I need to focus on it." These words are too common; almost all women have heard similar phrases at home. Society assumes that women willingly choose to become mothers, and a good parent-child relationship is the highest form of attachment in the world. All of this, however, is just another family member unwilling to make sacrifices. Society defaults to the idea that the woman will handle everything in that household, willingly relinquishing her wisdom, status, past efforts, and ambitions. Childbirth seems to have become a task performed solely by women.
If women worldwide cannot balance "me" and "us" and end up like the husband jumping off the building, the sky will be filled with women with open arms.
As long as it's about love, it's about energy, about sacrifice. There is no equality or balance in a family. It's all based on love, sacrificing for each other when considering the partner's situation. In a sense, choosing to form a family is signing a contract: "We will exploit each other, and we are willing to exploit each other."
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