Repression in Families: A Look at Two Films
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This paper compares and contrasts two films featuring a heroine trying to break away from a repressive family and societal expectations, Richard BrooksÆ 1977 adaptation of Judith RossnerÆs novel, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and Vasily PichulÆs 1988 Russian drama, Little Vera. These two films provide quite different cultural backgrounds for a similar human struggle. Both portray young women trying to find their own identities and rebelling against authority. Both present a daunting and fairly bleak life, one ending in tragedy, one slightly more hopeful. The two films have some intriguing though superficial parallels. They also share other coincidences that turn out, on further examination, to illuminate the deeper themes that both explore, including the impulse to try to escape from the angst of young adulthood by overindulging in drugs and alcohol. They use some similar artistic images and techniques to explore their common themes. Together, these two films paint a complex and fascinating portrait of the young adultÆs contemporary struggle, and particularly the young adult femaleÆs struggle, for identity and separation. Looking for Mr. Goodbar was released by Paramount in 1977, and it presents a bleak picture of a contemporary woman dealing with womenÆs liberation, family tensions, drugs, sex, and personal freedom. Richard Brooks writes and directs, using Judith RossnerÆs novel as his original source. The story focuses on Theresa Dunn (Diane Keaton) who, at the start
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veless affair that mirrors her motherÆs shapeless house dress.
Vera spends her days with her friend Lena, hanging around the park, watching the drab factory town around them with disinterest and smoking cigarettes. Andrei, a classmate who is about to join the navy, has a crush on Vera, but, like TheresaÆs James, the fact that he likes her an is acceptable to her parents seems to destroy any appeal he might hold for Vera.
Instead, she sets her sights on the new boy in town, a neÆer-do-well named Sergei, who turns out to be a friend of her brother Victor. Victor is happy to have an old buddy turn up, until he realizes this rogue has his eye on his own sister.
Vera, whose only motto seems to be a line from her favorite novel, ôCherish the innocence of youth,ö gladly gives herself to Sergei, and the two decide to become engaged. While they do seem to share a genuine affection, their decision appears to be little more than a whim and a gesture to defy VeraÆs parents.
Vera immediately moves her new fiancT into her bedroom, challenging her parents to say anything. She tells her mother she is pregnant, a lie calculated to lessen the wrath of authority.
Sergei turns out to be the final straw in the household. Despite VictorÆ
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2707
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page)
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