Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer
Without a doubt, you've likely heard of
mother!, the newest film from Hollywood's "it-girl" Jennifer Lawrence. Once at the pinnacle of the film industry and able to sell blockbuster fare (
The Hunger Games) and arthouse films (
Silver Linings Playbook) while keeping a very relatable image, she seems to be falling from her high. A number of PR issues have pushed people to the edge, and
mother! could be the breaking point. This movie has received an F CinemaScore, one of only 19 films in history to receive such a rating.... Here's a little hint: Most people pay to see movies because they know they'll enjoy them, and getting a B- usually means a movie is terrible. An F is unheard of. So the question is: Is
mother! really that bad? I was anxious to figure out why everyone seemed to have such a visceral reaction to it. The film's ad campaign was shrouded in secrecy and early reviews called it "The WTF Movie of Our Generation".
mother! is directed by Darren Aronofksy, the man behind brilliance like
Black Swan and less-brilliant achievements like
Noah (It has its fans, but I'm not one of them) and if you've seen
Noah you may recall that he took many liberties with the Biblical tale. It surprised me to learn that
mother! is actually a Biblical film and not the horror movie it was sold as. The parallels to horror classic
Rosemary's Baby end abruptly, and the movie descends into a fever dream allegory of God and Genesis that can be very difficult to decipher. I can understand why it got an F, as audiences had no idea what they were being served. I sure didn't. Yet I was entranced by
mother! It baffled me, it disgusted me, but it also challenged me to follow its crazy narrative. I respect this movie, and I'm going to go in depth into what this movie
really is about and why people hate it so much.
WARNING: This is a spoiler review. If you want to see
mother! on your own with no information on the plot, characters, or Biblical twists, stop reading.
What's the Story?
First, I'll introduce what
mother! is at face-value. We follow a young woman (Lawrence) living a tranquil life with her husband (Javier Bardem). He is much older than she is and a talented poet. He spends his days seeking inspiration while she remodels their house. One day, a man (Ed Harris) shows up at the door. The woman is very anxious at having a stranger in her house, but her husband loves the company he provides. She is annoyed that he spends more time with their guest than he does working on his poetry. The next day, his wife (Michelle Pfeiffer) shows up. Now there's two strangers. Gradually as the film goes on, more and more people show up, filling her house and she gets more frustrated at how her husband pays more attention to them than his wife or art.
The Bible Twist
mother! is actually a re-telling of Genesis. Jennifer Lawrence is the titular "Mother" who is Mother Earth. Her husband is God. He creates her on the first day, and she lives alone with him in the paradise she creates (remodeling the house). Then "Adam" shows up at the door, followed by "Eve" the next day. Mother doesn't like having t to share her husband. God seems to care more about the humans than her. It's easy to miss these references as no character is named, but when the couple's two sons come in her house arguing and one kills the other, it's suddenly apparent. That was Cain and Abel and this is the Bible. When Adam and Eve get kicked out, they return with a bunch of people who make a mess of the house. Two people break her sink, causing the water to spray out. Mother screams at them to leave (The Great Flood). Long story short, she gets pregnant and she gives birth to who I assume is Jesus. Her pregnancy with the Savior causes her husband to write a poem that everyone goes crazy over (The Bible) and they flood her house to get autographs. While Mother just wants peace and quiet, He lets them into her house and doesn't listen to her. This ultimately ends in them killing and eating her baby (
YES, THIS HAPPENS), which I guess is the Sacrament, and they try to destroy the entire house in their shame. She opens the furnace, lights gasoline, and burns them all. As she dies, God removes her heart and builds a new wife, and metaphorically, a new Earth.
Analysis
That sounds pretty ridiculous, right? I'm not kidding, this is what
mother! is. It is
NOTHING like the movie the commercials make it out to be. A Biblical allegory is easy, so the question we need to ask is why? Why would the director make this in 2017 and depict Genesis in a modern setting? What accessibility does this movie have for our era? I believe that
mother! is commenting on man's treatment of the Earth and how this is not a new concept. People in the Biblical times hurt Mother Earth as well, and the film calls out God as the first to betray her. It is this idea that fascinates me. It does not portray God as a wicked man, but still asserts that in His creation of Man, he forsake the first thing he created: the Earth. In seeing Jennifer Lawrence brutalized physically and emotionally by these people she does not want in her house, we are able to see an Earth that does not trust humans to take care of her. She is ultimately correct, and even God can't see how wrong He was. This film is a sort of environmental message about how the mistreatment of the Earth started with God.
God's Selfishness
Part of the controversy likely comes from Javier Bardem's God. In this film, God is seemingly drunk on the affection of his followers. From the moment Adam walks in, Mother can tell that His attention is divided. Instead of appreciating everything she has given Him, He instead focuses on his new creations. When Adam and Eve return with multiple new faces, God basically ignores Mother and does not try to stop them from destroying their house. When the actual craziness begins in the film's third act, God actually encourages their activity, as He is fascinated with their worship. When Mother gives birth to their child (we assume it's Jesus), He steals the baby and gives it to the followers. They kill it, and He comes to a realization, but also allows them to continue. This film
asserts that God is a selfish individual that loves the admiration and worship that we give Him. Instead of helping make us better out of His spirit, He does it because he wants us to worship. Mother says to him as she dies: "You never really loved them. You loved how much they loved you." I find this idea fascinating. I do not necessarily agree with the stance, but I think it's an interesting ideal.
The Ridiculous Ending (Baby Cannibalism)
mother! descends into madness in its third act, and I believe it is completely misguided. The actions are set into motion when God gives His son to the people, and they break his neck (it's very graphic) and then eat him while Mother watches in shock. Then they proceed to rip her clothes off and beat her while He watches. It's just too graphic. I understand the reference of the Sacrament but I believe it's horribly misguided. No one wants to see a baby being eaten. That is too much. I understand what they were trying to do but that is just too graphic and grotesque, almost as if he's trying to rile up Christians. The film also descends into a very loud and explosive montage of different events in history. We see Native Americans, Iraqi soldiers, non-peaceful protests and guerrilla warfare. But it's all rushed to make a montage. If the message is that God watched while all these happened, it's muted because no time is devoted. It almost seems tacked on. Comedian Kristen Wiig also makes a bizarre cameo as an "Angel" and it's absolutely unneeded. She also descends in the chaos and murders some folks execution style. I don't think this is resulting in my lack of understanding, I truly believe that this movie just doesn't make sense in parts.
My Verdict
I love interesting films. I really enjoy all the questions
mother! poses and all the reactions it creates. If you just reject this film, you miss the point. Though I would not judge anyone who rejects
mother! because I get it, eating babies isn't for everyone. I don't share the beliefs of the director or the people involved, though I think it is a very fascinating interpretation of Genesis and a great take on environmental issues in an original way. However, I think while the message is great and original, the methods are flawed. I was not a fan of the filming style, the sometimes boring pace and choppy dialogue. I also detailed my issues with some of the symbolism. I think that Lawrence does a fantastic job in the lead role, and the rest of the cast is great as well. But
mother! is sometimes caught up in its own fevered message and forgets to relax. If Lawrence is Mother Earth, why is she giving birth to Jesus? Where is Mary? Isn't the Great Flood arbitrary if Noah isn't somewhere in the mix? I believe the director focuses on symbolism and loses his narrative in the process. I read that this is based on a dream he had and that he wrote it in only five days. I believe it, and I wouldn't say it as a compliment.
Rating:
