SLEEPING BEAUTY
Australia, 2011, 105 minutes. Colour.
Emily Browning, Rachael Blake, Hugh Keays- Byrne, Chris Haywood, Peter Carroll, Sarah Snook, Michael Dorman.
Directed by Julia Leigh.
This version of a sleeping beauty is no fairytale. In fact, though Lucy, the central character, is reassured that while she is asleep, she will not dream, her waking hours become something of a nightmare. She might have even more frightening nightmares if she could see what we see happening to her while she sleeps.
Sleeping Beauty was screened in competition in Cannes in 2011. Because of the sexual elements, nudity and some gross behaviour by some ageing clients, controversy was assured. Many praised the film. Others found it either boring or offensive or both. It has been described as an erotic film. One reviewer, with some perception, thought it an anti-erotic film.
This is one of those films which are not done justice by simply asking what it is about. A lot of questions about ‘how’ it is presented is more to the point. It is in the vein, though stories and emphases on exploiting of men and women are quite different, of Eyes Wide Shut, In the Cut, The Book of Revelation. Audiences uncomfortable with more open, franker and sometimes explicit explorations of sensuality and sexuality will not like the film.
However, as with many psychological film case studies, we are taken into the psyches of characters, becoming more aware of their problems even if we do not quite understand or sympathise. (Reviewers not sympathetic have found the psychological dimension here lacking or found it ‘twaddle’.)
In the middle of the film, it seemed not so much interesting as intriguing. Then one of the elderly clients (played by veteran Peter Carroll) offers a short story in close-up, pausing the action, asking the audience to think about life, turning thirty and the enthusiasm of then contrasting with the impotence of age. It would be a pity to consider this as a distraction or as dull – it offers a basis for the culmination of the film.
The central character, Lucy, is something of an enigma and remains so, even though we are offered all kinds of tantalising clues to her attitudes and behaviour. She is played by Emily Browning who does create this enigma quite effectively even though she is usually not particularly likeable. Lucy studies, takes part in laboratory tests (deep swallowing), works in a cafe as well as an office and boards with her sister whose partner dislikes her and wants her out. She takes a phone call from her mother describing her as alcoholic.
Lucy is quite promiscuous, picking up men and leading them on in bars, more caring of a drug-addict friend whom she visits regularly, but not really exhibiting any sign of a moral compass. She is both passive and sometimes proactive in her choices. When she takes some cocaine, her reply is simply. ‘Why not?’. It is the same with some of her sexual behaviour. While she shrugs with a ‘Why not?’, it seems never to have occurred to ask why she says yes.
When she is employed as a freelance sex-object wine waiter in a mansion that caters for rich, elderly customers, meals served by scantily clad young women, she is being auditioned by the elegant madam, Clara (Rachael Blake, a wicked witch with her potions) for a specialty of the establishment: sleeping beauty, where she sleeps and has no knowledge of what these ageing men do to her. (Emily Browning is particularly convincing in persuading us that she is asleep in these scenes.) While Lucy, professionally called Sara, is beautiful and seems to sail through this kind of life, it is the scenes of the old men and their sexual predation that offers the ethical if not moral compass. A scene with veteran Chris Haywood offers an epitome of the attitudes of men who are self-absorbed, abusive of women in speech and action and express themselves with a violent ruthlessness.
Sara/ Lucy does wake up at the end with an experience of shock and dismay. But the film has one more short scene which does not draw explicit conclusions and leaves the audience to ponder what they have felt and thought.
1. The controversy the film raised? The festival of Cannes? Issues of sexuality, psychology? A case study?
2. The Australian city, the ordinariness, flats, streets, workplaces? The university setting, the labs? Musical score?
3. The contrast with the mansion, its elegance, wealth, style?
4. The title, audiences familiar with the fairy tale? This story as a nightmare? No prince to wake up Lucy?
5. The portrait of Lucy, her age, appearance, callow personality, passive, sometimes proactive? The opening, the laboratory, the swallowing experiment? Waiting tables and cleaning them? In the office, the files, her careless attitude, not committed? In classes – and leaving when phoned? Ambitious – or not?
6. Her ‘why not?’ attitude? When taking cocaine with her friend, classes and leaving them, the sexuality and relationships, at home with her sister and boyfriend?
7. The sexual relationships, at the bar, tantalising the two men, tossing the coin? Her relationship with Birdmann? The ritual of her arrival, the talk, her turning up at different times, communicating, the sexual relationship, his depression, the pills and his death? Going to his funeral – and lying about not having seen him?
8. The encounter with her past boyfriend, revelation about her life and attitudes, the discussions at the funeral, coming on to him again, his anger with her?
9. At home, her sister, her mother’s house? Her sister’s partner, the threats? Paying the rent? Cleaning the grout in the shower? The continued clashes, her being given notice?
10. The phone call to the mansion, her change of name, the appointment? The encounter with Thomas, introduced to Clara? The nature of the interview, the conditions for her performance, issues about her health, smoking, drugs – and her lies? Stripping and the examination? The issue of expenses, cash? The rules to conform to? Termination of contract or not?
11. Clara, her elegance, appearance, style? Her manner of speaking? Her working with Thomas? A high-class madam? Sending the chauffeur for Lucy? Changing her name to Sara?
12. Lucy’s first visit, the various girls, the clothing, the tattoos, in the kitchen, the cook? Her practising serving wine? The arrival of the guests, well-dressed, elderly? The meal and the formalities, announcing the menu? The aftermath, the visitors and the sitting with the girls?
13. Back to her ordinary life, tables, Birdmann, more experiments at the lab (with the suggestive experiment)?
14. The businessman trying to pick her up? The boss at the cafeteria? The sexual relationship – the phone call and her leaving in the morning?
15. Sleeping Beauty, Clara as an elegant witch, mixing the potion? Seeing Lucy asleep, the effectiveness of persuading the audience that she was really sleeping throughout all the behaviour by the men?
16. The men, the elderly gentlemen, his age, being at the dinner, his story, talking about his wife, his career? His needs? His relating of the short story about turning thirty? His return to Sleeping Beauty?
17. The brutal visitor, the verbal abuse, the physical and psychological violence, his despising women?
18. The third man, Lucy as helpless, his picking her up, dropping her? Her being used as a doll, inert plaything?
19. Lucy wanting to know what happened while she was asleep? Trying to circumvent the pills? Waking and finding the dead man?
20. The elderly man, his taking the potion, Clara helping him? His getting into the bed, his death, Lucy discovering him?
21. The finale, the Sleeping Beauty, the dead man? Indications of her future – or not?
22. Audience reaction, reflections, emotional reactions? Learning from this case study?
