BOXING HELENA
US, 1993, 107 minutes, Colour.
Julian Sands, Sherillyn Fenn, Bill Paxton, Art Garfunkel.
Directed by Jennifer Chambers Lynch.
Boxing Helena was written and directed by Jennifer Chambers Lynch, at the time 24 years old, the daughter of David Lynch (director of such films as Eraserhead, Dune, Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart and the Twin Peaks series and films).
The film had sensationalist word of mouth, especially with Kim Basinger withdrawing from the film, suing the company and losing - losing millions of dollars. The sensationalist nature of a lover dismembering a woman and keeping her as a possession sounded nauseating and sensationalist.
However, the film is not quite like that. While watching it, it seems something of a soap opera blended with the kind of erotic movie made by Zalman King (for example Two Moon Junction with this main star, Sherilyn Fenn or Wild Orchids). However, the film needs to be seen to the end to discover that there is more in it than might immediately meet the eye and mind. It is more a psychological drama, a drama of immaturity, repression, the Animus and the Anima and their being worked out in dream. To this extent, the film becomes also an allegory of relationships between men and women, women as sex objects, immature men possessing the object of desire and enthroning it. Julian Sands is adept at this kind of role, as is Sherilyn Fenn.
1.Impact of the film? Word of mouth - sensation or reality?
2.The atmosphere of dreams, symbols, the unconscious, repression? The dream structure of the film? Dreams within dreams? Archetypes, Anima and Animus?
3.The atmosphere of the American city, the hospital, social life, the house and the interiors? The musical score?
4.The title, audience reaction, as visualised - not in the horror of the dismemberment, the wounds, but rather enthroned as an icon? The continual focus on the statue of Venus de Milo? Statues and portraits and Helena as another portrait?
5.The blend of styles in the film: realism naturalism, dreams, songs and slow motion, the voyeur sexuality? The blend of reality and fantasy?
6.The initial portrait of Nick, the little boy who never grew up, his mother not acknowledging him, her sexual behaviour, reprimanding him? His father busy? The family friend and the motto of working hard and getting everything? The flashbacks to his mother, her sexuality, her angers - and their effect on him?
7.The funeral, the Christian burial for Marion? His leaving early, going to the operation, the rival doctor, angers in the surgery, Nick and his skills, helping the little boy, comforting the parents? The assistants?
8.Nick and his friendship with Laurence, Laurence being able to listen to him and advise him? Russell as a friend and a rival - in the surgery, at the party, going off with Helena, supplying images for Helena and her sexual fantasies? The rival doctor and his visit, his hopes to succeed Nick, his dismay at seeing Helena, his silence and ambition?
9.Ann and her relationship with Nick, moving into the house, his going jogging, forgetting the meal, her being hurt, the party and her reaction, his calling her Helena, her visit to the house, throwing herself at him, his premature experience? Her leaving? The contrast with the Ann of reality at the end of the film?
10.Nick as a man of fear, fearing women, sexuality, relationships? Wanting to possess people, possessing Helena despite all her taunts?
11.Nick and the house, the memories, there with Ann, going jogging? His seeing Helena, the impact in the bar, Laurence's advice, his sending flowers, his voyeuristic watching of Helena (as did the audience) and her encounter with Ray? Nicholas and his being hurt, later ringing her and hanging up?
12.Helena, her own woman, brittle, conscious of her sexuality? Her relationships with men? The one night with Nick, the relationship with Ray? The phone call, her being in a bad mood, bored by Ray and ousting him? His violent style, presumptions, later search for Helena, paying for information at the shop, ultimately confronting Nick in the house, a violent rival?
13.Helena at the party, spurning Nick, with Russell, going into the fountain? Ann hurt? Laurence and his advice? Russell going with Helena - and her phone call and sending regards from Russell? The difficulty with the purse, Nick agreeing to go to the airport?
14.The airport, Helena's angers, Nick cajoling her into coming back, her wanting her address book? Going into the house, the drink? Her anger, out on the road - and the accident?
15.Helena in the house, lost legs? Nick and his looking after her? The surgery? The explanation to the doctor? Her seeming calm and yet her angers? (Not credible if this was reality, credible when seen as part of Nick's dream?) Staying in the house, not doing anything, an object for Nick's love and service? His feeding her, caring for her? Combing her hair? Their arguments, her blaming him? His declaration of her love? The image of Venus de Milo - and the audience finding Helena without arms? Not wanting to be alone, Helena and her past, now trapped? Nick's enthroning her? His relationship to her as a possession, as a little boy? The phone call and his pretending - and taunting her to answer? Reading to her? The gradual change, his dream in her lap - and the long dream of her sexual advice of how to relate to women? The prostitute nurse coming to the house, her sexual behaviour, her saying she didn't notice? Her change of attitude towards him? Her declaration of her love for Nick?
16.Nick and the dream - making the audience readjust to all that they had seen in his treatment of her? Her being an Anima object in his dreams? He an animus object in her dreams?
17.Seeing Ray and his violence? Helena's recovery and having to cope?
