BEAST
UK, 2017, 107 minutes, Colour.
Jesse Buckley, Johnny Flynn, Geraldine James.
Directed by Michael Pearce.
Certainly, a blunt and frightening title.
This might be described as a psychological horror film, not of the blood and gore type, the sense of this is implied rather than visualised, but a study of character, of characters, of their potential for being beasts.
The setting is the island of Jersey, attractive locations of beach, cliffs, villages. But, very soon into the opening of the film, we see memorials to young women who have been killed. It seems that over the years there have been a number of abductions and murders, wariness about a serial killer. This is the background to the story of Moll (a quite intense performance by Jessie Buckley), a young woman who lives with her mother, sings in the choir which is conducted by her mother, is a tourist guide for busloads of visitors to Jersey. But, we appreciate immediately that there is quite some edge to Moll.
As we learn more about Moll, the demands made on her by her mother, a powerful performance by Geraldine James, we find that she was homeschooled after a violent incident, allegedly bullying of Moll and her response with a pair of scissors. Her mother wants to make sure that all the evil is removed from her daughter. To that end she throws a lavish party but her sister one-ups her by announcing the she is pregnant with twins. Moll is also required to babysit her brother’s daughter whom she likes but sometimes forgets as she goes out, her mother making her confess to selfishness.
She has a wild side too, going to parties and dances. But, near a cave on the beach, she is rescued from an aggressive young man by a local, Pascal (Johnny Flynn). She is immediately attracted to him. He is a handyman, poacher, has been in prison, is quite direct in talking to Moll’s mother.
The immediate drama in the story is that there was an abduction and murder on the night of Moll’s party. A local Portuguese migrant is suspected. But what about Pascal and his past? And what about Moll and her inner violence?
The director has made the point that this film is not so much an investigation into the abductions and murders, certainly the work of a killer with beastly instincts, but it is more of an investigation into the psyche of Moll, her attraction towards Pascal, whether she is suspicious of him or not, whether her love for him is dangerous because of her suspicions.
Because of this, Beast is an interesting psychological portrait of a disturbed young woman, her alienation from her family (making a toast at one stage to her family and declaring that she forgives them), her somewhat reckless love for the mysterious Pascal.
1. The title, the characters, behaviour? Death, anger and brutality?
2. The island of Jersey, the beaches and the cliffs, the homes, the work in the fields, church, fates? Life on the island? The musical score?
3. The atmosphere, the beach, the cliffs, climbing the cliffs, the memorials to the dead girls? The choir?
4. Moll’s story, the images of the whales, later images of hunting, poaching and the dead rabbits? Molly and her self-age, her appearance, red hair, clothes? The relationship with her mother, in the choir, her mother’s demands? The father and his senility? Her brother and his daughter, her having to care for the niece? Her birthday party, the sister’s comeuppance with news of her fiance and twins? Her leaving, going to the dancing, wild, the young man molesting her in the cave, Pascal arriving and shooting? Riding with him, attracted to him, his coming to the house to do the work, his frank manner of talking to her mother? Her past, the girl, the attack with the scissors? Her mother withdrawing her from school, home schooling, wanting to be friends with her daughter? Moll and her guide with the tourists in the bus? Moll going to drives with Pascal, neglecting her niece, her mother reprimanding her, her brother’s harshness? Pascal and his presence, the meals, her love for him, the sexual encounter, his wearing the black jeans, the dress code and his being ousted? The toast to her family and saying she forgave them? Her moving out?
5. The visualising of her nightmares, the stabbing with the scissors, the masked intruders, the smashing the windows, indication of her disturbed state?
6. The local policeman, his attachment to her, his presence at the party, the child abducted and murdered at the time of the party, his interrogation of Moll, her lie, her resisting him, her adverse comment on his smell? Later going back, angry with Pascal, telling the policeman she lied?
7. Moving out of home, moving in with Pascal, the relationship? The police telling her that he was under suspicion, the past offences, his explanations, his time in prison? His mother abandoning him? Their outings together, drinking, asking him to go away to a hot climate, his drunken reaction, attempting to strangle her, her leaving, burying herself in the dirt, changing into the white dress, the apology? At the restaurant? The two being alike, the accusation, in the car, loosening his seatbelt, deliberately crashing the car, his getting out and crawling along the road, Moll getting out, chasing him, choking him, lying beside him?
8. Her visiting the shop, the girl with the scissors’ wound, the truth about her revenge, her being denounced by the girl? The effect on Moll – at her screaming sequences?
9. The men working the field, the discoveries of the body, crime site? The men and their brutality towards Bruno? Pascal defending him?
10. Moll’s mother, strict, conducting the choir, the demands on her daughter, arranging the party, wanting friendship, the past, wanting the evil out of her daughter, her severity, homeschooling, her anger at Moll leaving her niece, the reprimands? The meal, her reaction to Moll toasting the family and forgiving them? The contrast with her father, at home, quiet, growing senility?
11. The victims, the memorials, the ceremony in the church, the preaching, the grief, Moll coming to the church, the hostile man wanting her out, her embracing the mother, the mother’s harsh reaction?
12. Public opinion, the news items, Moll and her association with Pascal, the television news items, the media at the door?
13. The director saying that the film was not an investigation into the murders but rather an investigation into Moll, her character, whether she thought Pascal was the murderer or not, her love for him despite this, because of this, and the similarities in herself?
