INTO THE FOREST
Canada, 2018, 94 minutes, Colour.
Ellen Page, Evan Rachel Ward, Callum Keith Rennie, Wendy Crewson, Max Minghella, Michael Eklund.
Directed by Patricia Roszema.
Into the forest is, one might say, a very quiet apocalyptic story. It is written in such a way that audiences realised that it could happen at any moment.
The initial focus is on a father and his two daughters living in the Canadian countryside. He is a widower. One of the daughters is preparing for a ballet audition, the other is studying. The ballet dancer is played by Evan Rachel Ward and the student by Ellen page. Callum Keith Rennie is the father.
Suddenly, the power goes out – and stays out for weeks, months, and eventually all the time. While there is initially some television news, contact with the outside world fades. There are rumours of restoration in the United States but these are rumours.
While initially, father and daughters went into the town, there is no petrol so they cannot make return visits. There is a visit from one young man who persuades the student daughter to leave with him to find somewhere where life is normal, but, she decides to go home to be with her sister with whom she clashes after the accidental death of their father.
Later, another man arrives, a plausible story, but actually rapes the ballerina.
As time goes on, the health becomes more dilapidated, there is very little in the house to sustain them, especially when the ballerina is pregnant.
The title indicates the decision that the two sisters make to survive – to go into the forest.
Direction is by Patricia Rozema who made a number of significant Canadian films, I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing, When Night is Falling and a version of Mansfield Park.
This is not an action packed super-hero style post-apocalyptic story – as has been said, this scenario could happen today or tomorrow..
1. An apocalyptic story, but in a familiar 21st-century world, audiences identifying with the characters, the situation, imagining how they would cope in similar circumstances?
2. An imaginable apocalypse, the loss of electricity, power, loss of communications, falling back on limited resources, isolation but improvisation, the consequences of the lack of power and technology? Humans coping in “more primitive� conditions?
3. The Canadian settings, the forest, the town, the home and buildings, the interiors, the grounds, the farm? The musical score?
4. The family unit, the father and his character, love for his daughter, the dead mother, memories, the home videos? The family bonds? Their way of life, memories of the mother, Eva and her age, dancing practice, intensity, wanting the audition? Ellie, her age, studies? Their hopes, hopes being dashed, the reactions?
5. The small amount of gas, going to town, buying provisions, the man at the store and his helping? The party with the young people? Going home, isolated?
6. The day is turning into months? No communications, the spreading rumours, unable to move out from the home, the growing isolation?
7. The father, the accident, digging the grave and burying him? Ellie and her continued work with her books, finding the references, the descriptions of flowers and plants? Ellie and her continuing to dance, no music, the metric home metronome, her becoming more obsessed? Each self-focused? Get the love for each other?
8. The young man from the town, memories of the past, his arrival, Ellie and the sexual encounter, Eva and her talk about unwanted pregnancies? His persuading Ellie to leave, the packing, going into the forest, Ellie and the decision to return?
9. The man’s sudden arrival, the threats, raping Eva, her reaction, horror, Ellie’s care, finally accepting her pregnancy?
10. The interactions between the sisters, issues of food and cooking, the discovery of the chocolate, the decision not to use the gas, Eva upset, Ellie’s relenting, the amount of music, dance? The pregnancy, Eva and her hopes, no abortion? The birth of the baby? The devotion?
11. The house collapsing, Eva thinking the atmosphere toxic, the decision to burn the house and use the remaining gas?
12. Into the forest, into the future?
