PEARL

US, 2022, 103 minutes, Colour.

Mia Goth, David: Corenswet, Tandi Wright, Matthew Sunderland, Emma Jenkins-Purro Alistair Sewell..

Directed by Ti West.

This is the work of cult director, Ti West, best known for horror films on the big screen and, more recently, on television, perhaps the best known, The Innkeepers. Critics admire his work. They particularly praised West’s 2022 slasher-drama, X, a 70s tale of a group of filmmakers working at a Texas farm, echoes of chainsaw massacres, making a sex film of the times. After the deaths, a survivor moved back to the house, confronting the evil old woman in the attic. She was played by Mia Goth who also played one of the filmmakers.

West has had the idea of a prequel – but not in the way that we might have expected. We go back to 1918, more than half a century before X. But, those in the know, recognise the same house, the property, the farm, the river, the alligator…

And Mia Goth is here again, playing Pearl. At first, the house and life on the farm has the touch of nice Norman Rockwell paintings – but, we soon learn the sinister aspects of life, Pearl’s husband, Howard, is away fighting in France. The family has a German background and so is treated suspiciously by the locals. The father sits in his wheelchair, after a stroke, unable to speak, paralysed, needing to be washed and fed. The mother, stern, Germanic, often speaking in German, controls Pearl. So far, so expected but creating an atmosphere.

Pearl, on the other hand, doing all the chores, feeding the animals, loves to dance. When she goes into town to buy her father’s medicine, she sneaks await the local picture show, losing herself, especially in the dancing films (which are shown with a soundtrack here). She encounters the handsome projectionist to invites her back at any time. Because she spent some money at the pictures, her mother then takes her meal away from her as compensation for the lost coins!

Pearl has a good friend, Mitzi, who tells her that the local churches having auditions for a dance troupe to travel around the state. Obviously, conflict! Aggravated by the fact that Pearl returns to the picture show, the projectionist showing her some French pornographic scenes,, Pearl caught up.

While we realise that Pearl is obsessed, and we know that there is going to be some violence, especially since we saw Pearl earlier killing a goose with a pitchfork and feeding it to the alligator, but it is still something of a shock when have Pearl viciously lashes out.

As regards the public, West’s films have a particular demographic, fans of horror films, fans of films with a touch of the gory, but fans of horror films which give more thought to the plot and themes than the average thriller.

Mia Goth does give a persuasive performance, ordinary, put upon, obsessed, violent, wanting sexual compensation, and the director gives her an opportunity to communicate herself and what goes inside her, her feelings, in a seven minute monologue towards the end of the film, Pearl with her friend Mitzi, who has invited her to express her feelings to her absent husband, a variation on two-chair therapy. It is a memorable monologue.

And, during the final credits, there is a long close-up on Pearl’s face, a strange grin, something of a rictus kind of grin, but some tears as well.

And then Pearl must have gone up into the attic to reappear menacingly half a century later.

1. The films of the director, his interest in violence, horror, psychology – and the combination?
2. Audiences responses to X? To the location, to the murders, to the sex film, to the old woman in the attic?
3. The locations, the open spaces, the Homestead, the barn, the fields, the river, the alligator? The contrast with the town, the picture show, the projection room? The church, the audition? The musical score? The music of the times?
4. 1918, the US in World War I, Howard away fighting in France, the German family, the attitude of the locals, vehicles, costumes and decor, the silent films?
5. The connection with X, the woman in the attic, Pearl, Mia Goth and both roles? Pearl and young, acting young, married, the in-laws, Mitzi and friendship, bringing food to the family, the mother refusing charity, leaving the pig to the maggots? The stern household, the father after the stroke, fed, cleaned, the wheelchair? The stern mother, speaking German, discipline, the hard work, the demands on Pearl?
6. Pearl, her response, music, the animals, feeding them, milking the cow, the goose, the pitchfork, feeding it to the alligator? Cleaning her father, the meals, grace, sign of the cross, the mother and her explanations of being stern? Cycling into town, getting the medicine, going to the pictures, her delight in the dancing musical, the encounter with the projectionist, his charm, her return, he showing her the pornography, her reaction, the sexual advance, the sexual encounter, her needs? Her return home?
7. Exasperated with her mother, fighting, the dress catching fire, her mother in the basement, her death? A love for her father, the bath, putting on the suit, smothering him?
8. The projectionist, coming to the house, hearing the sounds, wary, seeing the table set, the parents, Pearl and her sense of rejection, the pitchfork, killing him? Pushing his car into the river, the alligator approaching?
9. The Scarecrow sequence, and the crows, the dance – and the Wizard of Oz?
10. The audition, Mitzi coming, sitting outside the church, the other contestants, Mitzi and her nervousness, contestants coming out weeping, Mitzi giving her place, Pearl going in, the exhilaration of her dance, the presentation like a movie musical, the achievement, the rejection, shock, weeping outside? Going home with Mitzi? Mitzi anxious, not having one?
11. The monologue sequence, Mitzi an invitation, two-chair therapy, Pearl talking to Howard, seven minutes of self revelation?
12. Mitzi, afraid, Pearl thinking she had won the audition, pursuing her, killing her?
13. Pearl, alone, going into the house – and the rictus grin during the final credits, the tear?