MASTER GARDENER

US, 2023, 111 minutes, Colour.

Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver, Quintessa Swindell, Esai Morales.

Directed by Paul Schrader.

A reassurance for those who feel set up by the title of the film: there are many beguilingly beautiful close-ups of flowers during the opening credits, wonderful vistas of flowers, geometric French gardens, natural British gardens, wild gardens, after the reassurance, an alert that we begin to see fewer and fewer flowers, rather more human thorns. While this is a drama about an expert gardener, and many explanations of seeds, growth, flowers, it is more a drama about human nature.

And a message, that whatever the destruction, natural, all with human malicious motivation, rejuvenated regrowth is always possible. This is a Paul Schrader film. Schrader has been writing strong, often grim movies (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Last Temptation) for almost 50 years as well as directing many films, quite a wide range of themes, more recently on significant male loners (First Reformed, The Card Counter). With his name, we can expect serious themes, sadness and violence.

This is a drama about Norval what Roth, played intensely by Joel Edgerton, a sombre master gardener in the spacious grounds of a Louisiana mansion, presided over by a bitterly rich dowager owner, Norma, played imperiously and often impetuously by Sigourney Weaver. She has had a long family tradition with the gardens, quite a local reputation, and has her gardener obedient to her beck and call. He is a respectful loner, a mysterious background, gradually revealed, a far different life, a far different ideology, a history of violence.

Into the mix comes Norma’s grandniece, Maya (Quintessa Swindell), Norma agreeing to take her in as an apprentice to Normal, but disdain for Maya’s mother, keeping her distance, some dastardly unpleasant eventual encounters.

After the serious exhilaration of life and work in the gardens, Norval and his relationship with his enthusiastic staff, instructing, training, appreciating the floral results, the drama intensifies with Maya and her increasingly bitter grand aunt, something of what we might have been expecting, especially Norval’s fascination with Maya, his being upset when she is beaten by her drug dealing boyfriend, his connecting with his parole officer trying to get some justice, and then his own moral decisions.

Apart from the beauty of the flowers, this is a rather sombre drama, becoming evermore sombre as the flowers disappear.

1. The title, the emphasis on expertise, Norval as a master gardener, in action, in theory, study, achievement?
2. Paul Schrader film, audience expectations about a lone male, the past, drama, violence? The imagery and symbolism of the garden in flowers? Bloom, destruction, regrowth?
3. The Louisiana setting, the mansion, the beauty of the grounds, the gardens in flowers, the greenhouse? The mansion, interiors, wealth? The contrast with the streets, homes, drug dealers? Diners and police meetings? The countryside, the open road? The musical score?
4. The credits, the beauty of the flowers, close-ups, the different gardens, French geometric, and British nature, wild gardens, the visuals, the workers, the greenhouse, feeling the soil, smelling the soil, notions of seeds, growth, the range of staff, their enthusiasm, their tasks, Norval and his books, his knowledge about seeds?
5. Norval, his keeping the journal, his commentary, about gardens, about Norma, about himself in the past, about Maya? The journal important in the past, meeting of Maya, the relationship with her, the journal no longer necessary?
6. Norval, his appearance, overalls and jacket, in the greenhouse, with the staff, in the garden? The audience seeing him with his shirt off, the tattooed is, the swastikas? The contrast with his dressing up to go to the main house with Norma? The contrast with the revelation in the flashbacks, the Neo-Nazis, racists, thick hair and beard, seeing him in violent action, the shootings?
7. Norval, accepted by Norma, on parole, the meetings with his officer? Her attitude towards him, Sweet Pea? Inviting me to the house, the housekeeper, Ronnie and the drinks? The expectations, the sexual encounter? Giving him information about Maya? To be an apprentice, and not wanting to see her? The history of her mother?
8. Maya, her age, arrival, meeting Norval, explanations, working in the garden, the uniform, smiling the soil, working with the other members of the team, her learning? And not seeing Norma, puzzled?
9. The encounter with Norma, the new dress, the tea, the lunch, Norma in overalls, to work in the garden? The discussions, misinterpretations, clashes, Norma walking out?
10. Maya, being beaten, her boyfriend, drug dealing? Norval and his reaction, the appointment with his officer, their discussions, memories of the past, the officer retiring, a replacement? The information about the dealer and Norval expecting some action?
11. The encounters with Maya, the attraction, his advance and drawing back, her response? Being together, his letting her see the tattooed is? Her questions? His reaction to Norma’s treatment of her?
12. Maya getting things, to go into hiding, staying with Norval? His taking the time, confronting the boyfriend and the others, the threats? Their retaliation, the destruction of the gardens?
13. The new parole officer, Norval testing him out? His decision to take action, confronting the two, breaking their knees? Norval and Maya in the car, feeling free, yelling out the windows?
14. Decisions, his memories of his wife and his disappeared daughter, change of life, confronting Norma, living with Maya? And the reconstruction of the garden?