POOR THINGS

Ireland/US/UK, 2023, 140 minutes, Colour.

Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Vicki Pepperdine, Hannah Schygulla, Jarrod Carmichael, Christopher Abbott, Kathryn Hunter, Margaret Qualley.

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.

It is safe to say that we have not seen the film like this before. We have watched the unusual films in the unusual career of writer-director, Yorgos Lanthimos, films like Dogtooth, Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Lobster, The Favourite. We have appreciated that he has a different kind of imagination, different stories and storytelling, and, with long experience of music videos, quite a talent for use of different lenses, angles, editing and pacing. Even so, we were not quite ready for Poor Things, but were alerted when it won the Golden Lion at Venice, 2023.

An attempt at a summary-content: an allegorical Odyssey of becoming human.

And the imagined setting, costumes, décor, manners, is 1895 (with a reference to The Importance of Being Earnest).

The initial image is somewhat overwhelming, a woman standing on a bridge, the camera looking up at her, and she falls to her death. But, the echoes of Mary Shelley and Frankenstein immediately come to mind, a strange scientist, Willem Dafoe at his best, with a deeply scarred reconstructed face, Dr Godwin Baxter, happy for people to refer to him as God. And, like Dr Frankenstein of the novel, he experiments to create life, the brain of the woman’s fetus inserted in her head. An different kind of Frankenstein-monster.

He calls his creation Bella. And she is played by Emma Stone, an extraordinary performance, with high demands made on her, dramatic, her having to move, in the adult body, from inarticulate infancy, to childhood and tantrums and uncontrolled behaviour, to learning vocabulary, to think, to move to an adolescent phase, discovering herself, her body, sensuality and sexuality, until she is well on the road to adult consciousness, absolutely devoted to God, her creator, but still wilful, not yet having a moral compass. The doctor has asked one of his students, Max (Ramy Youssef) to continually observe Below, take notes, have a record of her growth.

What will Bella’s place in life be? One obvious conclusion is that she should become engaged to Max who understands her so well. She is not averse to this. However, a foppish, self-centred lawyer Duncan Wedderburn, a surprising performance by Mark Ruffalo, comes to deal with contracts about Bella. He is attracted, seductive, she responding to the sensuality without understanding its consequences, without real emotion, deciding to go off on a trip to Lisbon, to Alexandria, a Mediterranean voyage, life in Paris. On the one hand, she enjoys it, a lot of sensuous “furious jumping”, he finding it hard to keep up with her, a gambler, and Bella, discovering the bodies of impoverished children, moved to tears and without any thought of consequences, taking all the money and giving it to charity (naïvely trusting worldly sailors).

On the voyage, the encounters a wise old woman, Martha (veteran Hannah Schygulla) and a cynical American, Harry (Jarrod Carmichael) who open her mind further, the world of philosophy, thought, books.

If this sounds intriguing, there is still a great deal more, Bella’s strange experience in Paris in a hotel-bordello, her return to England when God becomes unwell, the continued attentions of Max, and her actual husband identifying her, controlling her, and her having to make decisions, but with all kind of moral criteria that she has acquired.

Poor Things sounds a simple title but this is an intriguingly complex film, not quite like anything we have seen before.

1. The title, the character who could not even say the word “poor”?
2. The film as an allegory of human nature, instinct, intelligence, affections, moral choices? The human Odyssey?
3. The unique impact of the film, derived from the novel, interpreted by the dialogue and silences, the visual, black-and-white photography, bright colour, the range of lenses and angles, the period, costumes and decor, the aural music and sound background? Pace?
4. The prologue, Victoria, the angle, standing on the bridge, the clothes, falling into the water? Godwin Baxter, her survival, Mrs Pim as his assistant, the surgery, the brain of the fetus, inserted into Victoria’s body? The overtones of the Frankenstein story? Dr Frankenstein, his name Godwin, nicknamed God?
5. The “monster”, Bella, as the fetus in her mother, her brain taken out, a child in an adult body, initial articulation, infant behaviour, tantrums, smashing things, moods, food, impulsive, the awkward walk, the issue of discipline? Her brain becoming more mature, yet still a child’s, the issue of sensuality and sexuality?
6. Godwin, his scarred face, reconstructed? His continued references to his father and cruelty? His scientific stances, strict, no emotions, Mrs Pim, the experiments? Yet the production of Bella, his becoming attached, no children of his own, a creator-father, God, his providence guiding Bella?
7. The lectures, the atmosphere of the 1890s, the doctors, surgeons, the classes, demonstrations, the fops in the class and their arrogance? The reference to The Importance of Being Earnest, 1895? The period, atmosphere?
8. Max, for student, devoted to Baxter, defending him against the fops, his being ridiculed? His being employed, taking the notes, diligent, proper in the Victorian way, challenged, Bella’s childish behaviour, his prudish response, spontaneous responses?
9. Bella, her brain growing older, reading, opinions, venturesome, going to the roof? Sharing the views with Max? Her relationship with Max, his notes and continued observations?
10. Duncan Wedderburn, the lawyer, the interview with Baxter, the legal issues, paternity and family, Duncan as foppish? Curiosity about Bella, the growing infatuation, his foppish behaviour, his pursuing her, his awkwardness and blunders?
11. Bella, her brain more adult, the issue of betrothal, Max and his being willing, but his personal cautions? The contrast with the encounter with Duncan, the sensual, the appetites, the act of the furious jumping? Sharing the experiences, their affect?
12. The decision to travel with Duncan, Max and his reactions, Baxter and his reactions, thinking it temporary? Going to Lisbon, the experiences, sexuality, the city and its visuals, futuristic? Duncan and his ups and downs, his attitudes towards Bella, behaviour?
13. The music, Bella wanting to dance, going onto the floor, the crowds, who awkward motions, Duncan going to dance with her?
14. Going to Alexandria, the various encounters, Bella and her wandering, curiosity, her drinking, the effect, Duncan and his behaviour, the ups and downs of the relationship?
15. The decision to travel by boat, the effect, the antagonism, the encounter with Martha, her age, experience, encouragement, sharing the books, Bella reading Thoreau, Duncan throwing the book and the water, advanced understandings, Harry and his cynicism, the discussions of philosophy? The effect of these two, the serious discussions with Harry? The contrast with Duncan, his gambling, the irony of his winning so much money, Bella and her seeing the bodies of the babies, taking all the money, giving it away – and the greedy sailors taking the money? The consequences for Duncan, his rage, upset, treatment, put ashore?
16. Bella, going to Paris, surviving by herself, using her wits, going to the hotel, meeting the Madame, the explanation of the financial situation of the brothel, her not having any shame, presuppositions, the explanation of the sex, the money, the encounters with the various men, brutal behaviour, her becoming part of the business, the discussions with the Madame, with the other prostitute, the friendship, the lesbian experience? Duncan, arrival, his horror at Bella’s sexual behaviour?
17. Bella sending the cards, the writing and their sketching? God and his decline in health, Max with him, urging Bella’s return? The effect of coming back, Mrs Pim, more sophisticated Bella, her judgements? Duncan, and his wanting her?
18. The second experiment, the young woman, repeating the experiences of Bella?
19. Bella being recognised as Victoria during the travels, the appearance of her husband, his claims, going to his house, her experience of the relationship, his own behaviour, lifestyle, military, abusive, imprisoning her?
20. The buildup to an ending, the punishment for the husband, the animal brain?
21. Happy ending, Bella and her achievement, Godwin, Max and the marriage, happy ever after – or?
22. And everything in the perspective of irony and black comedy?