Welcome to ‘The Wider Screen’ a series of endorsements of films in the international sphere of cinema. In the past, I have been guilty of ignoring the potential of non-English speaking cinema and as I experience more international films, I can pass them onto you. Oscar Winning Parasite Director Bong Joon Ho stated “Once you overcome the 1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films” and in line with this notion, I hope I can do my bit to introduce you to some of the great international films that I have seen.
Since the deserved success of Pablo Larrain’s most recent project
- Spencer (2021) I thought it would be appropriate to revisit the
visceral experience that is Ema. Mariana Di Girolamo is Ema, an expressionistic
dancer who is in a turbulent marriage with choreographer Gaston (Gael Garcia
Bernal). After handing back their adopted son Polo to child services, their marriage
begins to hit the rocks in an animated and primeval experience of lust and divorce
through two characters who you get the sense are not actually sure about what
they want. Ema dances the streets, falling into a new love affair every night,
while Gaston builds up more jealousy, anguish, and aggression. As Ema tries to
discover what she really wants, it is clear that she is also brewing up a
rebellious plan to retrieve Polo back into her custody.
Arriving with a booming soundtrack and a lively visual palette, everything about the experience of Ema is truly original and organic. As the plot chops from different times, locations and emotions, the film can be just as much of a rollercoaster for the audience as it is for it’s characters. This rollercoaster is displayed exceptionally well by Gaston. An infertile man, made to feel worthless by his failure, he is evidently in turmoil within himself. He loves Ema, but she does not have the same love for him, and instead of accepting this fact, he adds the flame to an already intense fire by turning to hostility and resentment. Ema appears to be going in a new direction, but there are still questions to be asked about her own morality as she glides from one new sexual experience to another, almost simultaneously. All of this while Gaston’s own shortcomings eat away at him in the dark.
The film uses dance to represent sex in a truly refreshing
and uninhibited way, exploring dance as the most raw and holistic way of ‘making
love’. The film has trouble fitting into common themes and genres because of
this, with a good portion of the narrative actually being told through expressive
dance. Some people may struggle with this, but it is a film that allows one to
think deeply about what the story is truly about, something that I am still
doing every time I think about Pablo Larrain’s impressive and distinctive
filmmaking style.
Touching again on the films unconventionality, Pablo Larrain has mentioned the lack of script in various moments of the film. Parts where the actors were handed narrative prompts at short notice instead of lines, and then expected to provide a new and profound reaction. What Larrain was able to cultivate through this was a liquid energy throughout, as characters glide freely through the action, pushing and breaking down conventional gender stereotypes and family norms with a bold momentum. You are constantly asking questions about what it can truly mean to be a man, woman, and everything in between. The only disappointing takeaway is that it seems the world is yet to wake up to the brilliance of Mariana Di Girolamo, but I’m sure she will have her day.
Not only does the film explore the changes in family life of
the 21st century, but it also has a deeply powerful undercurrent of politics
and national identity. As the film is set in Valparaiso, Chile, you are
welcomed into the beautiful natural Chilean landscape that fights with a dark
and corrupt government backdrop. The film is very clearly taking place in an environment
with years of social and economic upheaval, highlighting the everchanging experiences
of the people who are simply trying to survive, love and flourish.
New, vivid, and wild, Ema is a wholesome experience that won’t
be for everyone. Nevertheless, it has a kinetic energy that is intoxicating if
you allow yourself to be taken in by Pablo Larrain’s refreshing brilliance.
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