Sunday, February 15, 2004
The Virgin Suicides
Directed by Sofia Coppola
The Virgin Suicides tries to piece together a story with a male narration about the Lisbons, a strict suburbia American family in the 70s. Mr. Lisbon (James Woods) and Mrs. Lisbon (Kathleen Turner) had 5 girls in the house. Cecilia (age 13, played by Hanna Hall), Lux (age 14, played by Kirsten Dunst), Bonnie (age 15, played by Chelsea Swain), Mary (age 16, played by A.J. Cook), and Therese (age 17, played by Leslie Hayman) which went downhill after the youngest committed suicide.
The family soon became the talk of the town and the other 4 girls are soon the focus of attention in their school. The most attractive of the sisters, Lux, attracted the attention of a popular, good looking football team defensive quarterback, Trip Fontaine (Josh Hartnett) who is head over heels with her.
Trip managed to convinced the Lisbons to take the girls out for a homecoming dance but things turned awry when Lux broke the curfew and stayed overnight with him. The girls were grounded and subject to maximum security. Lux’s records were burnt or thrown in the trash.
The boys spied on them with their telescope and binoculars and soon heard their cry for help. Unfortunately, when they had finally done so, the girls had already committed suicide.
The Virgin Suicides paints a bleak picture of small town America populated with gossipy neighbours and repression. Sofia slots in broadcast reports of youth problems including alarming adolescence suicide rates caused and coupled with peer pressure and frustration over their inability to handle reality.
The death of the girls baffled the boys though it has happened for 25 years. This can be an analogy of the gulf that separates the boys and the girls. The male narration commented over Cecilia’s diary scene says the girls know all about the boys but the boys could never fathom the girls.
The puppy love between Trip and Lux, as a central structure of the film, was equally puzzling. Trip is the only character whom we see narrating his encounters with Lux as a middle aged man. It seems as if he has never been able to grow out of that incident and forgive himself for having been with Lux, and leaving her alone in the football field.
It is not clear on what motivates the characters to do what they do. The characterization of the other Lisbons are weak The male teenagers are portrayed as sexless and dreamy guys who are awkward with the girls.
The Virgin Suicides reinforced the myth of growing up in a repressive environment leaving room for thoughts. Even 25 years after the death of the girls, the boys could never figure what the girls are; as they leaf through their living remnants; filled with mundane signs of activities.
Directed by Sofia Coppola
The Virgin Suicides tries to piece together a story with a male narration about the Lisbons, a strict suburbia American family in the 70s. Mr. Lisbon (James Woods) and Mrs. Lisbon (Kathleen Turner) had 5 girls in the house. Cecilia (age 13, played by Hanna Hall), Lux (age 14, played by Kirsten Dunst), Bonnie (age 15, played by Chelsea Swain), Mary (age 16, played by A.J. Cook), and Therese (age 17, played by Leslie Hayman) which went downhill after the youngest committed suicide.
The family soon became the talk of the town and the other 4 girls are soon the focus of attention in their school. The most attractive of the sisters, Lux, attracted the attention of a popular, good looking football team defensive quarterback, Trip Fontaine (Josh Hartnett) who is head over heels with her.
Trip managed to convinced the Lisbons to take the girls out for a homecoming dance but things turned awry when Lux broke the curfew and stayed overnight with him. The girls were grounded and subject to maximum security. Lux’s records were burnt or thrown in the trash.
The boys spied on them with their telescope and binoculars and soon heard their cry for help. Unfortunately, when they had finally done so, the girls had already committed suicide.
The Virgin Suicides paints a bleak picture of small town America populated with gossipy neighbours and repression. Sofia slots in broadcast reports of youth problems including alarming adolescence suicide rates caused and coupled with peer pressure and frustration over their inability to handle reality.
The death of the girls baffled the boys though it has happened for 25 years. This can be an analogy of the gulf that separates the boys and the girls. The male narration commented over Cecilia’s diary scene says the girls know all about the boys but the boys could never fathom the girls.
The puppy love between Trip and Lux, as a central structure of the film, was equally puzzling. Trip is the only character whom we see narrating his encounters with Lux as a middle aged man. It seems as if he has never been able to grow out of that incident and forgive himself for having been with Lux, and leaving her alone in the football field.
It is not clear on what motivates the characters to do what they do. The characterization of the other Lisbons are weak The male teenagers are portrayed as sexless and dreamy guys who are awkward with the girls.
The Virgin Suicides reinforced the myth of growing up in a repressive environment leaving room for thoughts. Even 25 years after the death of the girls, the boys could never figure what the girls are; as they leaf through their living remnants; filled with mundane signs of activities.
