Antonia's Line
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Movie Reviews of Antonia's Line
Movie Review: Hard to like this film
Summary: 2 Stars
I'm not going to disagree that your view on this film is likely to be colored by your gender. But those who claim that men who are less enthused about the film are motivated by revulsion of feminism or outright misogyny are off the mark. Nor is it about a "female sentiment" being expressed in the film; although perhaps for female audience members there is an affinity created in that the protagonists are female (and additional solidarity created by means of rape as a plot device). Rather I think women will much more appreciate the film's heavy emphasis on relationships - many men simply won't get the appeal. There is really no action in the film per se, but concentrates on material of high interest to women (relationships) and very little of what interests men (action, conflict, or any sort of event-driven activity). Think of this as the cinematic version of girlfriends having a baby or bridal shower - it will appeal to the women while the men could care less.
I would disagree that men are demonized in this film. Not surprising considering the "relationships" angle this film spends most of its time on. Males don't add significantly to the inter-relationships of the female characters, so the men are at best an irrelevancy. Again, think of the bridal shower - it's not so much about male-bashing so much as men are simply a complete afterthought to the point of the event. When men do take a role, it is at worst the villain, more typically simply the foil to showcase the female characters as self-sufficient and "liberated." Men aren't demeaned so much as the best a male can hope to be treated as a peer whom the women tolerate (and most often far less). When it comes to relationships, having a relationship with a male doesn't seem provide any joy, nor does absence.
Once the false male vs. female schism has been disposed of, the film's main problem is that the characters are so unlikable. The main character is shown to be remarkably shallow, self-centered, and not someone who I would want to relate in spite of her role as protagonist.
A scene of mean-spirited gossip from Antonia to her daughter opens the film as a means of introducing the cast. This is followed quickly with the pair attending her mother's deathbed, which showcases Antonia displaying a complete lack of warmth or sense of loss. Indeed Antonia seems to be annoyed at the continued existence of her mother and their interaction is closer to insult and scorn - so much for casting her as a likable character.
Much of the film follows this same arc. Derision of religion and faith is served up repeatedly, although Antonia and family make a point of attending church (evidently the better to enable humor at the priest's and church's expense later on). An older gentleman who attempts to romantically woo Antonia is rebuffed but allowed to perform chores for her, and later bed her as a return favor (although she pointedly refuses marriage). Antonia's daughter asks to conceive a child and hiding the birth from the father, and receives Antonia's help (she sits outside drinking tea with the matchmaker as the sex takes place). Pregnancy does occur and causes the priest to issue a condemning sermon for the unwed mother, which leads to a plot to blackmail the priest who dutifully changes the sermon next week.
Fast forward a few years (with the obligatory and oft-repeated prattle about "and so seasons passed, and life continued on..."). Antonia has a granddaughter child-prodigy whose female teacher is quickly seduced by Antonia's daughter. The granddaughter gets served up heaping helpings of nihilism and atheism by another character (Crooked Finger), although the child's studies are hampered by the noise of the lovemaking of her mother, grandmother, and several other characters. The first of two rapes occurs at this point as well.
In later scenes, the granddaughter gets pregnant and a lively debate occurs at the family dinner table as to whether she should abort or keep the baby. I'm not a prude, but find this entire scene rather distasteful. The reaction of Antonia and the other main characters to news of the pregnancy seems remarkably detached at this turn of events and a second rape, which is another underlying current of this movie. The main characters seem willing to passively accept bad events occurring to others and will materially support them, but have no emotional, moral, or spiritual core to provide to the sufferer. After all, when your point of view on life is that "this is the only dance we dance," what can you really offer the other person when their waltz partner stomps her toes? Likewise, there is no sense of loss, grief, or regret portrayed when hard choices present themselves - for an example, see the dinner table abortion debate above, which is handled with the same degree of gravity as "should I wear the blue or black shoes today?" One choice is as good as any other, so long as Antonia can continue to host her dinner parties.
And on the movie goes, and the premises lead to their natural conclusions, such as the suicide of Crooked Finger (he of the nihilistic philosophy bent). After all, if one takes at face value the points the film makes (life is a tragedy, there is no God, etc), then how can one turn around and feel sorrowful that the characters are living (and dying) according to their own lights? Of course, I suppose this means that Antonia has one less dinner guest.
The values of the entire film leave a bitter taste in your mouth and you start wishing for someone to show genuine emotional, spiritual, and moral growth. As the film slogs on however, that lack of any character being willing to address anything bigger than the immediate, carnal, and baser concerns becomes what makes it impossible to enjoy.
Movie Review: Exasperating
Summary: 2 Stars
"Antonia's Line" is one of those movies that's in love with its own quirkiness. This isn't always necessarily bad. Quirky films can be quite delightful when done well. However, in this case, the quirkiness comes at the expense of plot and logic.My sense is that this film's director intended Antonia and her line of female descendants to represent strong, fearless heroines imbued with the fighting feminist spirit. I get this sense because most of the men in this film are brutes, buffoons or a combination of the two, and the women kick butt, make love to each other and tell all of the men off at regular intervals.
This film is insulting to anyone who truly values feminist sensibilities in our movie culture. As so often happens, the makers of this movie equate "strong" with callous and emotionally distant. It's hard to care about Antonia and her relations because they all come across as either vacuous or heinous. Antonia's daughter casually chooses a complete stranger to impregnate her because she wants a child but doesn't want to have to deal with the father. Did she ever think that maybe the child would want a father. Is selfishness like this supposed to impress me with its strength of character?
The script meanders from one incident to the next, characters you barely learn anything about appear and drop out of the movie listlessly, and the pacing of the whole thing is limpid. The film is only about 110 minutes long but feels much longer.
I'm tired of the trend of thinking that propagates the belief that in order to be considered strong, women must prove that they can live entirely without men. That's such a juvenile attitude and serves no purpose. Callousness is callousenss whether displayed by a man or a woman, and there's nothing weak about letting leaving yourself vulnerable to the complex relationships that spring between men and women. Of all the life lessons Antonia supposedly passes down to her ancestors, this is the one she forgot to include.
Grade: D+
Movie Review: Feminist Fantasy
Summary: 2 Stars
European trash are not interesting enough for a two hour movie. The characters are all cliche's of village life. The bad guy is a blond (facist) rapist. He rapes his sister and a little girl. He comes back to town in a military uniform. The good people in this movie are all Lefty lesbians and tough grandmothers. This movie is a feminist fantasy of the European variety. The men are stupid and the women are brilliant. The only smart man in the film commits suicide.Movie Review: Male-bashing cartoon
Summary: 2 Stars
Two-dimensional unsympathetic characters, some very flat and unbelievable performances, unrepentant male-bashing, arbitrary and gratuitous use of special effects, predictable plot turns, no ending-- hence the story device of starting at the end and then going back to the beginning, and having to read English subtitles only adds to the viewer's misery. Don't waste your time and money. If you like foriegn films, see "Nowhere in Africa" instead.Movie Review: annoying claptrap
Summary: 1 Stars
This movie won the Oscar for best foreign film and I see from other reviews that lots of people really love it. Needless to say, my wife and I thought it was not only boring but very silly.
Antonia, the eponymous heroine, is a strong-willed woman who moves back to her village after the Second World War with her daughter and builds a kind of feminist alternative universe. She gathers around herself a coterie of kindred spirits. In this fantasy world, good always conquers evil and love conquers all. A central metaphor is the dinner table set up in the farm courtyard -- although we never see what they're eating. probably cabbage and potatoes -- this isn't an Italian movie.
Two women get raped but not to worry -- Antonia sets their worlds to rights.
Throughout, we are hectored by a boring voice-over declaiming cliches like, "Days turned into weeks and weeks into months and months into years. Summer turned to autumn and autumn to winter and winter to spring. the earth continued turning, time did its work etc etc etc."
Antonia's daughter decides she wants a child and find a sperm donor to impregnate her. Nine months later Therese is born and grows up to be a mathematical and musical genius. She in turn gives birth to Sarah giving us four generations of strong and independent women living strong independent lives in their strong independent ways.
The makeup artists get to practice their art, turning all the characters into old wrecks. Finally, mercifully, Antonia decides it's time to die -- so she shuts her eyes and dies. End of story. Thank God!