What goes through the synapses?

Queen of Hearts (Dronnigen, Swedish; 2019)

Director: May el-Toukhy

https://www.filmaffinity.com/en/film115292.html

This tale reveals two truths: defenders of justice are not exempt from breaching the very laws they ardently uphold, and one cannot put a price on the matters of the heart.

A lawyer, Anne, who champions the plight of an abused teenager, is herself embroiled in an affair with her young adult stepson. Anne is married to a physician, Peter, and has twin daughters. Peter's troubled son, Gustav, from his first marriage, appears at their doorstep. Gustav has never liked Anne for taking his father away from his mother. The relationship between Gustav and Peter is not fantastic, and his academic performance appears poor. For amusement, Gustav stages a break-in at Peter and Anne's house.

Although the police could not identify the culprit, Anne confronted Gustav to reveal his recklessness.

Anne and Peter's marriage had lost its spark over the years due to their respective work commitments.

The sexually deprived Anne starts a clandestine incestual relationship with Gustav, threatening to squeal to Peter about the fake burglary if he tells his father about their affair.

There comes a time when Anne wants out, but Gustav is too vested. This is the part of the movie at the height of suspense. The tension between Gustav informing the father and Anne threatening her stepson is intense.

When Gustav finally opens up to his father, Anne displays an emotional outburst that is so convincing, denying that an affair happened at all and that Peter accepts Anne's innocence. Using her feminine charm and passive-aggressive methods, Anne gets Peter to think that Gustav just creates stories out of the air. Anne assumes that everything will die down as it is time for Gustav to return to college.

Unbeknownst to everyone, Gustav goes missing and is found dead, presumably after a suicide.

Matters of the heart are intricate. Unlike other worldly exchanges, they do not operate on a quid pro quo basis. It is not as straightforward as "I do this, and you do that, and we're even." Sometimes, the other party may perceive it differently, and the outcome could be heartbreakingly devastating. The signs of depression can be pretty subtle and easily masked. No one truly knows what goes on in the synapses.

P.S. In addition to meaning someone's sweetheart, the title 'The Queen of Hearts' could also be a subtle reference to the character of the same name in Lewis Carroll's 1865 book 'Alice in Wonderland'. The Queen is foul-tempered and quick to sentence her subjects to death for the slightest offence. At one point, Carroll admitted that the character was loosely based on Queen Victoria. With her majestic and nurturing aura, she embodies the force of unconditional love and the nurturing spirit. In psychological terms, the 'Queen of Hearts' is egoistic and narcissistic. She possesses a cold heart and shows no qualms about beheading her enemies or anyone who refuses to obey her commands. She is a bully.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to tackle a taboo subject?

30 days in September

Screenplay: Mahesh Dattani

Thanks to MEV for the introduction.

The dilemma is this. For how long will the family look the other way, knowing jolly well that a sinful act that had been committed? People around the family knew about it all along but decided not to squeal, not even bat an eyelid.  Are they complicit in the infamy? Is maintaining harmony between members and the status quo in the equilibrium more important than defending the vulnerable?

People say it happened at a different time when the dynamics were different. They say sometimes people do the stupidest of things when they are weak. They should not be vilified for the rest of their lives. They say, “why don't you move on, already?”. His deeds overshadow the creases in his personal life. You have to safeguard yourself. You do not want blood in your hands if his family institution falls aground. Is that something you would like to wish upon them?

Nobody is bothered about the victim. Should she take some blame for the act? After all, she is old enough to be in control of her faculties. Why did she drag it on? She could have said no at any time.

A 2019 play in Washington DC.

People forget it is not about liking it. It is about control and exertion of power by the dominant other.  With age and power comes specific responsibilities. Doing the right or honourable thing is being one. One cannot forever claim temporary emotional frailty as an excuse. With great powers come great responsibility. The higher the perch, the heavier the fall and the more damaging the aftermath. There is no get-out-of-jail-free card for this.

This must be a narrative often uttered behind closed doors in many families. Many family scandals are often swept under the proverbial carpet for fear of bringing shame to the family. 

This bold play by Mahesh Dattani is an attempt to discuss the touchy subject of child sexual abuse. Mala has problems committing herself to a relationship, and she attributes it to her uncle, who had sexually abused her when she was young. Her mother, despite knowing this all along, decided to turn a blind eye. Mala grows up a bitter lady despising her mother for her inactivity. The conflict becomes more complicated as Mala's mother decides not to confront the issue head-on but instead plunge into religion, hoping that divinity will solve everything. This further infuriates Mala. Meanwhile, there is a young boy who is all head over heels in love with Mala.

A powerful play about a taboo subject and how it distorts one's psyche. 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.