Films that Speak
Having watched American Honey, Wuthering Heights and Fish Tank, in that order, I remained impressed and intrigued by movies directed by Andrea Arnold.
I can trace her interest in the everyday life of citizens, in social inequality, in capturing moments, in who you become as a result of your upbringing and the almost inevitable outcome. And beneath all of that, how each character is human, rounded and driven by his/her motives, past and experiences.
Favorite moments
In all three movies, there are scenes that stuck with me.
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From American Honey: teenagers singing in the light of the afternoon in the school bus. If I recall, everyone was happy from a long day’s work, but that fact that they were consuming pop music, have no home and working as minor cons brings a noticeable and heartbreaking contrast.
From Wuthering Heights: Catherine licking Heathcliff’s wound. The scene captures their innocence and animal-like cravings and lust. Little by little, she had gained his trust, and this is a culmination.
From Fish Tank: mom scenes. The mother character could have been dismissed as one dimensional, but she was captured with an air of sadness and ignorance, which we can imagine is a product of how she was brought up, living in an environment similar to what we witness through Mia.
Tangent
Can I include Tangerine as part of these movies? I find that my mind chooses to revisit Tangerine scenes as I discuss the movies above. Tangerine as well as Arnold’s films all use unknown casts, which I think adds to the rawness of the viewing experience.
— If anyone can relate, please share your thoughts. I would love movie recommendations as well!
