Poor Things is a comedy/sci-fi movie that has recently come out on December 8, 2023. This movie is about a protagonist named Bella Baxter who has the brain of an infant and is trying to grow up at a rapid pace. She goes through a series of different environments and gets to experience life as a naïve young person who eventually learns how to function as a living adult. Throughout this movie, Bella travels with a middle-aged man named Duncan. She encounters many different types of people and the director shows different aspects of life that she needs to learn about with symbolism. The biggest one being exploring her sexuality as a woman.
Sex scenes can be very controversial when done incorrectly. However, we often don’t understand the underlying messages and plot development that come with them. When watching movies, we usually go for topics that we are most interested in or used to. We don’t always choose the most adventurous movies. Sex scenes add depth and character to the film, but most of the time audience members may be taken aback by certain scenes and think of the clean clips as superior to the sex scenes. Although less sensual scenes may seem more plot-heavy, that isn’t true in most cases. As a viewer, stepping out of your comfort zone and trying to understand what the author is trying to convey can be crucial in understanding the movie as a whole.
While on her trip with Duncan, Bella has the need to involve herself sexually with him. He obliges and they do so when she wants to. Although Bella is still not at a very high mental capacity she understands what she wants and what she needs to do to get it. For example, when Bella and Duncan are traveling, Bella wants to go and meet new people. So instead of waiting for Duncan to follow she goes off on her own. This shows her trying to gain more independence. Even though Duncan is at a higher mental age than her and could have taken advantage of her in many ways, he does not, and when she doesn’t want to do something such as going to a party he does not follow through. This shows how women should have power in a relationship and how consent should not be taken lightly. The message that the director is showing is vital in modern-day society where consent is talked about more frequently than ever. The director tying this into more sensual scenes makes the audience think about this topic and try to connect it to real life. It’s not just about the action it’s about what’s being taken away from it. By doing so, this gives the movie more meaning when it comes to important topics such as consent.
Throughout Bella and Duncan’s journey, Bella explores what it’s like to grow up and become a woman. She isn’t sheltered like a child because her physical appearance is that of an adult. While growing up it is only natural for her to start to question more sensual parts of living. By the director choosing to add these scenes, we get to delve deeper into a world in which women get to explore the different aspects of sex. A quote from Vanity Fair states how director Yorgos Lanthimos talks to a worker on site. He talks about how sex is important in Bella’s growing mindset.
“As a woman whose brain has been replaced with a baby’s, she’s rapidly growing up and aging, and her interest in sex is an essential part of her coming of age,” Lathinmos said.
The controversial statement would strike offense in many people’s hearts, as the thought of a woman with a child’s mind being sexually active was relatively disturbing. However, when seen as a form of art, the statement can be analyzed to be meaningful.
Near the end of the movie, Bella encounters her old husband whom she was married to before her brain was replaced and he traps her in his house. As well, this scene isn’t sexually oriented but it does a good job of showing the amount of symbolism that the director includes. As Bella is eavesdropping on her old husband, she overhears that he is talking about removing part of her reproductive system. This is, of course, without her consent, showing how controlling the husband is and how he doesn’t respect women. He is trying to do this to keep her with him and not wanting her to experience the sexual joys that she would have encountered otherwise. By including this important scene, the director shows the dark side of relationships and how women can often feel trapped. Bella has been in control throughout her whole journey up to this point. This shows how the world isn’t full of people who respect your boundaries or wishes and are often very controlling. By adding a sexually oriented meaning behind it, the audience can directly see the comparisons between a man’s greediness and wants, and how that correlates with Bella’s storyline.
Overall, Poor Things is a uniquely extravagant movie that is extremely relevant in the 21st century. The symbolism is exquisitely done so you can see where it’s woven in and how creative it is. My personal recommendation is that you put away your implicit bias and give the movie a try. After all, the only close-minded one would be yourself if you would so harshly rate a film without seeing it.
