Write a 300-500 word initial response to the screening of ‘Under the Skin’. Consider the use of film form, narrative structure and plot. What do you think the film is about? What is it trying to say?
My initial response to the film ‘Under the Skin’ was that it was very different to your average fantasy/sci-fi film however was brilliant executed by director Johnathan Glazer in which he highlighted ideologies such as feminism and Marxism through the alien character of Laura and her behaviour in the real world. In the film, we see Laura develop human emotions and the ability to rebel against her alien nature, which ultimately is her downfall in the end. The audience’s sympathy shifts throughout the film, for example at the beginning we sympathised for the men which she was seducing however towards the end began to feel sorry for her character in which she was struggling find her true identity. In terms of sound used in film form I thought that the limited dialogue was very effective and the use of naturalistic sounds as well as non-diegetic music to help increase tension. I also noticed that Glazer used montage editing frequently throughout the film, perhaps to create a sense of unease, chaos and a fast pace. This type of editing was also used to emphasise certain parts of the film, such as when they are focusing on women buying and wearing make up. In terms of narrative, I throughout the film focuses on the perception of beauty and how the main character Laura portrays it. I feel that this film is a feminist critique of the human nature of beauty and humanity both inside and outside. At the beginning from Laura’s perspective we are shown a desire to obtain a particular look in the need for perfection and beauty. Later in the movie Laura reflects upon her own humanity and examines herself in terms of emotions instead of her physical attraction. Another ideology I picked up on when first watching this film was the idea of Marxism. This linking to how Laura is being exploited, parallel to her exploiting men.
Opening Sequence: 20 mark question: How is your understanding of ‘Under the skin’ enhanced by a consideration of binary oppositions?
In Under the skin, binary oppositions are used to highlight the differences between Laura and the rest of the world. This includes the location, for example the opposition of abstract vs figurative imagery. Abstract imagery is used as we see the naturalistic landscape of Scotland compared to the figurative imagery of the Scottish city urban buildings as well as in comparison to the outer-world we see at the beginning of the sequence. This portrays Scotland as an abandoned, dark place in a state of disrepair, perhaps reflecting what Laura can see and the emotion which she lacks. The open landscapes are only shown as Laura begins to rebel against her alien instincts, however at the start we experience the feeling of claustrophobia and entrapment in the buildings suggesting chaos and disorder. Another binary opposition seen particularly in the opening sequence of the film is beauty vs humanity. The montage sequence shows a feminist critique of the human nature of beauty and humanity both inside and outside. At the beginning from Laura’s perspective we are shown a desire to obtain a particular look in the need for perfection and beauty. Whereas later Laura reflects upon her own humanity and examines herself in terms of emotions instead of her physical attraction in what she is doing to the men. Similarly, in the film the binary oppositions mind vs body are used which also links to the differences between the concepts of identity and how people are viewed. This demonstrates how Laura used her physical attraction to seduce the men but realises by herself that she is doing is wrong suggesting how she develops human nature and a conscious. In the montage sequence at the beginning we are shown women putting on makeup showing the idea of identity which Laura proceed to do as well. This highlights how she is wanting to take away her own identity and replace it with makeup, new clothes therefore resembling the idea of fake beauty and the way people are socially viewed as in society. Next, the binary oppositions between light and dark are explored. For example, in the first scene where we see Laura’s silhouette surrounded by a high key light suggesting how Laura represents dark and hostility surrounded by the world which is shown to be light reflecting happiness. Further showing how Laura is perceived as different to the rest of the world and initial thought of as bad. Lastly, in terms of binary opposition the difference between close sonic perspective vs different point of view is explored in the film. Close sonic perspective is used in sound as Laura is undressing the other woman giving the impression of intimacy in the contrast to the idea of no personal boundaries. In comparison to this the point of view shifts as from Laura to the paralysed women to provoke sympathy in the audience and align our emotions with the victim’s point of view.
Emma Coe Film Studies 