Review: In ‘The Girl With the Needle,’ women face unthinkable options — and a dark solution
As a woman who has navigated through the labyrinth of societal expectations and gender roles, I find “The Girl With the Needle” to be a stark reminder of our collective past and present struggles. This period piece, set in a bygone era, is eerily reflective of modern times, showcasing the enduring plight of women under oppressive patriarchy.
In Copenhagen, Karoline (Vic Carmen Sonne) finds herself isolated, having believed her husband Peter perished in the Great War. Yet, he unexpectedly appeared, scarred and unrecognizable, which led her to reject him. Struggling financially, they lost their apartment, and she now resides in a rundown, leaky room rented from a stern landlady. Unplanned pregnancy, born of a brief moment of indulgence, cost Karoline her job at the textile factory. Now, with few options left, she contemplates using a knitting needle in a public bathhouse to inflict harm on herself as a desperate solution to her predicament.
In my movie-watching life, I found myself all by myself, until someone unexpectedly dragged me out of the chilly waters. A firm grip dabbed a towel onto the wounds that bled, and the gaze of Dagmar (Trine Dyrholm) met mine. She gave me orders: Seek medical attention if the bleeding persists. She’d claim my newborn when it arrives, finding it a loving foster family, with doctors, lawyers – good people. She urged me to bring some cash.
titled “The Girl With the Needle,” Magnus von Horn, a Swedish-Polish director, guides Denmark’s submission for the International Feature Oscar. Concealed within its narrative, this film explores one of Denmark’s infamous serial killers, Dagmar Overbye, who was imprisoned in 1921 for killing nine babies (possibly as many as 25). These babies were brought to her by women, often due to overpopulation at home or the mother being too young. In a chilling twist, Dagmar would address the problem in the most ruthless manner imaginable.
For Von Horn and his Danish collaborator Line Langebek, what makes Dagmar’s story significant is not Dagmar herself, but rather the societal conditions that led to her committing heinous acts and the potential women who could have been ensnared by Dagmar’s darkness, such as Karoline.
In the setting of “The Girl With the Needle,” we find a recently industrialized, post-war Denmark that isn’t particularly accommodating to various groups – workers, veterans, and even affluent aristocrats confined within opulent prisons, reluctant to jeopardize wealth or status for joy. However, it exhibits an unrelenting harshness towards women and infants, who are disproportionately affected by a society constructed on inequalities. Women here have minimal opportunities: job prospects, resources, healthcare, childcare, among other essentials.
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In “The Girl With the Needle,” we’re presented with a vivid portrayal of the past that eerily mirrors our contemporary world. Through both its narrative content and visual/auditory aesthetic, this period piece by Von Horn seamlessly blends historical and modern contexts, offering a striking reminder of how little progress we’ve truly made.
Michal Dymek, a Polish cinematographer known for “EO” and “A Real Pain,” skillfully portrays the grimy, Dickensian atmosphere of cobblestone streets, smokestack-billowing factories, dismal rental apartments, creaky staircases, and grotesque circuses featuring oddities, all in striking black-and-white cinematography reminiscent of old photography and German Expressionism. At times, his use of backlit close-ups gives an impression similar to tintypes.
This visual style echoes the art and cinema trends of that period yet maintains a contemporary edge, achieved notably through the music by Frederikke Hoffmeier, a Danish experimental noise artist known as Puce Mary. Her pieces seamlessly blend droning dissonance with piano and strings to produce a hauntingly beautiful and evocative electronic ambient soundtrack that imbues a sense of modernity. The film is a chilling and unsettling horror fable from another era, yet it retains a startling freshness and an unpredictability that keeps the audience on their toes.
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A significant aspect of the story’s uncertainty stems from Sonne’s performance, which leans towards the uncontrollable. It’s hard to anticipate her reactions, and though her eyes often appear somber and sorrowful, they are enigmatic. On the other hand, Dyrholm’s eyes sparkle with intensity, teetering on the brink of madness. Dyrholm is revered as Denmark’s equivalent to Meryl Streep, and she delivers a brave portrayal, empathizing with Dagmar’s past while not shying away from her criminal actions. This makes Dagmar a character who is both chilling and understandable. The world of Dagmar is a sinister, ethereal vortex filled with drugs, dragging Karoline deeper into darkness and murder.
The Girl With the Needle,” along with “The Devil’s Bath” from Austria and Italy’s “Vermiglio,” form a compelling thematic trio among this year’s international features. These period pieces depict the harsh realities of women living under oppressive patriarchy, where mistakes concerning pregnancy can be catastrophic. Each film takes us on a haunting journey to a bygone era, creating an intense emotional and social connection that echoes strongly in our current times. Von Horn aims to illustrate that a world divided is the harshest of all, breeding the kind of inequality that can spawn a figure as terrifying as Dagmar.
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2024-12-06 23:02