|
Why is it that our country's artists so hung up on the 1950's?
I know everything seemed so innocent. Rock Hudson and Doris
Day slept in separate beds, everybody liked Ike, and new technology
promised to make the housewife's life so much easier. But
time and time again, we get reminded of the darker aspects
of the decade. There was a reason why Rock needed another
bed, Ike liked to bomb whole civilizations and accuse innocents
of being Commie Pinko's, and the women were forced to stay
home in order to use this technology that has now ruined our
environment and our economy. Yes, we get the point. It was
not perfect. But filmmakers ranging from Barry Levinson to
John Waters to Todd Haynes seem to think that it's still relevant
to comment. Add Steven Shainberg, the director of Secretary
to that list. The film that is so intent on being quirky and
being wacky that it seems to be totally unaware of its own
inappropriateness. And if one were to give it's message the
benefit of the doubt, it all comes off as merely outdated.
Secretary is the story of Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal,
the sister of Jake), a girl who has a tendency to perform
self-mutilation. The film suggests she does this in order
to have control over something, whether it is the pain she
causes herself or being able to watch her body heal the wound.
But a basic understanding of psychology could be applied to
the film to see that the treatment she receives from her alcoholic
father, the criticisms on her weigh from family members, and
the comparisons she has to her blonde sister (Amy Locane)
suggests simply her self-image has been so distorted and perverted
that she feels she doesn't deserve to be attractive. One day,
she decides to apply for a secretary job with E. Edward Grey
(James Spader). What starts as a job that only requires typewriting
skills and extra sugar in the coffee becomes a psychosexual
relationship where Grey essentially uses Lee as a sex object
not below mental torture and physical abuse. Of course, Lee
finds this to be a much healthier alternative to taking the
3/8 drill bit to her legs.
Some will argue that this film is a mere satire on the sexual
norms and mores of our society. They will point to Lee's rejection
of the by-the-book sexuality of Peter (Jeremy Davies) in favor
of the torment provided by Mr. Grey. And that may be a valid
point on the surface. But when one looks at the film at a
whole does its deeper purposes come to the surface. The film
uses visual imagery to suggest that the self-inflicted pain
Lee causes is no different than the sensation she gets from
being abused by her boss. Now, think about that for a second.
Lee has just been released from a mental hospital and this
is the first time she has ever had a job or ever had a boyfriend.
The film asks us to understand the treatment she receives
as an extension of her sexuality. What's worse, it expects
us to rally around the fact that her adherence is used as
a reward for her happiness in the end. Is this saying that
women have to be abused and deprived in order to be successful
in the world? Yeah it's saying that, and the script even seems
to advocate it. But then I start thinking about the look and
the feel of the film. Lee dresses in very conservative, drab
skirts with granny panties underneath. Grey's office looks
like it hasn't been redecorated for a while. That includes
the office equipment where typewriters are the writing utensils
of choice. I guess this means that the film thinks that we
still have the same mentality of the 1950's when all of these
things were acceptable. Maybe, but Spader's Grey certainly
doesn't convey the seductive charm of someone who could get
past a sexual harassment suit with his behavior. This may
be the message, but there was never a point where I thought
that the film was able to get its point across without seeming
condescending about it.
I don't blame Spader or Gyllenhaal; they do what they can
with the material. I blame the material for ham handling some
very dark issues with a bare wink to social relevance. I would
call Secretary a setback for women, but I think it's safe
to say that the film 's negative impact will be reduced merely
to independent cinema.
|
