A woman's version of Breaking the Waves...

Rating: Null/10 (8 May 2004)

May contain spoilers.
This movie felt a lot like the Lars Von Trier movie, Breaking The Waves to me, because both feature strong women who are in horrible situations and both are hard to view and almost impossible to view a second time.
There is much symbolism in the story, much like a fable. Ada, whose will has made her not talk since the age of six, is mute. She has a daughter (I am not sure if she is from a previous marriage or not, I don't think the movie says) and is married to someone she has never met and shipped off to an island where her new European husband and a bunch of natives live. Also there are some Europeans that have embraced the culture, getting tattooed, etc. The contrast of wild man actually nice guy deep down while cultured husband is completely feral, didn't go unnoticed to me as did the piano as the metaphor of Ada's voice and tie to European society (and/or supposedly civilized men.) At the end, Ada's finger is chopped off (this made me think, oh gods, I am watching another Breaking The Waves, please kill me...ugh...) but it is a metaphor yet again, a symbol that chops off (ick) her tie to society that she has known (people treating her like a dog) and the metal finger is her tie to the future, providing she has one and doesn't die at the end.
Ada is a strong woman stuck. Both her husband and the neighbor emotionally rape her and they try to do that physically too. They blackmail her to be sexual for them. It is only when the neighbor sees her play, that he is drawn into her soul and then he can't be brutal to her because he loves her and she loves him back. It is confusing that he changes in character so fast, but I think it is reasonable. He loved her but couldn't express himself much like Ada couldn't speak. This movie is about silence and miscommunications.
But if she did die, it proves her will and the piano were tied together (I need to stop the puns!) If the piano was lost, so was she. She was already lost the moment she fell in love with a man who wasn't her husband and losing a finger didn't help that along.
The girl's name being Flora must have some connection to nature. Or chaos even, since she brings about her mom's supposed doom.
Many comments have talked about the nudity in this film and that surprises me. Being a R film, there is hardly any violence, other than a few attempts at taking Ada's virtue, that are tastefully done and there is a sensual sex scene that is very well shot, very erotic and nothing like what you would see on Skinamax late night. This movie is much more highbrow than that. If you can't take nudity, then you probably shouldn't watch this...but there is nothing wrong with nudity in general, so you may have to ask yourself why you have a problem with it.
Overall, the finger scene bugged me, but it proved Ada's will to be her own person was stronger than any other characters pull on her, and that theory works if you believe she is alive at the end or not. But how can one have a voiceover at the end if one is dead and if she was dead at the end, why didn't anyone dive to save her? The last scene she is alone with no one breaking the waves (heh) to save her.

Watch this and Breaking The Waves together for a sickening look at the way men brutalize women...you may never sleep well again.
I would give this movie an 8...it would get a 9 or 10 if it wasn't so left up in the air at the end, I would like to know if she lived or died. Also, the symbolism was a bit much at times...to the point an idiot would get it...it was like the film was trying too hard. But see it for the color, soundtrack and story...it is a great way to pass two hours and think about the way women are viewed in society.