The Virgin Suicides (1999)
4/11/2019
4/11/2019
The Virgin Suicides, directed by Sofia Coppola, focuses on the Lisbon sisters- Lux (Kirsten Dunst), Bonnie (Chelse Swain), Mary (A.J. Cook), Therese (Leslie Hayman), and Cecilia (Hanna Hall)- and their upbringing within a strict, religious household in suburban Detroit in the mid 70s, through the recollection and memories that a group of boys (now men) ,who had a fascination with these girls, reflect upon.
Coppola used a lot of camera shots involving reflections off of things such as car windows or house windows. It is these shots that elevate the idea of observing, watching, and seeking things out of one's grasp. As Genevieve Koski puts it, the "glass windows separate the internal from the external, while allowing those on both sides to see each other" The idea and atmosphere that viewers get from watching the scenes where either all the sisters or just Lux staring out of a window is that it elevates their wishful thinking, feeling isolated, or dreaming of a reality that they know is too good to be true. The strict rules and religious upbringing that the parents, especially their mother, put upon the girls essentially aids in how disconnected they feel in the world. They feel limited to do things that a normal teen girl would do, experience, and have such as less conservative clothing, having a social life, being friends with a boy (or boys), or have a boyfriend with not parental supervision.
Another thing that Coppola did so well was being consistent with detail and fashion present in the 1970s. Elizabeth Sankey describes Cecilia's birthday party as a "classic 70s basement teen party complete with punch, balloons, wooden paneling and plaid sofas. And parents upstairs watching the tube.". Sankey goes on to mention Lux's hair having a braid representing boho chic, Mary wearing a dress made of denim, and Bonnie wearing a green bib-type laced dress, in which was something that Jessica McKlintock would wear back then. Sankey also brings up Trip Fontaine (Josh Hartnett) fashion with having long hair, a choker necklace, and a leather jacket. Even Koski brings up that the fashion present does indeed cofirm the film's era of mid 1970s. In general, I think it is very important for a director to make sure that if they have a film focusing on a specific time period that they "deliver" meaning that they stay uniform to the clothes, music, technology, and decorations/props present in whatever time period the story is focusing on.
Overall, this film left me asking the same question that the boys, who are now men, ask themselves pondering why the Lisbon sisters made a suicide pact. While I'm aware that a part of it can be from the girls feeling isolated and confined to their parents morals and beliefs, but what other possible reasons could there potentially be? Specifically more than that, I would like to know why they invited the group of boys over as they began their suicide pact. Other than that, I think this movie was not my cup of tea, but like I mentioned, I did really enjoy the detail Coppola put into the film to keep it true to the time period the novel is based off of.
Thanks for reading and here concludes another one of my FILM talks!
Enduring Appeal
Sofia Coppola’s fixations
Enduring Appeal
Sofia Coppola’s fixations