It seems funny to me that many people, including some esteemed and highly experienced critics, consider Todd Field's intention for the movie to be a stand against the "cancel culture," a term now used almost exclusively by the right wing in the political and cultural power struggle to clobber the annoying rise of nontraditional factions in society. I suppose certain choices made by Field could cause this conception, although I do believe it is a misconception.
This is a meticulously plotted movie with barely visible threads woven into a tapestry that often obscures the intention through mumbled dialogues, half-finished sentences, glimpses of email text, and scenes that cut away from accusations and depositions. Perhaps he is too clever for his own good, and it serves him right to be misunderstood.
I am fairly certain I can tell where Field's sympathy lies. There are many little clues throughout the movie that consistently support my interpretation. But I will bring up just one detail that I have not seen anyone mention (not that I've read every review online) ---
This movie made the extraordinary choice of putting the film's supporting crew on the opening credits, while leaving the actors to the end credits. The list of names of gofers and assistants and hair and makeup people and stunt actors and drivers and accountants and marketing people went on for several minutes before the movie started, which is a prime location that is almost always reserved for only the stars and the important people: cinematographer, music, screenwriter, and director. I have NEVER seen any movie putting the support people first.
In the background of the extraordinary opening credits, a song was played, and all the while I wondered what language it was. Spanish? French? No. It only became clear in the opening Q and A between Lydia Tar and Adam Gopnik of The New Yorker that this was the music of the indigenous people of Peru, which served as one of many stepping stones, or body ladders, that built her glowing career.
Well, that seems to have gone over people's heads, who have probably also missed the face of an indigenous man in Lydia's dream, shown after the other more familiar faces of people who had been USED by Lydia.
Still don't get it? Consider the denouement of the movie, when Lydia is told by the Filipino boy in the boat that the reason why there are crocodiles so far up the river is the Americans. Many years ago, the film crew for that Marlon Brando movie (obviously referring to Apocalypse Now) put the crocodiles in the river, and now they can't swim in the water. Thanks a lot, you Imperialist shits.
Yes, it's all intentional. None of it is an accident.
Everyone and his mother is throwing around the word "power" without any follow-up discussion in regards to this movie, as if they could actually recognize it when its manifestations hit them between the eyes. No, the movie is about exploitation, even if it is very coy about it. I wonder if Todd Field thinks it's funny to fool people into thinking he supports right-wing conservatives on the matter of poor canceled celebrities who have exploited many. Is this a joke to him?
