Romance Is Just An Illusion, Isn’t It? Anna Biller Proves It With “The Love Witch”.
Welcome to the first installment of the Culture & Horror series where I challenge your perspective of society through the lens of horror cinema.
If you prefer audio form content, you may listen to my podcast, Skaredy Kat, where new episodes will be published each Friday. This article, however, delves deeper into the nitty-gritty of my chosen topics.
Ready, action!
I’m a sucker for vintage aesthetics.
Show me the 1920s’ silent movie storytelling, Hitchcock’s ’50s suspense films especially ones with Grace Kelly on them, ’60s VistaVision Technicolor, bold yet chic style, and hairstyles in the ’70s, horror films from the ’80s, and as someone who was born in this era, the ’90s nostalgia. I want to experience them all.
Undeniably, Anna Biller’s indie film, The Love Witch (2016), piqued my interest. Set in a modern time camouflaged in 60s aesthetics such as clothing, interior design, and cinematography — the film is a satire directed at the misogynistic-driven standards of society.
According to Letterboxd’s synopsis of the film, The Love Witch follows the story of Elaine Parks, a beautiful young witch, who is determined to find a man to love her. In her gothic Victorian apartment, she makes spells and potions, and then picks up men and seduces them. However her spells work too well, and she ends up with a string of hapless victims. When she finally meets the man of her dreams, her desperation to be loved will drive her to the brink of insanity and murder.
I dare say, Anna Biller, aims to be an active feminist by portraying the woman’s condition in a patriarchal culture through her films. She gave a voice to Elaine that guides us throughout the storyline.
Elaine moved into a new, charming town after her husband, Jerry’s death. However, Jerry’s death wasn’t just an ordinary death, it was murder and Elaine is behind it. The police couldn’t prove anything so they let her off the hook.
In her newfound home, she meets Trish. On the surface, I see Trish as a goody-two-shoes and submissive type but I was wrong. During an afternoon tea with Elaine, they talked about love and marriage. How Elaine goes out of her way to please a man in ways that are not emotionally and mentally healthy to obtain the love that she so longs for. Trish on the other hand disagrees with her. She emphasizes how Elaine’s mentality is an act of giving in to patriarchy. And for that, I admire Trish’s character.
Elaine’s search for love has evolved into narcissism. Because of her desperation, she has become devoid of basic human values, one of which is sleeping with Trish’s husband, Richard. The story didn’t end well for Richard as he is clearly not who Elaine is looking for, not because he is her friend’s husband, but because she finds emotional men to be weak. Let’s take a look at the other side of the spectrum. What if Richard turned out to be Elaine’s ideal man — could she have killed Trish for her own personal gain? I think you know the answer.
Read the full article at Studio Succubus.
