[Review] Elle: Women Can Also Master Their Own Lives

I believe the first feeling most people have after watching Elle is usually, "Women are truly terrifying!" When I watched the film, every time Michèle acted unexpectedly, I thought, "This woman is truly insane, truly twisted." But after watching the entire movie, I replayed it carefully in my mind, and a thought emerged: "Why shouldn't she be like this?"

The film begins with Michèle's screams, and we see her being raped by a masked man. After the man finishes and leaves, the film immediately delivers a surprise: Michèle gets up as if nothing happened, just like her black cat, doesn't call the police, and continues with her life. This opening scene immediately presents a big mystery: What happened to her? Why didn't she call the police? At the same time, this unique opening also signals that this film and this female character will be very different from the rape-themed films we've seen before. As the story unfolds, we further understand Michèle: she is a high-level executive at a video game company, divorced from her ex-husband Richard due to his abuse, and they have a son, Vincent, who is often bullied by his wife. Michèle's business partners, Anna and Robert, are a couple; Michèle and Anna have always been good friends, but Michèle has a sexual relationship with Robert. Later, we also meet Michèle's neighbors: the handsome Patrick and his devout wife Rebecca.

This film has two important elements and themes: open and complex sexual relationships and the protagonist Michèle's desire for control. The film portrays different sexual relationships from multiple angles: Michèle and Robert's affair, Michèle first being raped and then seemingly enjoying the sensation, Vincent silently enduring after discovering his son isn't biologically his during childbirth, Michèle's elderly mother and her (sexual) partner... Every relationship could be described as unconventional, challenging moral boundaries. The other theme of the film is "control." The protagonist Michèle is full of control over everything: control over the company's products and subordinates at work; control over her own life after being raped; control over her relationship with her lover... Everything seems to be under her control. In contrast, the male characters in the film lose control over everything, presenting a stark contrast to Michèle.

Many times, the film looks like a thriller, exploring Michèle's rape incident while we slowly learn about her mysterious past. However, there are simply too many surprising plot points, some even difficult to accept in real life, which made me genuinely laugh out loud at times, giving the film a sense of black comedy. It's worth noting that these humorous plot points do not mean it's not a good film. On the contrary, the various elements of this script precisely create a sense of absurdity; some moments are chilling and highly tense, while also fitting the film's themes.

This film also redefines our perception of the typical female victim of a rape case. If it were an ordinary film about a rape case, the female protagonist's life after the rape would be rewritten; she would live under a shadow forever, constantly recalling the trauma when interacting with others, and the perpetrator would likely get away scot-free. In those films, we would generally sympathize deeply with the protagonist, and even if she killed the rapist, we wouldn't find her terrifying but rather sympathize with and understand her.

However, this film's handling is very different. After being raped, Michèle doesn't want her life to be controlled or rewritten by the perpetrator; she still wants to control her own life and doesn't want to entrust the case to the police. In the film, she insists on mastering her own life, even attempting to master the perpetrator's life, using him to satisfy her own needs, completely reversing their roles. No matter how the story develops, Michèle's initial identity in the film is always that of a victim. It's just that her subsequent behavior and mindset differ from our usual expectations and stereotypes of women. Why do we find her insane, terrifying? Must her life be controlled by the perpetrator? Can't she control her own life, doing as she pleases? Isabelle Huppert portrays Michèle vividly and incisively in the film; every glance conveys a sense of unpredictability and a desire for control, truly magnificent! Additionally, in the ending, Rebecca thanks Michèle for satisfying her husband's needs, which also shows that Rebecca had always known her husband's needs but chose not to satisfy them due to her beliefs. Therefore, Rebecca also consistently masters her own life, even at the expense of others' happiness.

After watching this film, Isabelle Huppert's Michèle has probably become one of my favorite female characters!

Previous
Previous

[Review] Hell or High Water: Him, and Also You and Me

Next
Next

[Review] Moonlight: Don't Be Afraid to Be Different