“Poor Things” shocks theater go-ers worldwide
Released on December 8, 2023, ‘Poor Things’, Yorgos Lanthimos’ genius movie makes cinematic history with his unique approach to the classic novel.
Emma Stone stars as Bella Baxster in a phantasmagoric take on the classic film ‘Frankenstein’. The film tracks the adventures Bella endures as a woman with a child-like temper and bizarre habits that her guardian, Dr. Godwin Baxter, has instilled in her.
Dr. Godwin is an unorthodox doctor who indulges in slicing and reforming anything living or dead in order to form unusual creations. When one of his students is hired to take notes on Bella’s attitudes and learning abilities, Dr. Godwin reveals that Bella was an experiment. He shares that he found a woman at the bottom of the river after throwing herself off the Tower Bridge. He then swapped out her brain for a child’s brain as a way to “rebirth” her.
Although her actions are childish, she requested to explore the world with an inappropriate stranger, Duncan Wedderburn, where they traveled on land and sea for an episodic adventure. She learns about the pleasures and horrors of the world while learning to converse in complete sentences, read Emerson and gain moral intelligence.
She eventually leaves Wedderburn and continues on her own path after experiencing his controlling male tendencies. As she continues on her own, she finds a community of prostitutes where she learns to sell herself in order to gain money and a place to live. Bella begins to learn a lot about herself and the world around her as she makes friendships, learns how to take care of herself, and attends school.
Eventually, Bella goes back to London after hearing Dr. Godwin was dying from cancer. On his deathbed, Dr. Godwin tells Bella the truth about the procedure he conducted on her, but reveals he loved her and cared for her unconditionally. After her guardian passed away, Bella is shown at peace with the world around her. She continues to learn about herself and further her connections with the people around her.
Overall, people either love it or they hate it. At the beginning of the movie, I was so close to just walking out. However, I quickly fell in love with the extraordinary unique camera work, Stone’s scary accurate acting, and Lanthimos’ way of directing the most clever movie. As I continued watching, I was more amazed at every scene. The portrayal of the characters enticed me to sit at the edge of my seat, anxiously waiting for what comes next. As I walked out of the theaters, I reminisced on the astonishing film known as ‘Poor Things’. Watching the movie from a woman’s
perspective provided insight for the true understanding of the film. Lanthimos featured this notion of women learning to love themselves and discover who they truly are despite male opinions and their self-serving outlook on womens’ needs. Throughout the film, Stone’s character inspires women all over the world to find themselves through their own personal experiences.
