When Mother! was released in 2017, it has been the subject of heated debate and relentless criticism. Darren AronofskyThe psychological horror film caused controversy mainly due to the brutal violence that was ruthlessly applied to its main character, played by Jennifer Lawrence. Lawrence plays the unnamed protagonist, known only as Mother in the film, a role that was an idiosyncratic and drastic departure from the tough, flighty women and action heroines that make up much of her filmography. Known for her outspoken nature and deadpan humor, Lawrence left behind every trace of her personality, both on and off screen, to embody a woman far removed from herself and her iconic character catalog. Understandably, Lawrence has stated that she will no longer subject herself to such a physically and emotionally demanding role, but her performance in this film should be remembered as one of the best performances of her career.
When Lawrence first appears as a mother, the recognizable movie star quickly disappears.
With a cascading braid of long ash-blonde hair and a white slip dress, Mother is the epitome of purity and traditional femininity. She wanders her idyllic country house in search of her husband, the prolific poet she plays Javier Bardem. While countless allegories are attributed to the film, the most prominent and the one that was the focus of Aronofsky and Lawrence was the relationship between Mother Nature and God after climate change and the destructive nature of humanity, where Lawrence represented Mother Nature. and Bardem representing God. The house they live in is a character in itself, representing the environment that mother nature seeks to protect. Lawrence portrays genuine adoration and ardent protection for the home that the Mother restored and repaired herself after a mysterious fire. Throughout the film, her endlessly caring, motherly presence is increasingly challenged by her husband and his endless succession of “guests” who turn out to be his fanatical followers.
When the first guest arrives, a stranger who claims to have thought it was a bed and breakfast (Ed Harris), Lawrence must convey her conflicting emotions, often with little to no dialogue. With her skeptical look, she makes it clear that she wants him to leave, but does not want to verbalize it and go against the will of her husband. While the stranger settles in and the poet pleases him, the Mother looks at her husband, looking for a sign in his eyes that he sees the absurdity of the situation. Instead, he insists that the stranger stay the night, to which the stranger asks the Mother if she minds. Her eyes flicker between Bardem and Harris in total panic and confusion, but she expresses her approval with a smile. Since the Mother is not yet able to express her fears, Lawrence emphatically conveys her complete distrust and disappointment with just one look.
As new characters emerge, the Mother approaches the limit
The arrival of the strange man’s wife pushes Mother to breaking point, allowing Lawrence to uncover more of the character’s complexities. Played with the seductive heiress of danger Michelle Pfeiffer, his wife interferes in Mother’s sex life, asks why they don’t have children, and disrespects her house by breaking the pot and doing it with her husband on the couch. Lawrence shows clear discomfort and shock at the woman’s overt sexuality, as it contrasts sharply with her own reserved, puritanical image. She raises Mother’s quiet voice for the first time when she sees the woman trying to enter the poet’s study, where, as she had already firmly told her, entry was forbidden. Finally, she tells the stranger and his wife that they need to leave, a free agency turning point that Lawrence portrays with some dismay as this firmness goes against her character’s kind and generous nature.
The sons of strangers show up, leading to a climactic dispute over the family’s will, which leads to a murder on the floor of their living room as Mother weeps in horror. Things slide further into frenzy as the poet says they are having a funeral at their house because they have nowhere else to go, and the Mother, utterly puzzled, still complies and comes downstairs. The situation quickly escalates as dozens of strangers arrive who show no interest in the house she has worked so hard to create. After telling the two strangers countless times to stop sitting on the sink and they didn’t listen, the sink breaks, causing the walls to collapse and the pipes to burst, spewing water all over the place. This moment is a key catalyst for the Mother’s final break, as it marks the first major collapse of the house. When the sink breaks, Lawrence screams in annoyance, begging everyone to leave her house. Her husband comes to their defense, saying that these people need a place to celebrate life after such a tragic loss. She replies, “What about what I need?” and her desperation to be heard is painfully palpable.
The film’s infamous final act
The film’s infamous final act, which so exhausted Lawrence that she tore her diaphragm in the process, caused much of the film’s mixed reactions. The poet has a launch party for his new book, which soon descends into the war zone, his cult followers go into a state of religious frenzy and ransack the house. In the midst of chaos and violence, a Mother must give birth to their new son alone, screaming in pain and inner strength. After giving birth, her husband takes the baby from her to show his followers, resulting in a tragic, shocking death. Lawrence’s screams intensify, now full of fiery, unrelenting fury. The only thing she has left, her newborn son, has been taken away, and Mother goes into an almost demonic state of rage, screaming and stabbing at everyone around her. At this point, Lawrence must travel to a place of unspeakable darkness that is both terrifying and excruciatingly powerful.
The final moments of the film focus on the final stage of Lawrence’s transformation, who is now the shell of the woman she was at the beginning of the film. Everything was taken from her and she was broken by ruthless trauma, violence and tragedy. She tells her husband that she has nothing more to give him and wants to die, but he demands the last thing: her heart. On the surface, the Mother represents the victim of a terribly toxic relationship, but in its rich allegorical overtones, her tragic death reflects the horrors unleashed on Mother Earth. While she hasn’t received the critical acclaim and glittering trophies she’s received in other roles, Lawrence’s stunning and subtle performance as Mother has to be remembered as one of her most captivating performances to date.
Source: Collider
