Life beyond history

Kiana 2022-01-22 08:03:51



The film does not clearly indicate the background of the times, but in "White Matter", across the various unresolvable historical conflicts in this colony, it is obvious that there is another existence in life that is secret, and it is difficult to encounter openly. More is through the lens of Marie N'Diaye-maybe it is too breathy, I think it is aimed at things outside of history: it is attached to every surface on that piece of land, the atmosphere, plants and crops, water And direct contact with them.


Maria is a figure who established her beliefs in a period of rising capitalism, and her father is like a key, giving her the plantation and even everything she exists-if that is not too serious. But in history, the continuation of the plantation is a small platform for its ups and downs, and nothing lasts forever. Maria’s recognition of the plantation—the kind of moving work-the natural sense of harvest—in fact does not recognize the historical ups and downs. Therefore, after her son was humiliated, she must get rid of the white matter and join the future; Maria joined the history like her son in the predicament, but joined the past. She used a big stick to kill her father—whether it was for the collapse of her beliefs or her husband who was "murdered" by his father. Here, history may be very questionable.


It may be different from the novel. When the film finally reveals the cause and effect of personal history, it suddenly becomes implicit and abstract, maybe because the camera cannot record too much. For example, a slaughter is not recordable at all-in the face of a slaughter, you have to die or resist. How hypocritical is the camera at this time. Therefore, in such an abstract lens, the specific difficulties of survival must be abstracted into the necessary historical choices, but before that, the scenery has passed the dense existence in the eyes of Marie N'Diaye, and no longer teaches people to make choices.


One of the wonderful scenes, or the only wonderful scene, is that in the night of a hard day, Maria eats a simple marinade of rice and closes her eyes to rest, and has been using Jamaican music to promote justice for the righteous/rebel DJ Suddenly lost in the reggae music itself. Let me not avoid the clichés: this one night is a secret and real existence, a life outside of history.

View more about White Material reviews

Extended Reading
  • Hassie 2022-04-22 07:01:50

    2013/08/22 The desolation and tranquility of war is too disturbing, the living are helpless and the dead small. A scene that makes people afraid to look directly, the male god is completely naked and enjoys it flawlessly. A quiet killing, but the heart-piercing cry of despair lingered in my ears. 2020/12/12

  • Dayne 2022-04-20 09:02:27

    I watched it at the Kaohsiung Municipal Cinema for NT$80. The whole film is scorched, with the power of . great music on tinder sticks