Grade: A+
Review:
Under The Skin, the latest effort from Jonathan Glazer, director of the brilliant Sexy Beast (2001) and underrated Birth (2004), who returns after a 10 year interlude, is a masterpiece of tension and atmosphere.
The film revolves around the unnamed protagonist, who is described as an 'alien seductress', played by Scarlett Johansson. The film follows her exploits around Scotland where she lures men into her home which appears to take the form of black pit which reaps her victims. The film is a very visually based, therefore explaining it is quite difficult.
The setting of Scotland is a brilliant juxtaposition to the casting of Johansson, an international movie star. Much of the tension in the film arises from the mundane, much of the film consists of Johansson asking for directions and making awkward conversation, it doesn't sound riveting but the strange yet brilliant soundtrack, composed by Mica Levi, makes every action by Johansson seem urgent, and one her motives are known, it becomes classic Hitchcockian suspense with a post-modern twist. At points, tension is created through lack of action, this is most noticeable during a horrifying scene at a beach where a husband and wife get lost as sea, leaving their infant son abandoned. Johansson doesn't intervene and the 'alien motorist' ignores the child completely. The passive nature of the aliens makes them even more terrifying and there lack of empathy more effective.
Johansson's performance as the alien seductress is subdued and restrained, yet bizarre enough to show she's unfamiliar with humanity. She remains straight-faced throughout much of the movie but she shows glimmers of charm that lead her to luring men successfully. The method in which the film was shot, with hidden digital cameras, evokes an aesthetic similar to Lynne Ramsay's Morvern Callar, also set in Scotland, both films have a social-realist look but Under The Skin is a work of pure sci-fi that doesn't feel like it. This is what makes this film transcend other science-fiction films, it manages to make its ridiculous concepts believable and grounded, assisted by the fantastic use of Scotland as a filming setting.
The film has a very hypnotic effect on the viewer, immersing them in stunning visuals, exemplified by a sequence which shows the protagonists victims after they have been 'reaped', the scene looks beautiful but is also terrifying and ambiguous, alluding to what happens to the victims in this 'afterlife'. As previously mentioned, the mundane setting is not a deterrent but a major tribute that makes the film more hypnotic, the realistic nature makes the effect of the film more powerful. The film's portrayal of humanity through the tracking shots of people walking or montages of people doing shopping adds to the futility of humankind the film explores and, once you've watched the film, the masses of people you encounter each day may be seen in a new light thanks to this wonderfully immersive cinematic journey.
Analysis: (Major Spoilers Ahead)
The film explores themes related the gender throughout. In regards to institutional influence, the casting of Johansson, the 'world's sexiest woman' is a brilliant way to highlight the film's commentary on the female image in the media. The news that this film was going to feature Johansson nude may have ignited an excited response, but the film doesn't glamorize her nudity, instead showing it in a matter-of-fact manor. The 'male gaze' in only used when Johansson is seducing on of her victims, demonstrating a self-aware placement of nudity, the fact that these scenes, for the most part, only feature Johansson in her underwear as opposed to fully nude add to this self-awareness of the film. Glazer's experience in advertising, much of which he did during his 10 year break, suggests he is self-aware of female body image in the media.
Most of the interest in the protagonist stems from her aesthetic, conversation mostly veers to looks and not about her personal interests, demonstrating the men who talk to her aren't interested in what's 'Under The Skin'. One scene which explores aesthetic is the one where a man with a disfigured face takes a ride with Johansson's character, she finds something aesthetic about him to compliment, his hands. While the scene places the protagonist in a more empathetic light, the obsession with aesthetic and looks is nonetheless shown by this.
Johansson's character is the only major female character in the film, apart from the scene where she is dragged by a horde of women into a nightclub. This demonstrates that all women in the film are objects of male desire, this is especially relevant in the latter half of the film which is set in rural Scotland. The latter half features a mostly mute Johansson interacting with various men, all of whom end up having some sort of sexual contact with Johansson. Her mute nature show that, again, men are interested in her look as opposed to her personality. Red is a recurring colour in the film, it's most prominent use is in Johansson's lipstick which represents lust and promiscuity, but later in the film it appears to represent vulnerability. This is illustrated during the scene where Johansson is nude, with red lights illuminating the room, she is in a vulnerable post and her posture and body language in a mirror appear to suggest she is critiquing herself and body image, showing that even the 'World's Sexiest Woman' is obsessed with her body. This degrogation of the use of red from lust in the former half of the film to vulnerability in the latter half of the film can be linked to her dissolution of power. In the latter half of the film Johansson's character extracts her power from luring men and victimizing them, but once she abuses this by letting free the disfigured man, she becomes hunted by the 'alien motorcyclist'. This transformation from being in power to being perused is therefore linked to red as they represent different things as the characters position changes.
Johansson's character also possesses innocence which becomes more prevalent in the latter half of the film, most notably during the scene where she engages in actual sex but is surprised by what actually has to happen. This may be a comment on innocence and how this is being corrupted in modern society where everything is overly sexualised and how this affects young people who are facing pressure to be perfect due to exposure to perfect bodies everywhere. This leads to a loss of innocence as they are therefore obsessed with body image, as shown by this scene and the film in general.
The film may also contain commentary on media perception of poverty. Many of the men in the film are from lower-class background, shown rather excessively and purposefully throughout the film. The depiction of these men as being interested sexually in the protagonist may be a comment on the paranoia imposed by the media regarding the lower-classes as being portrayed as rapists and criminals. The contrast between Johansson and these men is jarring and may be an indication of the film being self-aware of the issue. Whether it be gender or socioeconomic interpretations of Under The Skin, all agree that the film is a complex work of art that is destined to become a future classic.
Written by Sammy Forde
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