MovieChat Forums > The War Zone (1999) Discussion > A couple nagging points

A couple nagging points

posted 18 years ago by john-nicholas
5 replies | jump to latest

I was not expecting this film at all-it is incredibly harrowing and amazing at the same time. I'd love to hear an abuse specialist discuss the motivations and reactions of all the characters, as there is so much depth to this film.
Two questions: Why the car crash scene? Was this a vehicle to give the mother a legitimate rationale to the child's injury/health later, or something else? I can see no other reason for it's presence.
Also, the explicit scene in the bunker was predicated by a ringing phone. Was this the daughter calling? The implications of that would be all the more disturbing and sad.
I will probably have to watch this movie a couple more times, with/without commentary. I just don't knoe if I can handle it.

[–] 666Night999 18 years ago

Car crash: This shows the family as a unit, struggling and fighting one cause, one event; they are there for each other. This conflicts with the later struggles/situation. The incest, the baby, the disconnection.

Phone call: Yes, I think this was a phone call from Jessie, but she's obviously trained to do this. I wouldn't believe you'd think she willingly subjects herself to this abuse. I imagine years of ritualistic abuse/incest has taught her to obey her father. I just wonder what the repercussions are for not allowing the bunker meetings, or for not telling others.

This same kind of topic was brought up on the THE SWEET HEREAFTER board. People think the girl in that movie is a willing participate, Nicole. I'm not an abuse expert, but I imagine an amount of brainwashing happens to habitually abused children. They know it's wrong, but there is no escape.

"Nice beaver!"
"Thanks, I just had it stuffed."--The Naked Gun

[–] john-nicholas 18 years ago

I'll let your response to the car-I don't know what really is shown to support it. I differ with your view on the phone call.
I don't know what has been posted on the Sweet Hereafter site, so I cannot say whether that's fair or not.
What I believe is fair is to say that the daughter had some complicity in the affair. Before anyone flips out, please just focus on my reasoning.
Due to the fact that the incest had been going on for some time, and that the particular scene we are referring to was instigated by a phone call by the daughter, they are both active in the incest in a purely factual way. Now the question is, why did she make the call and why didn't she tell her mom?
I think there are two things- but please keep in mind I'm not an abuse specialist or psychologist-her shame over her vicimization, and the wanting the love of a parent.
From what I know of shame, a child believes that their parents are perfect. If something imperfect happens then the child must be responsible for it. So they supplant their needs and goals, and can suffer greatly for it. I think that is why she never told her mom or anyone-because she feels it's her fault. Of course it isn't.
Now why assist him in the incest by calling? This also ties to two (edited & paraphrased) quotes: Why don't you do it like with mom, and you ___ up the ___ dad.
I didn't think much of them at first, but I have a thought that sex with dad is what love looks like for the daughter. Dad loves mom, has sex with her. Dad loves me by having sex with me. To get his love she lets him have sex with her. Kids will try to win the approval and love of a parent at the cost of themselves. What might make the whole experience even worse for her is that it's not the same kind of sex, which might be why she was so specific in that last quote.
Let me be clear: She was a victim, and he was fully to blame. What I'm talking about is the way we can adapt, and twist logic to survive and attempt to be accepted by our parents.

[–] dollydoll 18 years ago

spoilers- please remind me of the crash scene.I can't recall it.Thanks

"Opera is when a guy gets stabbed in the back and instead of bleeding,he sings"

[–] john-nicholas 18 years ago

Yeah, this was near the beginning when the mom is having her baby. The son was hanging out the sunroof, and they come around the corner and there is a fallen tree that they crash over.
Again, I don't see any real relevance to this besides the opportunity to have another possible reason for the baby's later hospital visit.

[–] polysicsarebest 11 years ago

Phone rings twice, hangs up, dad leaves. It's a message to meet her. I do wonder where she called from. No payphones around for miles beyond the meeting site, no cellphones, etc. Weird.

The car wreck, I think, was meant to be symbolic more than anything. Thought it was kinda interesting how Tom hangs out the window and seems to be having fun and enjoying life for a moment before the wreck and afterwards he becomes shut off from reality.

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Shuji Terayama forever.