MovieChat Forums > The Secret Life of Words (2005) Discussion > Why topless?

Why topless?

posted 13 years ago by WillyBee
5 replies | jump to latest

In the scene, where Hanna unveils her traumatic experiences to Josef, she takes off her shirt to show her scars and there she has no bra on.

I must admit, that in this special scene, where she tells how she was tortured, it was somehow inappropriate.

Why didn't she wear a bra (even with a bra you could see her scars)? Did she plan to put it off before going to Josef? What was the director's (Isabel Coixet) intention? Should Hanna's physical nakedness symbolize her emotional bareness (and therefore vulnerability) in this scene with regard to Josef?

What do you think about it?

[–] XfilesMystic 13 years ago

I wondered the same thing. I completely understood her need to show him her scars.
I think her nakedness was supposed to symbolize her emotionally naked as well as her vulnerability. Clearly, it was to make the scene more powerful which it accomplished since her experience brought him to tears.

I felt it was a bit erotic as well with them realizing their feelings for each other. Overall, a tender and emotional scene.

[–] timlin-4 13 years ago

Why not topless? We can understand that the super-rape victim covered with scars might be a little shy, but what excuse do Sarah Polley and other women have to ever have a top on? And they can't manage tops with no bras? Or bras with no tops? What is the meaning of tops on top of bras, even layers of tops over layers of bras? Is this state of affairs not somehow inappropriate?

[–] haveoneonme 12 years ago

Rape survivors can open up to anyone they trust. Not all rape survivors fear irrationally, either. If it happened to her when she was a child, it might be a different story. In the situation she was in she had much more power than Josef did. She was taking care of him, he was in an near infantile state. There was no reason to feel threatened by a severely injured crying man whom she has been assisting with basic tasks such as eating and urinating. Lastly, he obviously cared very much about her.

[–] saprater 9 years ago

I think it was symbolic and used to show that she was completely vulnerable. I also think it was done because it was the best way to convey the story.

It's definitely not a move for just random sexuality. There's nothing sexual about that scene. Her body is like a book of braille, detailing all the pain she's endured. You want to show it with nothing to take away from its impact. No modern contrivances or blanked out areas to take you out of the moment.I imagine that scene with a bra on, and I just don't get the same sort of reaction from it, so Coixet made the right decision.

[–] Gobobo 8 years ago

Maybe the character just didn't like to wear a bra.