The female doctor in the opening scene asks Ida to consider a breast reconstruction, because one of her breasts has been removed, but she turns the proposal down. Later Ida is swimming in the nude, and when she emerges from the sea, it is obvious that she does not miss any of her breasts. Probably the chemotherapy only made Ida loose the hair on her head. Her eyebrows, eyelids and pubic hair do not seem to be effected by therapy.
shareCertainly this is a mistake regarding breast cancer issues.
She could've been using a prosthetic in her suit, so that's not such an error. If she had chemotherapy, she would've lost her brows, etc. (of course, you can pencil those in)
But usually, when one opts for breast removal, you don't take chemotherapy. (I have a friend who went the removal route) So, all of the various contradictions concerning her condition seem to be obvious to some of us.
It's just a story though, and the errors don't affect the whole plot.
Breast removal and chemo go hand in hand. Cancer migrates and chemo works against that. Both women I know closely that had total masectomies also had chemo. One later died the other is still with us.
shareAs kat2000ro says, it depends on the STAGE of the cancer.
If one were to know all of those issues concerning the character's condition, then one could comment with wisdom. Like I said, not everyone goes through chemotherapy (just cuz you know 2 who did).
It's a screenplay; they haven't revealed any of those particulars to us.
Just cause your friend didn't mean anything either. You said a mastectomy rules out chemo andcthat is false period. Breast cancer like prostate cancer has become a profit center for hospitals. The "cures" have risen but death rate has pretty much stayed the same.
shareThat's it!
I'm not going any farther with this ridiculous string.
'It's a screenplay; they haven't revealed any of those particulars to us.'
"I'm not going any farther with this ridiculous string."
Please don't, I doubt you are prepared to do so. Most people have zero clue about our medical system, how it is financed or how it works. I bet you are one of those people who demand an antibiotic every time you go to the doctor for the sniffles? Or how about the "pink for the cure" you one of them? You know that organization that spends scads on salaries and advertising but little on actual medicine. Never mind the fact that for every woman that dies from breast cancer 5 will die from heart disease. Don't see no heart disease walks with little ribbons.
Take a look at other developed countries with higher life expectancies than ours and see how they do things then come back to us. Until then, you did in fact say something and have yet to prove it. Both my wife and I have lived in countries with nationalized medicine and have graduate and post graduate study in health care so yeah, I doubt you can really debate. Have a good day.....
She was swimming in the nude.
shareIf you watch closely,in the scene where she gets out from the sea, you will see that she has a scar on her right breast. Depending on stage cancer, the breast can be removed partially or completelly. And chemotherapy is administered in function of stage cancer too, not being conditioned by the presence/absence of the breast.
shareThe film takes the time to show the conversation and sets it up (for a beat at least) to show us her nude (I admit to looking -- she is still attractive after all -- but not seeing the scar myself), but then we have to look closely to see even a scar? It's quite possible that the breast was only partially removed. But, the original question is not surprising. If they were going to show her nude, at least make it clearer that her cancer wasn't totally destructive or (like some do) have her have reconstructive surgery so the breasts (which to me looked normal) would not be an issue.
When she's talking to her doctor she says she doesn't think her husband has even noticed one breast is missing. That sounds quite definitive that one breast has been removed.
The nude swimming scene was a mistake in just showing a relatively small scar.