The Holy Girl Movie: Representation of The Childhood Experience in Cinema

The film ‘The Holy Girl, directed by Lucrecia Martel, has been a topic of discussion regarding the representation of the childhood experience in cinema. It certainly pushes the boundaries of the Latin American cinema perspective and representation of the teenage girl and male adult relationship. This scene, in which Amalia is touched in an improper way by Jano during a music performance in the center of the city, is of high importance. The scene is key in the revealing and understanding of the main conflict in the film and it represents the starting point of the almost perverse relations that continue on through the film.

The scene is one of the few that occurs outside of the hotel, in which most of the plot develops. It starts by showing a group of people spectating the performance of a musician playing the ‘theremin’, which catches the attention of Amalia and her friends who approach almost imperceptibly. A deep focus shot remarks the existence of movement in the immediate surroundings such as people and cars passing by, which sets up the perfect moment for the approach of someone that tries to go unnoticed in the middle of the noise. The same shot from the performer’s point of view would show Jano approaching from behind, and standing behind Amalia in a pretty subtle way. The following cut is brief, an over the shoulder shot framing the performer would reveal the origin of the music, which is quite particular as there is no direct ‘touch’ between the musician and the instrument itself. A close up to Amalia’s face, although lacking expression, seems to reveal her captivation for the sounds. At the same time, the next cut frames the mid-bodies of Amalia and Jano. He starts approximating and pressing himself up against Amalia’s behind, while putting his hands on his pockets with surprising subtleness. These ease with which he performs these actions reveals, in a second plane, that this was not the first time that he has taken part in such an assault.

Again, a 25-seconds close up to Amalia would show her having multiple thoughts running through her mind, including her trying to think of a response while there is an spark of sunlight in her face that goes and comes two times. The wait builds a lot of suspense and perturbation on the viewer’s side. The viewer is unsure whether Amalia will retaliate or draw attention to them. Amalia freezes and does not move until she decides to look back at Jano’s face. In the next cut, Jano tries to escape the scene, although it is clear that he gets nervous and changes his direction in an instant, which gives Amalia enough time to capture his face in her mind. At the end of the scene, the same shot at Amalia’s face shows Josefina looking back at her and Amalia responding with a smile only.

Throughout the scene, suspense and anticipation are developed for the viewers through the lack of dialogue. By keeping the scene silent and only having the noise of the performance in the background, the viewer is pulled into the scene. It is slightly hypnotizing, with the soft music and perverted nature of the subject matter. The viewers are inclined to look away, but they cannot. The scene represents a unique type of humiliation for Amalia. She is not humiliated in the minds of those around her as they do not witness the assault, or maybe they do and do not react, but this all still occurs in broad daylight surrounded by others. There is a loss of innocence on her face, as the viewer sees her trying to make sense of what is happening to her. There is a stark power dynamic displayed here. Even though there are so many people around, Amalia is not compelled to draw attention to what is happening. She stays quiet, and endures, as if this is much easier than taking action. The flickers of sunlight exacerbate this effect, as of she is close to being pulled into the light but each time fails, and is plunged back into the darkness. These lighting changes coincide with her mental battle and her heightened sense of awareness. The context surrounding their interaction reveals a lot. The religious and patriarchal overarching implications also work to keep Amalia subservient. Amalia is not a typical child allegorical representation. She is not the nation or progress; she is a scared young girl who makes sense of her molestation through her faith. Instead of blaming and hating Jano, she feels it is her duty to save him. This is the epitome of the mindset in a patriarchal society – convincing women that is their duty to save men from their inalienable impulses and desires.

The scene then becomes the link between Amalia’s search for a vocation to serve God and the future conflict in the film. This interaction sets the stage for the development of Amalia’s emotional investment in Dr. Jano, and represents the birth of these ideas in Amalia’s head regarding Dr. Jano’s sins and her purpose in life. It is the trigger of the film’s rising action, the inciting incident that compels Amalia to take action later on in the film. This inappropriate yet important scene establishes a precedent on which the rest of the film is built – filled with suspense, mystery and insight into the depths of childhood and a patriarchal society.