Film Overview"The Garden" is a 1990 movie directed by British speculative filmmaker, Derek Jarman. The movie offers a non-linear narrative, woven together by meditative, hallucinatory visuals coupled with spoken word and tune. The central themes involve Christianity, homosexuality, and AIDS.
Story and SymbolismThere's no direct storyline in "The Garden". Rather, the film is a series of tableaux and dream-like series, a kaleidoscope view of Jarman's thoughts and sensations. The opening scene features the director asleep in his seaside garden where he saw visions that serve as the basis of the movie's story. The garden here represents Eden, the paradise damaged by male's initial sin, showing Jarman's personal loss of innocence due to his fight with AIDS.
Spiritual ThemesOne of the film's main narratives is a contemporary, homoerotic reinterpretation of the Biblical story of the betrayal of Christ. The characters of Jesus and Judas are represented by 2 men who share an intimate relationship, their homoerotic love overturns the conventional analysis of the biblical tale. Jarman utilizes religious imagery and text, both Christian and pagan, to highlight the themes of bias, terms, and persecution that LGBTQ+ individuals typically face from orthodox religions.
Socio-political CommentaryIn numerous scenes, Jarman slams Margaret Thatcher's Britain, particularly her stance on homosexuality and the ensuing ethical panic which provoked displeasure towards the gay community. He also makes a recommendation to the Clause 28 legislation, which looked for to prohibit the promotion of homosexuality by regional authorities. Jarman uses his own experience and suffering to paint a damning picture of conservative Britain.
Personal Struggle with AIDSSterling styles of homosexuality and Christianity, the story is also stressed by Jarman's individual struggle with AIDS. Poignantly, he incorporates home video footage documenting his visits to medical facilities for tests and treatments. Direct references to his condition are juxtaposed with the visual appeal of the natural world, juxtaposing the severe reality of his health with the peaceful peacefulness of the garden he loved.
Aesthetics and Technique"The Garden" is defined by its experimental design, devoid of direct story and standard cinematic methods. The result is a collage of weird and terrific minutes: Tilda Swinton in golden drapes, guys humming in a rowboat in full bishop dress, authorities in riot gear tossing an old female onto a trampoline, a young man in a crown of thorns weeping tears of golden glitter. There's little discussion, however bits of Jarman's journals and extant spiritual text offer narration, while choral and new-age music underscore the movie's reverie.
Conclusion"The Garden" is an extremely individual expedition of Derek Jarman's inner world, his fears and his desires. It's a visual masterpiece that uses poetic, striking visuals to face political hostility, religious intolerance, and the specter of AIDS. Through "The Garden", Jarman provides a ruminative, hauntingly beautiful lament over the individual and social loss of innocence. The film, regardless of its fragmentary and cryptic nature, is deeply moving, filled with grief, anger, and melancholy. Yet within its complicated material, it carries a touch of hope as it finds happiness in charm and the chance for understanding and approval.
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