Movie Review: The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open

The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open **** / *****

Directed by: Kathleen Hepburn and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers.

Written by: Kathleen Hepburn and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers.

Starring: Violet Nelson (Rosie), Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (Áila), Charlie Hannah (Cat), Barbara Eve Harris (Sophie), Sonny Surowiec (Taxi Driver #1), Jay Cardinal Villeneuve (Cory), Tony Massil (Neighbour), Aidan Dee (Jessa), James Angus Cowan (Cole), Anthony Bolognese (Jonah).

 

There are two women at the heart of The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open – both Indigenous, but with different levels of privilege. Rosie (Violet Nelson) is an overweight, pregnant 19-year-old, far away from her family, with a partner who doesn’t think twice of verbally abusing her on the street, and does worse when they are alone together. She meets Aila (Elle-Maija Tailfeathers) on the street during one of these instances of verbal abuse. She is half white, half Indigenous, and really wants to help Rosie. She takes her back to her house, and tries to talk her into getting help. She’ll get in a cab with her, and take her to a home for abused women. But she can only help Rosie if Rosie wants that help – and too many women feel that they cannot do better than their abusers – and where will they go, who will they be without them?

 

The film mostly takes place in real time – favoring long, unbroken takes as the two engage in awkward, stilted conversations. To Rosie, Aila is a well-meaning, white stranger – she has a nice home, a nice marriage, a nice career, and even when Aila tells her she is Indigenous as well, Rosie doesn’t quite hear it. To her, Aila is one of the privileged people, looking down at the poor Native girl, trying to help because it will make her feel better about herself. The audience knows this isn’t true – we see Aila at her gynecologist an opening scene, where her own problems come into focus. Perhaps if Aila could see fit to open herself up a little more, than Rosie may trust her a little more. But she remains guarded – as does Rosie.

 

The film was co-directed by Tailfeathers, and Kathleen Hepburn, who take realism as their major aim. The conversation that makes up the bulk of the film often falls into silence, Rosie is awkward and guarded – she mumbles many of her lines – not wanting to be too loud, perhaps the product of the abusive relationship she is in, knowing that would lead to more abuse. What she does tell Aila is bad enough – and makes it clear just how bad things are. Aila allows Rosie her anger, her sadness, her guardedness, perhaps a little too much. She apologizes a lot, and even if she means well, she can only reach out so much to Rosie.

 

The two lead performances are perfect for what they are. The direction adds to the realism, as does the real time aspect of the movie. This is the rare two-hander of a movie that doesn’t feel like a play – you couldn’t do this on stage very well, because of all the silences and mumbles. Instead, the film explores what Indigenous identity – particularly female Indigenous identity – in two very different forms, from very different vantage points of class and privilege.

 

The films ending hits hard, even though, like the rest of the film, it doesn’t push – doesn’t insist you have a certain reaction, doesn’t try and beat you over the head with its message. It also doesn’t wrap everything up in a nice bow either. Sometimes, things cannot be fixed – no matter how well-meaning people are.