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  • Essay / The film The Holy Girl: 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 childhood at the cinema. It certainly pushes the boundaries of the Latin American cinematic perspective and representation of the relationship between teenage girl and adult man. This scene, in which Amalia is touched inappropriately by Jano during a musical performance in the center of the city, is of great importance. The scene is key to revealing and understanding the main conflict of the film and it represents the starting point of the almost perverse relationships that continue throughout the film. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The scene is one of the few that takes place outside the hotel, in which most of the plot develops. It begins by showing a group of people watching the performance of a musician playing the "theremin", which attracts the attention of Amalia and her friends who approach almost imperceptibly. A depth shot notices movement in the immediate environment, such as people and cars passing by, which is the perfect time for someone to approach who is trying to remain unnoticed amid the noise. . The same shot from the performer's perspective would show Jano approaching from behind and standing behind Amalia in a fairly subtle manner. The following montage is brief, an over-the-shoulder shot framing the performer would reveal the origin of the music, which is quite particular because there is no direct "contact" between the musician and the instrument. -even. A close-up of Amalia's face, although lacking expression, seems to reveal her captivation with sounds. At the same time, the next cut frames the middle of Amalia and Jano's body. He begins to move closer and press himself against Amalia's buttocks, while placing his hands on his pockets with surprising subtlety. This ease with which he carries out these actions reveals, in a second level, that this was not the first time that he had participated in such an assault. Again, a 25-second close-up of Amalia would show that she has multiple thoughts running through her. her mind, including the fact that she's trying to think of an answer while there's a spark of sunlight on her face that comes and goes twice. The wait creates a lot of suspense and disruption on the viewer's side. The viewer doesn't know if Amalia will retaliate or draw attention to them. Amalia freezes and doesn't move until she decides to look at Jano's face. In the following montage, Jano attempts to escape the scene, although it is clear that he becomes nervous and changes direction in an instant, giving Amalia enough time to capture his face in her mind. At the end of the scene, the same shot of Amalia's face shows Josefina looking at her and Amalia responding only with a smile. Throughout the scene, suspense and anticipation builds for the viewers due to the lack of dialogue. By keeping the scene quiet and only having the noise of the performance in the background, the viewer is drawn into the scene. It's slightly hypnotizing, with the soft music and the perverted nature of the subject matter. The spectators tend to look away, but they can't. The scene represents a unique type of humiliation for Amalia. She is not humiliated in the minds of those around her because they are not witnesses to the aggression, or perhaps they are and do not react, but all this still happens in broad daylight, surrounded by others. There is a loss of innocence on her face, as the viewer.