One of the most striking, well-crafted, and meaningful films in the Nordic competition section of the 48th Göteborg film Festival was undoubtedly The Girl with the Needle (Pigen med nålen), directed by the Swedish filmmaker Magnus von Horn, who used the most fundamental elements of cinema to their fullest potential.
The film is inspired by a true story taking place in Denmark in 1918, in a filthy industrial world barely emerging from World War I, where colors seem to have disappeared at the same time as hope, revolving a series of child murders that caused a scandal. Naturally a beautiful black and white imposes itself and seems essential for not only giving a unique aesthetic dimension, but also to anchors the story in its historical context, making the experience even more immersive for the viewer.
Where and how the plot of the story takes shape ?
The main character is a young working-class woman named “Karoline” (Victoria Carmen Sonne), whose husband went to war but did not return, and his death remains unclear. She struggles with poverty and, after losing her job at the factory and lacking access to government housing for war widows, becomes homeless and loses her place to live due to insufficient income. She becomes obliged to live in a hovel. At that time, the factory owner, from a wealthy family, expresses his affection for her, and this relationship progresses toward marriage. However, the fairy tale ends in failure. Karoline, who is cast out and pregnant, meets a very kind and friendly woman named “Dagmar” (Trine Dyrholm), who introduces herself as the operator of an agency for placing unwanted babies with childless families. However, this agency does not exist, and her work is conducted underground. Eventually, a close friendship develops between the two, and Karoline takes on the role of a surrogate for the babies that Dagmar receives money for from their relinquishers while waiting to find families for them. However, Caroline’s world collapses when she discovers the truth behind her collaboration with Dagmar.
How all elements contribute to the force of the film
The staging, clearly under the influence of German expressionism, is in tune with the rough and aggressive aspect of the scenario, not hesitating to alternate gothic compositions and surrealist lurches, like this sequence of opening based on superimpositions and grotesque distortions of faces punctuated by shrill violins or the abortion without medical equipment (the famous needle), the abandonment of infants, infanticide (the scene of the stroller in a corner and a reframing of the shot which made us discover the matron who wrings the baby’s neck….Or again the graphic and shocking shot of the little pile of ashes at the foot of the stove, from which peek a few little baby teeth. During these shock scene; the spectator feels a cold shiver going down his spine.
This very intelligently black and white Danish spoken film, gives the dark drama a unique visual quality and immerses the viewer into this great nightmare. The black and white not only adds a special allure to the film but also situates it in its time, making it even more impactful. The way Magnus von Horn uses black and white to enhance the atmosphere of the film, gives not only a unique aesthetic dimension, but it also anchors the story in its historical context, making the experience even more immersive for the viewer. This stunning black and white photography enhance also the actresses work and gives them all necessary space for explode the screen : Trine Dyrholm, by moving all the time in a Machiavellian way, and Victoria Carmen Sonne, in her role as an under influence slave, grab us by the guts. This process also gives life to all the elements of the decor.
Unbreathable atmosphere that leads us to liberation
Some people compare the film’s atmosphere to the stories of “Hans Christian Andersen” or “Charles Dickens,” which always focus on the pressure of the wealthy on the lower classes and the disenfranchised in order to criticize it. However, Magnus von Horn himself emphasizes the narrative and slightly fantastical atmosphere of the past in his film to depict a woman’s struggle to regain lost love and moral value. This deeply emotional work, rich in meaning, tackling themes such as class struggle, motherhood and the quest for dignity in a difficult world, carried by excellent performers, had actually created controversy concerning the prize awarded collectively to actresses in Cannes film festival.
Aesthetically, it’s just incredible. Morally, by allowing on the one hand to deal with many quite in-depth subjects : the question of gender violence and the almost impossibility of free choice as a woman , and on the other hand questioning us about our own moral precept, it becomes punchy..
It is impossible not to see, in this feature film by Magnus von Horn, a social commentary on the situation of women’s rights, which is being undermined in many countries, starting with the United States. This fact highlights the importance of these discussions in contemporary cinema because we have to believe that the acquired rights by women are not definitive and eternal as we witness the worrying erosion of these rights all over the world.
The haunting music of the film should not be forgotten, as it complements well the film’s sense of despair.. The camera’s positioning also plays a significant role in showing or not certain scenes, adding to the film’s dramatic quality. The dialogs, especially in the courtroom scenes, form one of the most powerful parts of the film which deliberately puts viewers in discomfort by confronting them with their own moral paradoxes and pushing them to understand morally unacceptable behavior. No doubt that it gives a huge strength to this feature film in terms of what it deals with and what this excellent film wants to provoke.
The Girl with the Needle hits where it hurts and does not leave you indifferent, at the risk of alienating a part of the public. Which, in itself, is a quality because the work does not seek to please as many people as possible. In another word, In The Girl with the Needle, Magnus von Horn, skillfully knows where to place the needle. The famous needle that this seamstress uses to make her embroidery becomes, in a radical way, representative of women misery.
Presented at the Cannes Film Festival, Denmark’s selection for the Oscars, this black and white film is as chilling as it is sumptuous.
Shahla Nahid
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