The hidden meaning of the film "Mama" Darren Aronofsky: plot treatments and non-obvious references

Almost all the work of Darren Aronofsky filled with symbolism and involve multiple interpretations. "Mom!" Is no exception. The author showed chamber story, which, however, covers a variety of topical and timeless themes.

Critics and audiences are a lot of hidden meanings and story versions. Some of them confirmed by Aronofsky himself. But this does not prevent each to determine the value of the film and his own finals.

What happens in the film

The picture begins with a "purification" of the burned house. A hand putting a crystal on a shelf, and then waking up the main character. All the action of the film takes place in one house, standing somewhere in the suburbs. In it live Mother and He (the names of the characters are not called).

He (Javier Bardem) - a famous poet, suffering from creative crisis and trying to write a new book. Its main value and a source of inspiration - Crystal, standing in his office.

Mother (Jennifer Lawrence) watching the house, doing repairs in it and creates it in your world in the image of paradise or a perfect natural system. At the same time it is constantly listening to the heartbeat of the walls of the home and is bleeding hole in the floor.

Once in their house came the unknown, which seems a fan of the poet. The owner allows guests to stay, despite the objections of the Mother. At the same time a strange man has a scar on his back, as if from the edge extraction.

Following the guest comes his wife, then rush their children into the house. They put up a fight, and one brother kills the other. Further, in the house at the wake we accumulate more and more intruders, causing flooding.

A few months later Mother preparing for birth child and the poet ends his new work. Soon the house breaks crowd of his fans who smashing everything in its path. At the same time, Mother goes into labor, but soon the child drags the crowd of fans. They convey the baby hands, as a religious symbol, but then accidentally killed him.

Mother furious blows up the house, and he carries her charred body in the room and removes from the heart crystal women, returning to the beginning of the action.

What is the basis of the plot

The destruction of man in the world

One of the most obvious explanation of the plot of the film - rude attitude of humanity to nature. In this interpretation of the house - is the Earth, and mother - the same "mother nature", which itself restores the flora on the planet (to make repairs), and gives new life (giving birth to the child).

People initially come politely but immediately break the rules - the first guest smokes in the room. And then they start to behave all the bolder, first using the house as a toilet, and then breaking everything that nature has created.

She "meets" them in various disasters (floods and fires). But after the destruction of the intruders nature itself restores the house and back to the beginning of history.

This version was confirmed by the director himself, in an interview Darren Aronofsky on 'Mother!' Meaning, How Evangelicals Sabotaged 'Noah' Variety. According to him, people refer to the Earth without respect, robbed and raped her. It Aronofsky and tried to show in the film.

Cruel God and Bible stories

In the same interview, the director said that Javier Bardem has played in this film of God, and in his most brutal manifestation - how, he appeared in the Old Testament - selfish and demanding worship. God creates the house, after which the mother (nature) is caring for him.

This house - our own personal paradise. And I love to create.

Mother

Next to the plot there are many obvious biblical references. The first people that come to visit the main characters - Adam and Eve (their names are not called too). That is why a man appears before a woman, and he has a scar on his back, as if from the extracted edges.

Their children, apparently, Cain and Abel, so one brother kills another because of the will. Interestingly, played their true brothers: Donal Gleeson and Brin.

Flooding of homes after the first invasion of the guests - an analogue of the Flood. Then Mother (Mother of God) gives birth to a child, which is obvious allusion to Jesus, as the fanatics kill him and eat his flesh. But the final, it seems, leads to the idea of apocalypseWhich will destroy all the people, if they continue to behave in this way.

Muse gave himself the creator

Bardem character can be considered a creator, not only in the divine sense, but in a purely poetic. He creates works, and his mother is a muse. While he was trying to write anything, it is engaged in humdrum chores, preparing and repairing the house. And while her duty - to inspire the poet in the new creation.

The point is you. The point is always in you and in your work. Do you think they will help you to write? Never! I built a whole house inside and out, and you're not a word written.

Mother

Becoming popular again, he basks in the glory and admirers, even forgetting about cooking dinner. A mother must deal with the consequences and then to clean up the house after the invasion of fans. But the main thing is happening in the finalWhen it turns out that the crystal, which is so protected the poet - it is in fact the heart of his muse.

It completely gives herself to him, so that he could do more. A recent shots that are repeated entry, but with a different actress, show that the poet then there is a new muse.

Toxic relationships in the family and society

If you descend from the creativity and religion to human weekdays, the "Mom!" Also covers many important topics. Firstly, the idea of ​​patriarchy. The mother is always in the shadow of her husband. He does not ask her opinion when inviting guests to the house, and she has been acting in the role of servants. At the same time he does not even understand that it is not satisfied, and continues to do just what he wants.

- Why did not you consulted with me, inviting them to stay?

- You know, I did not think it was important.

Mother and He

Secondly, in the film there are several allusions to a fear of motherhood. Came a woman shamelessly hinted that Mother is time to give birth, speaking here as oppressive to the human society with the traditional "clock is ticking».

You believe me, youth passes. Get children. So you create something together, and it will strengthen your marriage.

Female (Michelle Pfeiffer)

If you take the body home as an analogue of the heroine, the ongoing changes in it can be considered a reflection of the fear of changes in the body during pregnancy - bleeding hole in the floor, the sound of the heart that hears the mother in the walls, flood and subsequent death of a child at this hint quite clearly.

Third, even if it does not relate to family relationships, "Mom!" Traceable hints invading society in the life introvert. And he acts as bright extrovert: welcomes guests in the house and can not understand why Mother is not happy.

For her, the presence of strangers in the house and in their personal lives and their behavior is totally unacceptable. But society is beginning to dictate their own rules, which leads to disaster.

The movie ends

Finale picture repeats the introduction that many people do not notice, as yet unaware of the future action. At the beginning of the film, he puts on a crystal shelf, and then burned the house is cleaned and the mother wakes up in his bed. After all the events of the film in the end there is exactly the same thing.

Only in bed at this time wakes up the other mother (it plays Laurence Leboeuf). In various embodiments, treatment means or the next round after the destruction of nature by man, or a new creation of the world God, or else another muse for the creator.

In any case, the story is cyclical, and suggests that further action is completely again and again destroy the house.

How to understand the picture viewers

Despite the author's opinion and many already known treatments, the film "Mama!" And allows other versions. It can be considered as part psychological test, where everyone will see something of their own, the most intimate, or, conversely, terrible.

This author himself directly speaks through the poet. After talking with the fans, he says: "They understood everything. But everyone understood quite differently. " This is confirmed by critics and audiences just opinions.

The images [...] reminiscent of Abu Ghraib, the war in Iraq, the crisis of European migrants, and more.

Zach Scarf, IndieWire

For most of the film, she (Lawrence) - an angel, and its closest equivalent - Lucifer. Like an angel, she - the servant (cooks, cleans, takes care of the house, until God "creates"). Basement - underworld - is its ownership, and it becomes the source of the fire. Michelle Pfeiffer - Eve - there was one to talk to Lucifer as God and Adam go for a walk. Lawrence gives directions, but nobody listens. As if she brings out the worst in people and entices them to disobey.

MountainDewsRealGood, Reddit

Throughout the film the heroine Jennifer Lawrence moments of crisis goes to the bathroom alone and drinking some yellow powder, dissolved in water. He calms her. [...] It is possible, in these scenes Aronofsky refers to the story "The Yellow Wallpaper" American feminist and writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The yellow color symbolizes the madness and Gilman novel tells the story of a woman who goes mad with postpartum psychosis.

Vadim Yelistratov, DTF

Who watched "Mama!" Aronofsky? The last quarter of the film is brilliant!!! But overall... who knew what the movie? From the mass of versions I came to the madness of genius, would crush everything in its path to seek inspiration and demand bordering on madness

- Anton Ivanov (@banderas_spb) December 29, 2017

Saw the film yesterday, "Mom!". All told, this art house and generally fi, but the film is interesting and very deep. At least I saw some promise than Aronofsky put into it. But any promise there - of vanity, talent and soul. And even a little about feminism. Here.

- LL (@lebedeva_valery) 3 June, 2018

For many viewers the film somehow responds in its own way. Therefore personal perception may not coincide with any of the above theories. "Mom!" Specially filmed ambiguouslyTo provoke emotions and thoughts.