Response to the film: Persona
A lot of people don’t fully understand this film. People may have some ideas, but there haven’t been any definite, agreeable beliefs on what the film is about. For me, I was quite lost most of the time, since there was so much contradicting scenes. You thought you understood the basic plot and then suddenly it’s turned on its head.
The movie reminded me a lot of two movies; a Japanese animation called “Millennium Actress” and the movie “Shutter Island.” Both films explore the inner workings of people’s minds and how past memories often shape how we view ourselves in the present.
I feel like this film really explores this notion. In the film, both Alma and Elisabet deal with their past in differing ways, but for both of them their past has hindered their ability to move forward. As you progress through the film, you really get to see just how much.
The film as a whole is pretty confusing and complex. Probably the most complex part is figuring out the odd relationship Alma and Elisabet seem to have. My belief is that during Alma’s quest to rid Elisabet of her paranoid-like personality, she starts taking on similar personality traits. It seems to have been that the more time she spends around Elisabet, the more her own insecurities and regrets of her past seem to bubble to the surface.
As the movie progresses it also seems to be that Alma and Elisabet seem to switch roles and personalities. As Elisabet spends time with Alma, she starts to recover from her paranoid personality and starts to learn how to live fully again. Alma on the other hand seems to take on Elisabet’s previous personality and seems to be breaking down inside. In terms of roles changing, Alma in the beginning was a caregiver/psychiatrist hired to take care of Elisabet, study her actions, and then record her findings. The irony is that as Alma starts taking on Elisabet’s personality, Elisabet seems to somewhat take on her role.
In one of the scenes in the film, Alma confides to Elisabet her regret of cheating on her husband with some under aged boys. Elisabet ends up sending a secretive letter to the head-psychiatrist/ caregiver about her curiosity in Alma and her eagerness to analyze her, based on what Alma has confided to her.
As time goes on it appears to be that Elisabet seems to become the more reasonable one, while Alma starts to tilt more towards the opposite side of the spectrum. For example, in one of the scenes nearing the end, she accidentally breaks a glass and decides to put a shard of the broken piece in an area where Elisabet will step on.
The film as a whole seems to be more of an exploration of people’s struggle to cope with past regrets and how people interact and affect each other in regards to them. The plot as a whole though, doesn’t seem to be one that’s meant to be understood literally. It seems more as a backdrop for the artistic message or idea of what the director wanted to express.
