"The World to Come", set in an isolated, mountainous part of New York State during the 1850s, tells the story of a lesbian affair between two young women, Abigail and Tallie, both the wives of local farmers. Both are unhappily married, especially Tallie, whose husband Finney can be violent and controlling. Abigail and her husband Dyer have also been affected by the recent death of their young daughter Nellie. Although the two men do not realise the true nature of the relationship between their wives, they become increasingly jealous of the time that they are spending in each other's company. Eventually Tallie and Finney move away without informing Abigail and Dyer where they are going. Cue the inevitable tragic ending. The title of the film reflects Abigail's hope that she and Tallie will be reunited in a happier afterlife.
If you think that that synopsis makes the film sound like a Thomas Hardy story transferred across the Atlantic and given a fashionable lesbian twist, all I can say is that in a Hardy story there would be a lot more plot and incident than anything you have here. Director Mona Fastvold emphasises the boredom and sheer soul-crushing misery of rural life; the visual look of the film is unrelievedly gloomy and its pace funereal, as if she wanted to emphasise these elements above all else. At least Hardy's Wessex peasants occasionally found time to enjoy themselves.
What she doesn't emphasise is the element of passion; the austere photography and slow pacing seem inappropriate for a film about two women who fall in love and embark upon a relationship which challenges all the values of their society. We are left with the impression that Abigail and Tallie are merely indulging themselves in order to relieve a sense of taedium vitae, which was probably not the film-makers' intention. Nor do we get any real sense of just how transgressive their relationship is- far worse, by the standards of their society, than taking a male lover. (And that would have been bad enough).
Lest anyone think that my critique of this film is motivated by some form of homophobic prejudice, I have enjoyed a number of lesbian-themed films, including "Carol", "Blue is the Warmest Colour", "La Belle Saison" and "Tell It to the Bees". Two, "Heavenly Creatures" and "Lost and Delirious", rank among my all-time favourites. What all of these films have, however, is a sense of passion and an intensity appropriate to their theme. Some of them, especially the last two I mention, also have excellent acting performances in the leading roles. These, however, are qualities largely absent from the rustic misery porn of "The World to Come". 4/10.
If you think that that synopsis makes the film sound like a Thomas Hardy story transferred across the Atlantic and given a fashionable lesbian twist, all I can say is that in a Hardy story there would be a lot more plot and incident than anything you have here. Director Mona Fastvold emphasises the boredom and sheer soul-crushing misery of rural life; the visual look of the film is unrelievedly gloomy and its pace funereal, as if she wanted to emphasise these elements above all else. At least Hardy's Wessex peasants occasionally found time to enjoy themselves.
What she doesn't emphasise is the element of passion; the austere photography and slow pacing seem inappropriate for a film about two women who fall in love and embark upon a relationship which challenges all the values of their society. We are left with the impression that Abigail and Tallie are merely indulging themselves in order to relieve a sense of taedium vitae, which was probably not the film-makers' intention. Nor do we get any real sense of just how transgressive their relationship is- far worse, by the standards of their society, than taking a male lover. (And that would have been bad enough).
Lest anyone think that my critique of this film is motivated by some form of homophobic prejudice, I have enjoyed a number of lesbian-themed films, including "Carol", "Blue is the Warmest Colour", "La Belle Saison" and "Tell It to the Bees". Two, "Heavenly Creatures" and "Lost and Delirious", rank among my all-time favourites. What all of these films have, however, is a sense of passion and an intensity appropriate to their theme. Some of them, especially the last two I mention, also have excellent acting performances in the leading roles. These, however, are qualities largely absent from the rustic misery porn of "The World to Come". 4/10.