Mother/Child Relationship In Lynne Ramsay's We Need To Talk About Kevin

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What motivates people to behave in the way that they do? Is there a so-called “innate” aggression in children? Can some forms of mother/child relationship give rise to destructive and criminal behaviors? These are some the questions that arise after a viewing of Scottish director Lynne Ramsay’s devastating 2011 film, We Need to Talk about Kevin. Ramsay’s film adaptation was based on Lionel Shriver’s novel of the same name, however the story is delivered differently in that rather than an American wife writing letters to her husband about their son, we directly witness one character’s experiences raising the her son. The plot follows Kevin (Ezra Miller), born from the marriage of Eva Khatchadourian (Tilda Swinton) and Franklin (John C. Riley). Eva is a former travel writer who is accustomed to a life of personal freedom and carefree globetrotting. We are shown glimpses of her enjoying rich experiences all over the world, from a religious festival in India to touring beautiful and ancient European cities. Eva takes on the job of motherhood, but it becomes gradually clearer that she has underestimated the challenges posed by taking on the role of a parent. She abandons her downtown loft for a house in the suburbs and sacrifices her free spirit lifestyle to support her family. The film’s perspective moves back and forth between the events leading up to Kevin’s crime, and Eva’s life in the aftermath the crime, when she has become a shunned pariah, verbally attacked in public by the suburban mothers she refused to assimilate with (Scott, 2011). Whether his parents were fully prepared for parenthood is unclear but what is immediately clear, right from his birth, is that Kevin is an unusually difficult child. As an infant he rejects att... ... middle of paper ... ...in a better understanding of this disorder; before seeing this film I might have diagnosed myself with ASPD but now I know that’s not that case. I’m simply introverted a great deal. I would want a patient suffering from this disorder to watch this film because I think it offers a good portrayal of what happens when we fail to communicate enough with others about how we are feeling or what is going on in our lives. Although it may seem unimportant and at times difficult it’s important to talk. Ultimately, it could save lives. I think this movie could be bettered by adding an explanation from Kevin as to why he committed the massacre. Perhaps a scene could be added in which he is undergoing psychotherapy, and the audience is clued into aspects of his disorder either directly by the Kevin character himself, or possibly by his psychiatrist in a conversation with Eva.

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