Thursday, April 14, 2011
Please Do Eat the Daisies
The two main characters in Daisies are constantly eating or at least playing with food. They have lavish dinners at restaurants, bathe in milk and playfully slice bananas and sausage. This trend culminates in the scene in which they sneak into a feast, indulge their palattes, and engage in a food fight. What is the point of all this food, glorious food? Can you make sense of the use of food in at least some of these scenes?
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Daisies, although being a controversial and unconventional film, had many metaphors dealing with the state of eastern Europe during the 1060's. Some of these metaphors were unclear and distant, but for the most part they were identifying the problems of their communistic form of governing and the differences that it has with the West's democracy and capitalism. Throughout the whole film, the two protagonists were doing as they pleased when ever they pleased, sometimes even at the expense of others. I see this as the film's perception of capitalism in the United States and western Europe during the Cold War. This shows of the need of a new and free identity for the people in communist Europe. Also, the excess amounts of food eaten and displayed during the film show of the idea that capitalism can cause over-indulgence. And even though this can be bad, the freedom of over-indulgence is still worth it. One of the more obvious symbols of the film was when the protagonists were slicing the sausages and eggs. I think that this is supposed to tell the people of communist Europe that production is everything.
ReplyDeleteI believe that all of the food that was in Daises was a statement that woman are free to act as they wish and have some male characteristics. In todays society Woman are seen to have a lot of materialistic things such as clothing and shoes. Men are looked at to have large appetites and have several meals per day. Perhaps the most memorable scene was when the two woman cut the sausages and pickles while the were upset at a male. To me that scene was saying, "we don't need men, they suck." Which was to me the biggest feminist statement in the film. The scene in which there was a large table of food and they went down the table eating things acting very non lady like. Eventually, the two began to throw food at each other acting like middle school children in their own world. Once again this was another statement of ladies being able to freely express themselves without having the restrictions of society.
ReplyDeleteFood is used as a representation of feelings and emotion throughout the entire film. We see in many instances such as the women slicing the sausages, that there is clearly a direct correlation between how the girls feel at that point in time and what and how they are eating. By taking advantage of older men, they are able to eat as they please at the restaurants, and this definitely shows that at that point in time they not only feel in control, but they are taking advantage of what is put in front of them, and they have no problem exploiting the potential that is both the men and the meal. The fact of the matter is that these girls use symbolism in extraordinary ways and are fully aware that their appetite is ultimately a representation of their emotion and their intentions at the specific moment.
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