Sep 21 2012
Why Wasp?
http://dearcinema.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Wasp-2003.jpg
Andrea Arnold’s film, Wasp, depicts the story of 23 year old Zoe and her struggle to raise her four children, while also holding on to the small social life she attempts to have. When people view this film they cannot help but be annoyed and furious at Zoe for being unable to feed her kids, and bringing them to a bar so that she can have her one night out. But at the same time, the audience also feels sympathy for Zoe that she is trying to get by with the little nothing she has, and still loves her children through it all.
When I watch films, I always study the title and how it relates back to the film. Every title serves a purpose for a film and it wasn’t put there by mistake. In the case of Wasp I wasn’t sure at first why Arnold would give such a film this title. There were moments in the film where the camera would focus in on a wasp; once in Zoe’s apartment and later on during the climax, when the wasp is on her baby’s face. I looked up wasp on Wikipedia.com and it used words such as “parasite” and “pest” describing it as preying on other species. I realized that the wasp in the movie symbolized the fear and danger that Zoe faces each day of her life; trying to feed her children, just struggling to get by, and attempting to enjoy her life. She has all these issues that are parasitic to her life and she can’t escape them. Her life almost completely collapses when the wasp nearly stings her baby. Zoe lives a parasitic life and is prey to all of the struggles she faces each day.
During the film, I also observed the camera techniques that Andrea Arnold used. She had used the free-camera style, which made the picture shaky at times. I think she did this to give it more a one-on-one feeling, as though the audience is right there next to Zoe and her family, and experiencing everything. It also illustrates Zoe’s hectic and chaotic life. Arnold also uses a lot of close-ups that are usually still. These are usually in moments right before something bad happens in Zoe’s life. She also utilized close-ups on objects that helped to describe Zoe’s character. The camera techniques played a large role in for the concept of the film, and without it I don’t think it would’ve given off the same feelings.
“Wasp.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia.com, May 2011. Web. 21 Sep 2012.
Thanks for explaining how the story connects to the title. Though I know I should be mad at Zoe for what she’s putting her kids through, I find it so hard to blame for wanting one night to herself. It’s not that I condone her leaving her children, alone and hungry, in an alleyway, but how can she keep her sanity if she never has any time for herself? Oh man, maybe that’s the problem. I think that her predicament has seriously impaired her ability to make good decisions. Huh, that explains a lot.
I see how the camera angles definitely helped make the story. It made it seem more rough and raw.
When you were watching the film, did you feel as angry as I was? Your post focused mainly on the technicality of the film (which was brilliantly done!) but what did you feel?
I was really annoyed at her for not taking care of her kids properly. To tell you the truth I have no sympathy for her and I don’t believe she truly loves her children, because she wouldn’t leave them outside a bar to go on a date if she did.
I agree with the idea that her situation is impairing her decision making abilities but I don’t think that this makes her a bad mother by any means. As I said in my post, being in her early twenties she seems like a child herself. Throughout the movie however, regardless of the situations she puts her daughters through, Zoe is always cognizant of the dangers and the things they need from her.