(minor spoilers)
Here I am! A man! Even a heterosexual man! A man who believes in the wisdom and intelligence of other men. Some other men, at least. And women.
So, here's what I didn't like about the movie: The way, that motorcycle riding Adonis is being utilized as a fertilizer without asking. That's pretty much it, concerning what disturbed me as a sexist perspective on things. Violence is used by men and women (Danielle stabs Deedee's rapist in the crotch with a pitch fork - take that as symbolical if you want, for the character it is pretty literal) and respect and wisdom is shown by men and women. Women are the focus of the story, but men don't necessarily come off as monsters all together, only if you apply a very limited view to things. Some men are portrayed in a rather favorable light, those that respect the women and cheerily let them become parts of their own stories.
After brushing aside a few pretensions, I was absolutely taken in by the easy-going way, these women (and men) successfully built an anarchic but peaceful community on their little farm. The way they just naturally picked up outcasts and lived the life that came to them... Homosexuality, mental handicaps, genius, love, birth and decay all come as parts of that big wonder of life which is celebrated in almost every scene. Only death and violent intrusions from outsiders occasionally disrupt the harmony on the farm but at least the former is, after a while, being accepted as another part of life and actually is what the movie begins and ends with, Antonia's recognition of her own impeding death and the sad event itself, between you get almost two hours of great, alternative and not really overly feminist fun. 9/10
Here I am! A man! Even a heterosexual man! A man who believes in the wisdom and intelligence of other men. Some other men, at least. And women.
So, here's what I didn't like about the movie: The way, that motorcycle riding Adonis is being utilized as a fertilizer without asking. That's pretty much it, concerning what disturbed me as a sexist perspective on things. Violence is used by men and women (Danielle stabs Deedee's rapist in the crotch with a pitch fork - take that as symbolical if you want, for the character it is pretty literal) and respect and wisdom is shown by men and women. Women are the focus of the story, but men don't necessarily come off as monsters all together, only if you apply a very limited view to things. Some men are portrayed in a rather favorable light, those that respect the women and cheerily let them become parts of their own stories.
After brushing aside a few pretensions, I was absolutely taken in by the easy-going way, these women (and men) successfully built an anarchic but peaceful community on their little farm. The way they just naturally picked up outcasts and lived the life that came to them... Homosexuality, mental handicaps, genius, love, birth and decay all come as parts of that big wonder of life which is celebrated in almost every scene. Only death and violent intrusions from outsiders occasionally disrupt the harmony on the farm but at least the former is, after a while, being accepted as another part of life and actually is what the movie begins and ends with, Antonia's recognition of her own impeding death and the sad event itself, between you get almost two hours of great, alternative and not really overly feminist fun. 9/10