When Goethe, in 1774, wrote about an unattainable romance, he couldn't have imagined that the blend of love and death would have a unique and addictive flavor.
The visceral downfall of a love once sworn eternal is the guiding thread of the erotic drama by the enfant terrible of European cinema. In "Love" (2015), we follow the awakening of Murphy during the worst New Year's of his life. Waking up next to his wife and rousing his young son, he notices a missed call and a voicemail from his ex-mother-in-law, Nora, on his phone. Upon checking, he hears the tearful voice of a mother searching for her daughter. Electra, Murphy's ex-girlfriend, has been missing for two months. It is with this information that we delve into the memories of a pulsating love.
Love (2015), dirigido por Gaspar Noé.
Through flashbacks, we understand how the end of Murphy and Electra's relationship was intrinsically tied to the beginning of Murphy and Omi. Murphy and Electra, after discussing the idea of spicing up their relationship by inviting another woman into their bed, end up meeting Omi in the lobby of their apartment building. The new neighbor catches the attention of both of them, and with just one look, they realize that Omi would be the perfect girl. During a get-together at a restaurant, Murphy and Electra invite Omi to their apartment, using a brief excuse to smoke some marijuana together. While sharing a joint, the three of them end up in bed to get to know each other a little better.
Love (2015), dirigido por Gaspar Noé.
The relationship between Murphy and Electra was never the most exemplary, with occasional infidelity being a constant issue. Scenes of Murphy having sex with another girl in a bathroom at a party and scenes of Electra getting involved with her ex-boyfriend (played by the director himself) serve as clear evidence of this. However, it is with the entry of Omi that the relationship between our couple comes to an end.
One afternoon, Murphy and Omi have sex. Inside Omi, the condom Murphy was using breaks, and Murphy impregnates her. When Electra finds out, she swears eternal hatred for her partner and ends their relationship. Murphy persists in trying to win back his beloved, but with no success. In a sick attempt to forget Murphy and alleviate her hatred, Electra turns to drugs and deepens her friendship with her drug dealer.
The end of Murphy and Electra marks the first display of mourning in the film. According to Vygotsky, in his 1927 text, "The Historical Meaning of the Crisis in Psychology: A Methodological Investigation," death is not just something physical; it is not only the total death of a human being:
[...] Death is interpreted only as a contradictory opposition to life, as the absence of life, in short, as non-being. But death is a fact that also has its positive meaning, it is a particular aspect of being and not just of non-being, it is a certain something and not a complete nothing. And this positive meaning of death is unknown to biology. In fact, death is the universal law of the living; It is impossible to conceive that this aspect represents nothing in the organism, that is, in the life processes. It is difficult to believe that death lacks meaning or only has a negative meaning. (VIGOTSKI, 1999, p. 266)
With this in mind, we can understand the existence of a symbolic death, a death that is separate from total death. Taking into account Murphy's current situation in the film's present, there appears to be a gap of only a few years between his breakup with Electra and his current situation with Omi. This time has not been sufficient to extinguish his love for his ex.
Love (2015), dirigido por Gaspar Noé.
In the present, in addition to memories and some photos, Murphy's connection to Electra is symbolized by a pure opium pill that Electra gave to him, which he still keeps inside a VHS case of "Seul Contre Tous" (1998), also directed by Gaspar Noé. When Murphy swallows the pill, he begins to experience his mourning for Electra. We do not have complete confirmation of Electra's whereabouts, but we understand that the beautiful woman may have committed suicide, although we do not know how or when. Her impulses were strong. Murphy not only suffers the loss of his beloved but also grapples with nostalgia, the good times they shared, and his own choices.
Love (2015), dirigido por Gaspar Noé.
In "Love," there is no right or wrong, and Murphy and Electra are not polar opposites. Omi is not portrayed as a villain. Here, people, loves, horrors, and fears coexist. In a delicate yet brutal way, Gaspar Noé shows us ourselves, delving into the depths of human nature. "Love" is, above all, a film about caring and neglect, about blood, sperm, and tears. It's a love letter to love itself.
Reaching the end of the over two-hour journey of "Love" leads to the realization of the inevitability of tears and the certainty of one thing: Love is strange.
"Love is strange."
- Murphy
Comments