In the grand tradition of the iconoclast's signature brand of devilish provocation, Alain Guiraudie's latest confounding canvas paints a wicked portrait of desire amidst a mournful Autumn sonata. Akin to his tantalising erotic thriller Stranger by the Lake, Misericordia delves into the ambiguity and relentlessness of the human condition. All the trademarks of a delirious Guiraudie production are locked in place. Atmosphere reigns supreme, as Misericordia tours the natural order of an isolated commune in the South of France. As once sung by Simon & Garfunkel, the green leaves have turned to brown. The shift in seasons illustrates a seismic sociological intolerance; a time of re-discovery & temptation for the inhabitants of the land. Jealousy, sin, and the idiocy of male rage conjugate within the nonchalant gaze of the film's ambiguous protagonist. The vastness of the geography permits differentiations of egalitarian perspectives; as the lonesome lives of a former resident, a priest, a local farmer, a grieving matriarch, and her callous offspring coincide with the burial of a local baker.
Alain Guiraudie's absurdist morality study relishes in sublime subtext, as told through his stoic cinematic language. The cinematographic approach is purposefully reserved, drawing focus to brief millisecond glances. Powerful and intimate closeups captured by the great Claire Mathon provide the pivotal bridge between expository dialogue & subtext. The deeper relationships, implications, and insinuations regarding the protagonist's autonomy are never directly stated, but rather implied through the hushed reverberations of their collective actions. The ambiguity is playfully cryptic — whilst cleverly separating the spectator from the grislier misconduct on display. The violence in Misericordia is purposefully distant; avoiding any semblance of endorsement regarding the instantaneous cruelty.
As questions amount to even more confusion and hysteria within the reserved agricultural landscape, Alain Guiraudie pushes the plausibility of the onscreen misdemeanours with a delightfully Sirkian twist. Lust between a patriarchal and matriarchal figure clash; combating for the attention of their newfound object of desire. Guiraudie ignites his thesis; neither answering on behalf of the unearthed intentions from his broken cast of characters. There is a profound messiness at the crux of the resolution; a surprising reflection of humanity's need for love. In the casualness of mutual dialogue, the characters comment and reconcile with their “power of desire”. The fringes of Freudian undertones are resurrected and unraveled within the character's cycles of grief; as represented through the literality of the semiotics.
The dry undertones at the foundation of Guiraudie's enigmatic study are fun, albeit insufficient. Misericordia lacks musicality within the melodramatic splendour of its delirious climax. The shooting method reflects the spartan mise-en-scène; neither matching the potency nor urgency of the somber finale. Guiraudie's dependable direction detracts from the tragic-comic folly; a realist vision that never fully commits nor embodies the irrationality of the events through the cinematic form. At its emotionally gratifying peak, Misericordia remains an arms-length away from the viewer. Astray in a sea of trees & buried bodies, Guiraudie's latest psycho-sexual damnation is simultaneously provocative and ambitious.
