Bella, who is learning about the world, dances. Duncan, her travel companion, dances with her. Bella moves in her own way. Duncan tries to hold onto those movements.
In this scene from “Poor Things,” I burst out laughing. It’s ridiculous when a man who said he wanted to enjoy something together tries to move the other person’s body according to his own will. Mr. Duncan, you said you wanted to dance together, not control someone.
Bella is a woman who comes back to life through the experiment of the scientist Goodwin, and she learns about the world. Although her body is that of an adult, she is initially clumsy at walking and speaking. When Bella dances in her own way, the limitations of the freedom that Duncan has granted are also revealed.
For Duncan, a free woman is one who is free at his side, a woman who is free according to his will. This dance encapsulates the entire film. I believe this film successfully gives Bella back her life. However, it is too easy to applaud Bella when she escapes the control of others, only to then exert control over others herself.
Dancing together does not make someone the owner of another person’s body
I believe this dance most accurately portrays Bella’s freedom and Duncan’s possessiveness. This is because who is trying to dominate whom is revealed solely through the two people’s movements.
For Bella, dancing is an activity she enjoys with her own body. Rather than conforming to the expectations of others, she moves according to how she feels. The fact that she is with Duncan is not a reason to restrict her movements.
Duncan falls out of step with Bella at precisely that point. Although he is drawn to her uninhibited nature, he tries to restrain it when it goes against his own will. In other words, after growing close to her, he tries to change a quality he initially liked.
The important thing here is not whether Bella dances well, nor whether she accurately imitates Duncan’s movements. The crucial question is who decides how to move their own body.
The phrase “dancing together” implies a reciprocal interaction. However, reacting and obeying are different things. Instead of explaining this difference, the film depicts two bodies standing in the same place and colliding.
Therefore, the humor in this scene does not come from mocking Bella’s clumsiness. Instead, it is Duncan’s embarrassment that is funny, as he believed he was the one leading the relationship. The more Bella acts according to her own nature, the more the conditions attached to his confidence are revealed.
I greatly value this choice because it does not simply portray Bella as an oppressed person. She is already finding pleasure, while Duncan is busy trying to shape that pleasure according to his own will.
The difference between the two is small, but crucial. Bella is trying to move her own body, while Duncan is trying to move Bella’s body as well. Even when they are dancing the same dance, the range of freedom that each person desires is not the same.
However, if one only focuses on Duncan’s comical appearance, they miss half of the scene. The feeling of caring for someone does not give anyone the right to decide things for that person. The other men who are taking care of Bella cannot avoid this standard either.
The film shows not who is kinder, but who has the power to decide. What Bella needs is not a more lenient permission, but a place where she can choose freely, even without permission. So, how much further does Bella go in breaking free from the man’s control?
Bella is not just someone who gains physical freedom
I believe that Emma Stone’s body and words convincingly convey Bella’s growth. Thanks to this change, freedom expands beyond sexual experiences, becoming the power to learn about and judge the world.
In the early scenes, Bella walks unsteadily and her speech is halting. She is clumsy in both her movements and in expressing her thoughts verbally. Stone does not compensate for these shortcomings with a single, endearing facial expression.
As Bella travels and gains experience, her movements and speech gradually become more stable. The audience can recognize the changed Bella, even without anyone explaining her growth. Initially, her body might have led the way, but now she is beginning to choose her actions based on her own thoughts.
The significance of this change lies in the fact that Bella witnesses poverty. She, who was previously focused on discovering her own desires, now reacts to the suffering of others. A world enters her life that cannot be satisfied by simply demanding more pleasure.
My reasons for supporting Bella here have become even stronger. This is because she is not only striving to regain control of her own body, but also learning that others experience pain as well. The possibility of moving towards freedom, free from dominating others, also opens up at this time.
Mark Ruffalo, playing the male counterpart, moves in the opposite direction. Duncan, who travels with Bella, transforms from a confident seducer at the beginning into a jealous and whiny man. As Bella’s words become calmer, his voice and gestures become more exaggerated.
Therefore, Ruffalo’s exaggeration is accurate. He doesn’t simply play a comical character; he demonstrates the loss of confidence that occurs when one is unable to control the other person. The way he creates chaos instead of explaining his intentions reveals Duncan’s limitations.
The man’s ideal, seemingly to usher in a new era of free relationships, is ultimately limited: it operates only within the boundaries of his own approval.
Willem Dafoe overlays a caring attitude onto Goodwin’s scarred face. This tenderness reveals how closely affection and control are intertwined.
Ramy Youssef, who plays Max, the observer and suitor of Bella, listens and waits. However, this restraint does not create an equal starting point for the two characters.
What these actors did well is that they didn’t immediately determine who was the “good” person. Instead, they showed how the men around Bella reacted when she asserted herself.
However, just because an actor has convincingly portrayed growth, does that necessarily justify the very beginning of that growth?
The absence of shame does not mean that consent is complete
I disagree with the view that this movie should only be seen as a male sexual fantasy. However, I agree with the criticism that Bella’s lack of maturity was treated too lightly.
Bella begins with the body of an adult but exhibits the speech and behavior of a child. Adult men then engage in sexual relationships with this Bella. The ability to understand does not automatically become an adult trait simply because the body is that of an adult.
Here, we need to consider several points. Does Bella feel shame about her desires? And does she fully understand the relationships she is entering?
Even if you answer “no” to the first question, the second question remains. Having an attitude of not caring about what others think and having the strength to understand the consequences of one’s own choices are different things. The film exuberantly portrays the former attitude, but does not sufficiently explore the latter.
Even if humanity were to shed all of its shame, there would still be questions remaining. The question is: have we truly understood?
It would be problematic to dismiss this question simply because Bella is enjoying it. Those who know what the other person does not know also have a responsibility. We cannot replace the knowledge of men who understand the world more than Bella does with her curiosity alone.
It is also an oversimplification to characterize the film as one that simply portrays Bella as a woman desired by men. Bella continues to learn and grow, even after her sexual experiences. She reads, works, and confronts issues beyond her own personal enjoyment, including poverty.
If sexual experience were all that defined Bella, then this exploration would be unnecessary. The film goes beyond what she enjoys, delving into what she judges. I do not want to minimize the significance of this distinction.
In particular, the process of learning about the suffering of others is crucial. This is because it involves a shift from recognizing the importance of one’s own desires to recognizing the importance of the lives of others. This is also the foundation for Bella to grow up as someone who does not dominate others.
Therefore, my criticism is not intended to suppress Bella’s curiosity. Rather, it is a call to respect what she wants, while also providing her with the opportunity to understand. It is meaningless to talk about respecting choices without also requiring an understanding of the conditions surrounding those choices.
I do not believe that Bella’s subsequent growth automatically compensates for problems arising from previous relationships. The fact that she has thrived does not prove that the initial circumstances were fair. How much did the choices made based on Bella’s experiences amplify her voice, and how much did they suppress it?
Gaining Bella’s perspective diminished the power to doubt the man’s words
The film emphasizes the process by which Bella makes judgments based on her own experiences rather than relying on others’ explanations. However, the mechanisms for questioning the man’s account of her life are weaker compared to the original work.
In Alasdair Gray‘s original novel, the husband’s records and the woman’s counterarguments clash. One cannot believe that reading only one side explains the entirety of a life. Bella’s life itself changes depending on who is telling the story.
Here, the methods of controlling another person’s life are not limited to physically restraining them. It also includes defining who that person is and solidifying that definition as truth. The woman’s counter-argument directly challenges this power.
The film chooses a different path. Instead of having the records contend with each other, it presents the world that Bella experiences before us. I do not want to judge this choice based on how faithfully it adheres to the original work.
The crucial point is whose interpretation of Bella’s life we accept. In the film, Bella does not remain confined to a man’s records; instead, she moves and experiences things directly. The audience judges what she has learned through changes in her words and gait.
The choice to transition from the home setting to a travel destination, with the shift from black and white to a rich color palette, is particularly effective. The screen, along with Bella, experiences the moment when the world expands. Even without adding dialogue about freedom, the change in the scope of learning is evident.
This color scheme not only beautifies Bella, but it also changes the perspective. The person who was previously observed within the home now goes outside and becomes the observer. I find this change in position more appealing than the dazzling city itself.
However, there is a difference between vividly portraying an experience and making us question the explanation. While the film brings us closer to Bella, it does not repeatedly challenge the authority of the person speaking, as the original work does. The power gained is clear, and so too is the reduction in doubt.
In the film “The Favourite,” also directed by the same director, sexual relationships are intertwined with the competition for status within the court. Who desires whom is directly linked to who holds power. “Poor Things” offers Bella a greater opportunity to reject the very rules governing those relationships.
Therefore, I delve deeper into Bella’s independence. If she has succeeded in leaving a place determined by others, she must now also consider the places she imposes on others.
Does Bella, who has earned the right to speak about her own life, uphold the same principles even when facing another person’s body?
A final question remains before it can be called a victory for freedom
From this point on, I will not reveal specific plot twists, but I will discuss the choices made in the ending. If you want to avoid spoilers about the ending, please skip to the overall summary. I believe that the film focused so much on celebrating the final retribution that it did not adequately address Bella’s dominance. When a person who deviates from the will of others determines the fate of another person, the film’s questions become less clear.
I will not specify the exact methods of punishment. However, the way this retribution is carried out shares similarities with the experimental power that Goodwin wielded when he created Bella. It highlights the fact that the person who ultimately decides the authority to interfere with another person’s body is oneself.
Of course, there is a reason for Bella’s resistance. It does not mean that she should passively return to those who want to control her. It is absolutely necessary to escape from danger.
However, the right to resist and the right to arbitrarily alter another person’s body are not the same. Recognizing the former right does not automatically imply the acceptance of the latter. The film does not fully explore the distinction between these two.
What I find regrettable is not the fact that there is retribution, but the way in which it is presented. Because the audience has already witnessed the other person’s desire for dominance, they are likely to readily accept Bella’s choices with a sense of satisfaction. At that moment, the judgment changes depending on who is performing the same action.
The questions I asked Godwin must also be asked of Bella. Does the feeling of cherishing or hating give one the right to determine another person’s fate? If I only retract this one question because of my support for Bella, then the previous criticisms will lose their force.
However, a single final choice does not erase all of Bella’s growth. She continues to learn and becomes a person who defines her own path and relationships. The achievement of the once-observed subject reaching the point of choosing the direction of her own life is significant.
I particularly appreciate the fact that learning continues. This is because freedom does not end at the moment when one achieves the desired pleasure. I certainly applaud Bella for having the freedom to determine how she will live her life.
Therefore, the omission at the end is even more regrettable. Bella, who recognized the suffering of others, would have had the strength to reflect on her own retribution. The film chooses to preserve the feeling of victory rather than show that strength.
What I wanted was not an ending where Bella is simply made docile again. I wanted an ending that questions whether she truly recognizes the right of choice for others.
A victory that restored my life, but not a victory that protected the freedom of others
I applaud “Poor Things.” Bella grows from being an object of observation and description to a person who determines her own life. However, the film softens the questions that arise when she is freed from oppression and confronts the power she now wields.
Emma Stone learns and grows through subtle changes in her gait and speech. Mark Ruffalo accurately and humorously portrays the crumbling possessiveness that arises in the face of this learning. The expanding spectrum of Bella’s world, combined with her growth, has a powerful impact that makes this transformation visually convincing.
My rating is 4 out of 5 stars. I give a high score for the skillful portrayal of Bella’s growth, demonstrated through her body, speech, and colors. However, I question whether the immature Bella fully understood the relationships involved. I do not award a perfect score because, even in the final confrontation, the power to determine other people’s bodies was not sufficiently scrutinized.
If you enjoy watching a person develop their own judgment within a bizarre fantasy, I recommend this 141-minute film. Simply observing the contrast between Stone’s increasing composure and Ruffalo’s escalating behavior clearly illustrates the reversal of their relationship. It is also beneficial to understand the transformation from the monochrome world of home to the colorful landscapes of the journey alongside this learning process.
On the other hand, it is not recommended for those who find a sexual relationship between a mentally immature character and an adult deeply uncomfortable. This film does not shy away from explicit sexual content. It is also not suitable for those who seek a flawless and exemplary portrayal of female liberation.
The next work to be discussed is “The Favourite.” In that film, desire is intertwined with the struggle for status, and Bella attempts to reject the very rules of relationships. When viewed side by side, it becomes clear that winning in a relationship and escaping domination are distinct concepts.
I applaud Bella for regaining her life. However, evidence of freedom is necessary even when one controls the lives of others.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is “Poor Things” a true story?
This is a fantasy based on the novel of the same name by Alasdair Gray, not a true story. Because it is a world that accepts impossible science as reality, it is better to focus on the process by which Bella gains agency rather than on medical plausibility.
Should you read the original novel before watching?
It is not necessary to read it first. The movie is an independent story that follows Bella’s experiences. In the original work, the husband’s records and the woman’s counterarguments clash, so it is more enjoyable to read it after watching the movie to compare who is describing Bella’s life.
Does the movie contain a lot of sexual content?
Explicit sexual content recurs throughout. In particular, the relationship between the mentally immature Bella and adult men is a significant source of discomfort. If you are sensitive to this kind of setup, it is best not to choose it expecting only flashy visuals or a comedic atmosphere.
What should you focus on for 141 minutes to make it more enjoyable?
Compare how Duncan’s actions become increasingly exaggerated as Bella’s steps and words become steadier. As the two actors move in opposite directions, the dynamics of their relationship also shift. The screen, which expands from black and white to a richer palette of colors, is also linked to Bella’s growth.
Poor Things: What movies are recommended to watch next?
I recommend “The Favourite,” also directed by the same director. In that film, sexual relationships and power struggles are intertwined. In “Poor Things,” Bella attempts to reject the rules of relationships. It is useful to compare the pursuit of desire and the act of breaking free from domination using the same criteria.
