CANNES 2021: Medusa
CANNES 2021Anita Rocha da Silveira's Medusa is an incredibly enriching and flavoursome feature. Taking aim and the religious sector, female empowerment, the strength of a women's voice, and beauty standards – to name just a few. It is a feature brimming with social commentary and reverence.
Nevertheless, it is somewhat difficult to dictate what Medusa wants to covey in a rather strange and complex manner. Granted, from all the above, Medusa has a lot to say, but these are themes that have been prevalent and better graced in the last five years from other contemporaries. It feels significantly late to proceedings and the discussion. With the political and social fallout brooding in Brazil at this current time, it could be said that Anita Rocha da Silveira will proceed in crafting an anti-establishment or even activist feature, to that measure it would be hard to concede.
Furthermore, even with its potent substance, Anita Rocha da Silveira's film bites off far more than it can chew. It seemingly spirals in touching on incredibly poignant and compelling thematics, only to understate such elements and fall into greek mythology allegory. This is an element that thankfully does not buckle the experience but feels excessively artistic and redundant in that the context of Medusa is undeniably stirring and poignant. For Anita Rocha da Silveira's feature to add an allegorical sentiment, feels ultimately to water down and make its fight crumble.
Subtext and thematics out of the way, Medusa is a superbly shot cinematic entity. The camera work and aesthetics are a mixture of 1980s cinema. Think Repo Man meets John Carpenter's filmography. Showcasing wonderful, consistent colour palette, composition, and editing, Anita Rocha da Silveira allows her film to breathe and soak up the atmosphere. Not only in terms of allowing plot points and iconography to submerge in the consciousness but therefore allowing its thematics to truly brood. Similarly effective is the electrifying score. 80s synth has never sounded so frightening and, in partnership with the aforementioned iconography, adds a stirring quality of power to the themes presented.
While Anita Rocha da Silveira's feature will not stand as a masterwork and perhaps adding its voice to a conversation that has already begun will, unfortunately, seclude it from having a more significant impact. Nevertheless, it has a voice that speaks highly and considering the political undercurrent it carries, Medusa has a voice of importance and gravitas.
