Feminism, gender studies and psychoanalysisin “The price of life” movie.
Themovie “The price of life” is a Russian film that is supported by anInternational Center dedicated to the protection and respect of women’s rights.In this film we meet from the abundance three critical theories, feminism,gender studies and psychoanalysis. In the first plan, the film describes thedifficult and unhappy life of a young woman who comes from a modest family wholives in a village. Natasha, the main female character in this movie, is givento the orphanage after the girl’s parents died in a fire. The girls from thisorphanage, among them Natasha, are discriminated, knocked, often closed in theroom and left without food.
At 12 years, the girl is adopted by her grandfatherbut, her life keeps the same shade of gray. Hergrandfather always behaves very badly with her, and she is beaten and insulted.Natasha is a girl passionate about painting, she’s extremely talented, anddedicated. She wanted very much tobecome a painter, but she was not allowed to paint and was always discouraged:”You will never become a painter because you are not talented, you are poor andorphaned.” But first her feminist ideals was when, though she was scared of hergrandfather’s violent behavior, she has the courage to say “I lovepainting and my dream of becoming a painter will become reality! You will see…!”The fact that she could talk when she felt treated with inferiority, made herfeel stronger, she found the strength to affirm herself, she gainedself-confidence. So, at the age of 18, Natasha decides to leave home, and go inMoscow, with the thought of realizing her dream.
The moment when the maincharacter leaves home, is another proof of her free spirit, she is a strongwoman who does everything she can to do, to live not depend on anyone. Anotherscene where we see Natasha as a true feminist is when he meets Igor, a youngman who comes from a wealthy family. But his father was an alcoholic. (Thisdetail is important because this aspect contributes to Igor’s psychoanalysis.) Butmoney does not delight her, because Natasha is a girl who, although she waspoor, does not accept to be maintained.
Another proof of her free spirit and feminist ideals is her relationwith Igor, she accepted this relation with this boy just to keep her freedom ina society governed by male. She doesnot consider her inferior to her boyfriend, she saying, “Even though I ampoorer than you, we are both human, we live under the same sky and have thesame rights.” Inthis movie, we clearly see a world where the line between women and men isclearly defined, so clear that its passage brings suffering and violence.
Atthe beginning, their relationship is beautiful and pink, her life seems to takea beautiful turn, but after a short period of time, they decide to movetogether, Igor becomes violent and obsessive, but Natasha is deprived offreedom and dreams. She is forced to give up her college and her dream ofbecoming painter. She is not allowed to go out with her friends or talk tosomeone on the phone. And he often says, “If you do not beat her, you donot love her.” And from this moment we can talk about psychoanalysis. Thereason the young man is violent may be the fact that his father was analcoholic, and he always was in constant fear.
This could explain the reasonfor his violent behavior. Anotherscene where we can talk about gender studies is when Igor says: “The man is nolonger a man, women do faculties, they make a career, they have bigger wages,they drive cars, and of course they can become the president.” He think they donot have the right to drive the car, or to become the president because theseare just men’s rights.He screamed at her and said “You are a poor woman and you just must to dochildren, to take care of them and family.
” He believes that women are inferiorto men, have no right to education, and that they will never be bothemotionally and financially independent. But also this scene can be analyzedfrom psychoanalytic perspective. Igor behaves badly with his girlfriend becausehe has created this image of himself in that he has different rights to thepoor people, he is better and stronger than others. And he thinks if he isrich, can do whatever he wants and can behave as badly as he wants.And the fact that, Natashaaccepts this relationship that has changed its colors, can be also analyzedfrom a psychoanalytic perspective. Because Natasha was traumatized in herchildhood by the death of her parents, now for fear of loneliness and notlosing a close person, accept this relationship.
Instead,at the end of the movie, the protagonist shows she is a convinced feminist. She broke up with Igor. She does not accept her condition as apoor woman, which is always discriminated against, becomes a strong andindependent woman. Fight for her rights, fought for her dream. Natasha finished her studies and becomes aknown painter. But in the end, she marries and had established a family inwhich she is loved, respected and supported in all that she does by herhusband. Itis a movie that tells us that women are not equal to men, but who fullydescribes the long way that Natasha is going for equality.
The movie encouragethe idea, the women must to be treated well as men have always been treated. Encouragesall the women not to allow anyone, to sweep away dreams and aspirations, nomatter how much love is. A love can only lift you, but cannot keep you bound.
