“Raw” A young up-and-coming French female director depicts the youth of “Justine” wrapped in horror.

Abnormal depictions full of dark beauty purify the confusion of a teenage girl

However, it can be said that whether Stephen King, the original author of ``Carrie,'' director De Palma, or Robert Eggers, the director of ``The Witch,'' view women from the perspective of a male outsider. Isn't the reason why we find unexplained fear in a girl's growth/transformation due to the limitations of men's inability to understand the opposite sex?

If that's the case, when depicting a girl's "sexual awakening" and physical changes under the guise of horror, wouldn't it be possible to see a completely different picture if it was directed by a woman? It can be said that ``Raw'' is a work that provides an answer to such questions.

What is particularly notable about ``RAW~'' is that the story is almost entirely told from Justine's perspective. That's why he never judges Justine's awakening to cannibalism. Justine's older sister Alex, who lives in the same student dormitory, plays the role of the other person who allows Justine to view herself objectively, but as Alex herself tries to support and lead Justine's rampage, the situation only escalates. be.

"Raw" © 2016 Petit Film, Rouge International, FraKas Productions. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.© Dominique Houcmant Goldo

The depiction of the veterinary school that surrounds Justine is also powerful. As a tradition to welcome new students, they feed them raw animal innards and douse them with animal blood (many movie fans will be reminded of ``Carrie'' by the sight of students covered in blood, and this is also a sign of menstruation). (I'll leave it here for now because it would be too late to say that it's a metaphor for sex.) Objectively, this is just a prank typical of students and a silly traditional event, but for Justine, who is still young, serious, and innocent, it was like being thrown into a battlefield, and everything was self-controlled. It becomes a factor that leads to the loss of

Director Ducournau does not push the film directly with depictions. Rather, it tracks Justine's transformation by accumulating tranquil and beautiful images. The appeal of this work is that it does not introduce norms of right and wrong into the story, and the sense of realism, completely free of adult common sense and norms, is in perfect sync with the confusion of an adolescent girl.

I would like to add one more thing: I think the idea that the trigger for Justine's full-fledged awakening is her "first hair removal" at the suggestion of her older sister Alex, is a brilliant idea that could only come from a female director. . There's a strong sexual smell in the air, and it convinces me that it's an accurate choice. However, for men, it is a ``first experience'' that is difficult to understand as it is a rite of passage, and this film is a wonderful reminder that it is a ``women's movie.''

“Justine”, a girl drawn by the legendary immoral writer Marquis de Sade