All film protagonists need to face some crises, or there is really nothing for the audience to watch. You know, fundamental screenwriting stuff. But I think Eva (Tilda Swinton) might have the single, most tragedy-ridden life of any film character I’ve ever followed. Mind you, the anguish that Eva experiences, and the artist’s eye which captures and assembles the events of her story, make We Need To Talk About Kevin a gripping and masterful film.
Very quickly viewers will realize that We Need To Talk About Kevin is told in a non-chronological fashion. Eva is a broken woman, so it makes stylistic and artistic sense to break up the chronology here; it isn’t just a gimmick. I’d actually go so far as to say that the lack of chronology elevates this film to greatness. What has broken Eva? Well, we need to talk about that. [See what I did there?]
We Need To Talk About Kevin introduces us to Eva during what might be the greatest moments of her life. She is frolicking in a massive tomato fight somewhere in Europe. Young, in love, and free. Soon her love leads to motherhood, and the birth of Kevin. Eva’s relationships with Kevin (played as a teen by the haunting Ezra Miller in a phenomenal performance), and with her husband Franklin (John C. Reilly), are about as complex as you’ll ever see in a film about family dynamics. And based on what director Lynne Ramsey says about the film, it is intended to be open-ended for viewers to bring to it what they will. My take on the events is that Kevin is a bad seed, born with an evil within him that manifests itself early on and culminates in an unspeakably evil action on his part, which forever alters Eva. My take turns We Need To Talk About Kevin into a bit more of a horror film, something akin to an arthouse version of The Omen.
But that is just my take on the story. It could just as easily be viewed as a tale about a reluctant mother who is unable to fully love her child for a number of reasons. Kevin and the act which he commits could be seen as a result of Eva’s somewhat conditional love for Kevin. And honestly, that is probably the more complex reading of We Need To Talk About Kevin.
I don’t want to talk about the intricate details of what occurs within the plot, because the dread and anticipation of how Eva will become so lost and hollow are crucial to experience as the film washes over you.
But I think the most effective spiritual element that emerged from We Need To Talk About Kevin was the exploration of the whole idea of nature versus nurture. And most likely the deconstruction of the very “nature versus nurture” debate. After all, life is rarely simple enough to break down in blacks and whites. So the fundamental question of the film is probably whether Kevin is a monster, born with an inexplicable evil, or whether his despondent demeanor is brought on by a perceived lack of love from his mother. And yet the answers to that fundamental question won’t be easily offered.
I’m not a parent myself. And many of the challenges of parenthood that I observe in the lives of friends and family make me feel that I’m not quite ready for the responsibility of being a father. That may have predisposed me to being very sympathetic to Eva’s struggle. She clearly makes enormous sacrifices for her family that impact her dreams. But that builds up a resentment within her that is preternaturally apparent to Kevin. So is Eva partially responsible for Kevin’s actions?
Lynne Ramsey has crafted a remarkably haunting film which will resonate differently with different viewers. But whoever you are, We Need To Talk About Kevin will not go down easy. This is a hard film, steeped in pain and bursting with authenticity at the same time. It is also crafted with an incredibly artistic eye which aims to engage the viewer but also to explore its subject matter with the greatest depth possible.
We Need To Talk About Kevin refuses to answer some of the questions that it raises. It would be hard to watch the film and come out hating Kevin, even though he has done unforgivable things. Similarly, different people will have different criticisms or sympathies for Eva. I feel that Lynne Ramsey demonstrates remarkable talent in her ability to tell this story without force-feeding the audience with easy answers or tidy closure. The film ends in a powerful scene between Kevin and Eva, which is also the final chronological moment we are given access to in the story. This scene doesn’t tell us that there is hope for Kevin to redeem his soul. Nor does it tell us whether Eva will be able to mend her ruined life. But it does offer subtle glimmers that restoration and forgiveness are at least possible in a world as dark as Kevin’s.
