Earlier this month (November, 2022), Netflix UK released The Wonder, directed by Chilean Sebastián Lelio. This film is a slow and curious telling of a number of broad themes under the peculiar roof of a story centred on a non-believing English nurse and a faithful, starving, Irish child. Set in 1862, there is an inherent bleak pace to the story that reflects the dire situation of its events.
Lib Wright (played spectacularly by Florence Pugh) is an English nurse brought over from England to watch over eleven-year-old Anna O'Donnell (played by Kíla Lord Cassidy), who by some miracle hasn't eaten for months but seems well. At its centre, this film revolves around its central character; her patient; and the otherwise silent Nun recruited to watch Anna while Lib is off duty. There's an undercurrent theme of the battle between Science and Faith throughout this film, but that would be a discussion for another post. In today's post, we will be looking at the tug of war between different feminine archetypes represented by Lib as the Maiden, the Lover, the Mother.
Focusing on Florence Pugh's character, we are able to see the push and pull of expectations placed on an English woman in the 19th century - these are encouraged and demonstrated mostly by the men that organise her (Lib) like a puppet, but also by her patient, Anna. As an on-duty nurse forced to observe but not intervene; a wanting lover fighting between her head and heart; the accidental Mother who takes on the role of caregiver - Florence Pugh so delicately portrays the complex tug of war in the expectations of women in traditional settings. Honestly, I'm in awe. Lib isn't perfect, in fact far from it - she spends the entire film fighting between what she 'should' do, and what feels 'right' to her.
'The Wonder is haunting and harrowing, but also an incredible delicate and deliciously aesthetic exploration of the struggle of one woman to juggle the crossing strings of the various archetypes she is representing.'
+ The Watchful (Maiden)
First and foremost, Lib Wright is introduced as an English nurse in contrast with the Nun who has also been hired to take half of the observation time of the supposed miracle child, Anna. There is an excruciating scene at the beginning of the film in which the two contrasting women stand in front of a board of men (see image above). The terms of their contracts are set out, and Lib is invited to observe the starving child over a period of time before writing up a report and presenting it to them. She is specifically instructed to watch without intervening - a job that takes the knowledge of a nurse but removes their capacity to action help. This sets up the pretense for compliancy and obedience - taking control away from Lib and placing her in an uncomfortable position as the Watchful Maiden.
The imagery of a room of men telling a woman to use her skills to observe but not to intervene is painful. And I think this is deliberate. Lib responds frankly as a nurse would (and should), but you can see in her stance and stature that she is in a position of obedience to these men - her now employers. I won't spoil the film, but Lib appears to fight with this throughout her time with Anna. At times, she goes beyond her role as a 'Watcher' and takes things into her own hands; building a relationship with Anna where they are able to confer about their troubles and experiences. Anna, stubborn in her resolve that she feeds off only 'Manna from Heaven' goes through varying stages of cooperation with Lib and her attempts to unravel the mystery of the miracle child and the inevitably sinister story behind it all.
Historically, the nurse archetype has always been angelic and self-sacrificing. Lib is exactly that, while also being stubborn and stern. Reflecting historical imagery of Florence Nightingale in her pursuit of nursing as a respectable feminine work, Lib Wright appears to fit well into her role and seems to understand the expectations of her position. However, in her private time we are privy to moments of unexplained mental difficulty - or perhaps just moments of peace in a world where Lib is being pulled and pushed in every direction other than the one she believes to be morally right.
+ The Wanting (Lover)
Running alongside the central storyline of Lib Wright as the Watchful Maiden, is an interesting subplot (which ends up being vital to the central plot) of her fight with love. William Byrne, a local journalist for the Daily Telegraph, is introduced by his delicate attempts to speak with the miracle child, or at the very least to speak to Lib about her patient. Initially, Lib remains professional and grounded in her role as the Nurse: she refuses to speak about any of her patients. Over time (again, no spoilers, kind of), Lib begins to grow an affection for Mr Byrne and the development of their relationship shows a shift of thought from her pragmatic mind, to a stumble into the Lover archetype in which her primal urge for connection takes over.
Losing some of her focus on the problem of starving Anna, Lib has lapses in her otherwise tunnel vision when she spends time with Mr Byrne. She is tempted out of the obedient maiden position by the allure of sensual and deep connection with a man who appears to understand her difficult moral predicament in not being able to help Anna. Lib is pulled from one archetype to another, breaking the passivity to men that her professional role requires in favour of a true connection with a man who sees her for who she really is underneath the expectations that are placed on her. I am fascinated by the harrowing end to this film (which I won't spoil) in that it seems to make total sense in some ways, but be completely absurd in others. Lib brings together her role as caregiver Maiden and her desires as a Lover, taking an extreme approach that culminates in the melding of these archetypes into another that has been an undercurrent throughout the film - the Wholehearted Mother.
+ The Wholehearted (Mother)
Lib Wright is a caretaker through and through, this is obvious right from the start. Her desire to caretake is why her position as a compliant maiden Nurse is so difficult - it is against her moral compass to sit still when she believes she is able to help others. The 'mother-daughter' relationship between Lib and Anna grows throughout the film, despite them not being related in any way. Lib uses the guise of being a nurse to provide sustenance of all kinds to her patient.
In the end, Lib makes a series of rash decisions in order to save Anna from the family who are determined to keep her starving for the sake of maintaining the image of the miracle child. On a surface level, Lib does the morally 'right' thing. Watching a child be starved, and seeing her compliant in the process, is truly harrowing. If I was in Lib's position, I wouldn't be surprised if I made similar outrageous choices to save that child. Think about media you've seen with a mother-figure in it - the Mother archetype is notorious for neglecting their own needs for the benefit of those they are caring for. The tug of war that Lib experiences as the compliant Nurse tempted by the connection of love successfully culminates in a hardening of her moral principles and a consolidation of her pursuit of the 'right' thing, even when to do so requires extreme action.
+ The Wonder of Florence Pugh
As an entire piece - not mentioning the strange break of the fourth wall in the opening scene - this film is beautifully creepy. I feel slightly like I might have missed something in its message, but I also think that's quite an interesting position to be in as an audience member watching a film about the pursuit of truth and answers. The Wonder is haunting and harrowing, but also an incredible delicate and deliciously aesthetic exploration of the struggle of one woman to juggle the crossing strings of the various archetypes she is representing. In my opinion, the true 'Wonder' of this film is Florence Pugh herself. Pugh's ability to portray the complex web of emotions and actions necessary to tell the story of the passive English Nurse, the desiring Lover, the relentless Mother - and the journey between them all - is truly mesmerising.
Until next time,
Alice x
The Wonder is available now on Netflix UK. Photographs attributed to Netflix, used under fair dealing for the purposes of study and review.
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