“Pearl” (2022): Charming and Bloodthirsty. Film Analysis.

“Pearl” is a film from the beloved A24 studio, which has only disappointed me once so far with the confusing and overly convoluted horror film “The Blackcoat’s Daughter.” The first thing that catches my eye about the aesthetic of “Pearl” is its joyously rustling wrapper of a carefree American romantic musical that has a bitter stuffing of pain and hopelessness. Such impeccable and subtle stylization is an indicator of a considerable budget and, no doubt, decent work by the crew.

In this film I saw both a critique of the traditional family structure and the position of women in society (in a paradigm of service from which it is extremely difficult to escape), and the unsuitability of life in isolation, and the inevitability of the fruits of parental prophecies.

The film is also a reminder that turns of fate are by no means always fortunate, and sometimes, as the protagonist’s ambition, we turn our whole lives upside down and are left, alas, in an even worse situation than we were originally in. And the state, expressed through Pearl’s desperate monologue at the end of the movie, is familiar, I think, to all of us in those moments when life goes to hell. In general, everywhere we go, we find ourselves (or how do they say?). So, discovering and admitting ourselves with all our faults is a painful thing, though not always, but ideally and leading to improvements.

I also liked how the film portrays Europe as a mecca of art and freedom in the eyes of Americans. In fact, this perception persists nowadays, but it’s funny how, while dreaming of Europe as a wonderland, the main character will probably never visit it, after a series of failures, cutting off even the possibility of realizing her dream in the future with her own hands.

The anger-blinding paradigm of “Fuck it all” seems to be very familiar to many of us as well (it sure is to me). And only the proverbial work and patience, my friends, only they, and not blind ambition, unfortunately, can change anything. So wipe away your tears and let’s go, before it’s too late,” I told myself, posting this article after another creative standstill.