Young Robin thinks his new stepmother is a witch after seeing some suspicious activities. Robin plots to kill her and begins to lose his sanity. Is everything he sees real or imagined?
From a technical standpoint, the film was very accomplished and without flaws. The lighting, editing, direction, camera angles, and acting were all well above par for a low budget film. There are fun storytelling techniques where the time is sped up with some images moving faster in the frame than others.
There is an interesting use of the older version of Robin in place of the young Robin, acting out the scenes. I believe this is done because two thirds of the film is older Robin explaining to a psychiatrist what happened, so it is almost like he is reliving the experiences. I found it amusing to watch a grown man play a child and Chad Donella (FINAL DESTINATION) performed well in the role. Young Robin’s overweight friend Larry is a hoot with his constant cursing and tough talk. Also up to bat is the stunning Pollyanna McIntosh in the title role of the Mara (aka Maria) who isn’t given much time to speak or act on screen, but has quite a presence. Many have said McIntosh deserved more roles after seeing her turn in HEADSPACE. She is mesmerizing here.
But I had a bit of a problem with the story that is both vague and clear at the same time. Now common sense would tell you that Robin was an angry boy that took his hatred out on his new stepmom because his dad hooked up with her less than a year after his mother had passed. So he makes up this witch story to justify why she must die. There is also a hint of Oedipal complex with young Robin having a nightmare as a grown man and his stepmom touching him all over his body. There is even a minor mention thrown in about another boy who suddenly axed his stepmother without provocation and Robin assumes she must be a witch too.
But I had a serious problem with the notion of women as witches. This film seems to justify the murder of innocent women if they so much as look at a man the wrong way. Throughout the course of the film, Mara does not do anything evil. No murder, no child abuse. Hell, she is EXTRA nice to her new stepchildren, but writer/ director Balaji Kumar contends she is evil even adding a “real” documentarian into this fictional tale to explain the facts of witchcraft. The documentarian quoted the Malleus Maleficarum, which is widely known to be a misogynist piece of fiction that helped spread religious paranoia and propelled witch-hunts.
And how does the documentarian explain that Mara is a witch? Well, she wore perfume for one. Okaaay… Second reason? Mara looked at Robin and it scared him therefore she must be an “eye biter.” The goofy reasoning continues on like this and according to the good doctor’s theories, every woman on the planet must be an evil lustful witch. I got so spooked by this film that I could have swore Kumar was hiding in the bushes outside my apartment ready to set it on fire and purge the world of my sinful ways!
But all kidding aside, the punch line comes at the end of the film in this explanation: “Lilith was the first wife of Adam, made of filth, before Eve. She left Adam because she objected to Adam laying on her top of during copulation. Feeling herself his equal, she wanted copulation side by side. She went off to mate with four mangers and spawned demons.” So, Adam took more than one lover and spawned an entire planet. Lilith took more than one lover and spawned demons. And all of this because Lilith wanted equality in their relationship.
Overall, this was a beautifully shot film. Viewers may enjoy the trippy and somewhat hypnotic storytelling if they can look past the misogynistic undertones. The ending is left to the viewer to decipher. Is Robin an angry boy that creates things in his mind? Is Mara real? Did Robin go crazy because of the Mara? Look away if you don’t want it spoiled- My summation is I was MADE to believe she was a witch, when I FELT Robin, and all the other men in this, were absolutely nuts.
Weird Fact: Pollyanna McIntosh was a size 8 model. After tiring of dieting her 5’11” frame, she accepted a realistic goal and is now a size 14 model.
Favorite Quote: Voice over: “There was something extremely queer about all of this.”
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