Martha Marcy May Marlene is a tense story of a woman who, after fleeing a cult-like commune, shows increasing signs of post-traumatic stress disorder as she attempts to reestablish her normal life and a relationship with her selfish sister and difficult brother-in-law. Based on the true story of a friend of writer/director Sean Durkin, the film is driven by two very strong performances and the use of both silence and background noise to allow the audience to feel the tension grow with the main character’s own mental troubles.
The film begins when Martha (Elizabeth Olsen, the younger sister of Mary Kate and Ashley) flees the commune where she has lived for two years and calls her sister to ask for help; the call is awkward and Martha nearly gives up, showing how far she had fallen into the clutches of the commune’s charismatic, depraved leader Patrick (John Hawkes). From there, we see parallel narratives, one tracking Martha’s first few days of freedom with her sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson) and brother-in-law ted (Hugh Dancy) who want to help her as long as it’s no real inconvenience to them, the other following her two years in the cult from her first day to the incident that triggered her decision to escape. Both narratives follow similar curves with an initial ascent followed by a long, gradual decline, a dichotomy where each storyline intensifies the other.
The commune’s true nature only becomes apparent through gradual glimpses through Martha’s memory – and it’s possible that Martha isn’t a reliable narrator, given what happens to her in the other narrative – that reveal the commune to us more or less as it was revealed to her. She’s taken in as a bit of a lost soul, charmed by Patrick, eventually drugged and raped by him (which is explained to her as a “special” event that begins the “cleansing”) as part of her initiation. Patrick exercises control over the commune’s members through very subtle psychological manipulation, although that turns darker as the story develops. Martha – whom Patrick has rechristened “Marcy May,” as he renames all of the members – drifts into the lifestyle of the commune, never questioning any of its practices because she’s pleased, or at least satisfied, to have something resembling a family.
That need for family is explained in part by Martha’s time with her sister and brother-in-law, both flawed themselves and particularly ill-equipped to deal with a woman who has just fled a cult but claims she simply left a boyfriend. Her problems in this timeline start out as mere distance, moodiness, and ignorance of some social customs, but degenerate into delusions and paranoia, and Lucy and Ted show very little compassion or even the ability to generate it – we go through more than 80% of the movie before Lucy finally confronts Martha directly with the question of what happened to her during her two years out of contact. Their parents gone, Lucy is Martha’s only family, but there’s little warmth between them and more obligation than outright love, which stands in the way of Martha’s recovery almost as much as her own unwillingness to discuss what happened does.
Olsen is superb in the film, her first screen role, particularly in the second half of the film when she’s required to show a broader range of emotions; in the first half, she’s emotionally vacant in both narratives, but gets to stretch out into two different faces of the same character as the narrative unfolds. But Hawkes dominates his half of the story by almost trying not to dominate it: There’s no showiness, no bravura, just small gestures, eye contact, a faint change in the tone of his voice to convey the power he has over his charges. Olsen’s growing fear is the primary driver of the tension in the commune storyline, but Hawkes’ magnetism manages to elevate it even when all we have is the threat of his entrance. He’s a monster despite never acting like one; she’s the victim but never acts victim-like, only showing it through a slow crescendo of confusion and fear.
Both leads will at least be in the running for Best Actor/Actress nominations, although those categories are incredibly competitive, and if nothing else I think Martha Marcy May Marlene – the reason for the fourth name is too good to spoil – will end up with a Best Original Screenplay nod. If you can find it and like a tense, psychological drama with the tension of a British thriller, it’s well worth seeing.
I’d like to discuss the meaning of the end of the film, but for those of you who haven’t seen it, you may want to skip ahead. This paragraph has no value other than providing a warning and a buffer.
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And this is another buffer, in case you didn’t listen the first time. Spoilers ahead.
There are three ways to interpret the end of the film, two literal, one other metaphorical. Perhaps the man is from the cult and has come to capture, harm, or kill Martha, which is certainly what she’s fearing. Perhaps the man’s appearance is just a coincidence; he could even be a random stalker, but not from the cult. But I favor a third interpretation – that the man’s status is irrelevant; the point of the scene is that Martha isn’t free of the effects of her two years in the cult, and might never be free. She will assume any incident like this is about the cult, or she’ll even experience more delusions like the two she had at the house and will see someone from the cult where there’s no one. The idea that her ordeal isn’t over is paramount, which is why it’s unnecessary to show the viewer the outcome of the incident in the street.
I liked it a lot too. It felt like a nice companion piece to Take Shelter in that they both explore mental instability and have similar endings that leave much open for interpretation.
Keith – that’s exactly how I took the final scene, too. I think the cult was free from her life, but certainly not her mind.
Why do you think there was a hint of a smile on Martha’s face at the end? Part of me thinks the whole escape was staged in order for the cult to get Lucy’s and Ted’s money.
It appears Elizabeth has more talent than her two famous older sisters.
Keith, it sounds like you weren’t too sympathetic to Lucy and Ted — do I read that right? I found Lucy, at least, very sympathetic in her own way: in a situation she has no capacity to deal with, feeling tremendous obligation and guilt because of their history growing up, and slowly realizing she’ll have to sacrifice more and more for no obvious progress.
Also, the “unreliable narrator” point helps explain the scene I can’t understand: whose car did she key? What timeline was that in? Does anyone have a good explanation of that?
Keith,
Totally unrelated to this post, but I just read your most recent chat and you mention how much you like using duck fat to cook, so I have to recommend a restaurant to you if you’re ever in the Portland, ME area. Duckfat Restaurant is exactly what it sounds like; a restaurant that cooks everything in duck fat. It has a really limited menu, but really, can you beat a place that specializes in using such a delicious fat? http://www.duckfat.com/
Keith I watched the movie tonight and became obsessed with the ending checking around found some interesting information. It describes that the man Martha sees while swimming is actually the man that goes infront of the car at the end. This is described in the script but is hard to decipher during the ending. Something interesting to ponder when thinking about end. Link to information:
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/martha-marcy-marlene-script-give-hints-films-open-ending/
Thanks for the great job Keith I enjoy your writing on everthing. Wished you could have become the O’s G.M. !
will you explain the meaning of the name marlene? i realize its the name she used to answer the phone but i don’t get if there is anything deeper than that
Hope this isn’t too long…
I thought this movie was brilliant. I became pretty …nostalgic? I don’t know if that is the best word for me to describe it.
I have never been in a cult but i have spent some time working out past trials with others in a private mental care facility. I know that seems like too much information and its a pretty histrionic thing to say to strangers but I believe it made me able to connect more with this film. I was surprised how Sean Durkin made this film a realistic example of a young woman (Olsen) struggling with mental warfare.
I have known a few people to experience flashbacks ( like Martha,) but this is the first film to ever portray it correctly with dissociative behaviors. Dissociative flashbacks are scary enough alone to give this film a “thriller” characterization.
Interpretation # 1
I personally think that Martha was not “broken” before she joined the cult. I think it was a progression of forced enlightenment through out her stay with this commune, which was than manipulatively used by Patrick to gain power. I’m amazed at how deep these characters are… Patrick for example: he knows that giving a sexual experience right off the bat, will create a bond of longing for approval for each of the members once its taken away. This 2nd stage of longing for approval- than leads to the breaking of self worth. But I believe Martha is stronger than the other women in the commune and she shows strength by running away. Another vital scene is her urinating herself while in a flashback. This is caused by fear from the dissociation she is experiencing. That all shows this isn’t an act to get money from her sibling.
Interpretation # 2
I really don’t have a stand on whether or not the ending vehicle was actually following her or not but I would like to think so…it would make her tiny smile make sense. Again this all relates back to her needing to belong somewhere and having the feeling of being wanted. Although she is running away she cant help yearn for the feeling of acceptance she had while living at the commune. So if the car tailgating was truly Patrick or some of the others from the cult, it would give her a 50/50 feeling of happiness and fear. Happiness meaning ” they care, they truly do love me!” and fear meaning ” oh shit. they found me.”
interpretation # 3
The name Marlene relates to the next chapter of her life she is starting after leaving the commune. Her first chapter was Martha. She suppressed Martha to create her 2nd Marcy May. By doing that she “cleansed herself.” of her old life/memories/burdens when she went through the ceremony at the commune. Now she is starting to “cleanse herself” of Marcy may for her 3rd chapter of Marlene. Which is kind of borderline/ multiple personality-esch.
-Haley
Seattle
P.S. Elizabeth Olsen is by far the best of the Olsen family…and the prettiest; due to the fact that she doesn’t look like a POW.
I think this is the meaning of “Marlene”: listen to both songs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP2eOd-I2B8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQXlaCHNa4s&feature=related
I would say the meaning of Marlene is simply that it was yet another name she took on during her time with the cult. She was Martha, then they named her Marcy May, and Marlene was the name (“Marlene Lewis”) they were told to use when answering the phone if anyone ever called the cult house. You’ll recall this from when Martha calls the cult from her sister’s house and continuously asks who she’s speaking to, and the woman says her name is Marlene Lewis; later in the movie it flashes back to Martha answering the phone as they’d been trained, telling the caller her name was Marlene Lewis.
Martha was a damaged woman with conflicting emotions – that of the healthy Martha and the used, abused and confused Marcy May/Marlene – due to many traumatic experiences, and the inclusion of the four names in the title pays homage to that.
I got the feeling at the end of the movie that Martha sat in the back seat while ordinary events were taking place around her. She began to feel her usual paranoia, but realized that she was on her way to get the help she needed. The small smile that came over her face was one of satisfaction, knowing that she began feeling paranoid, but realized she was actually safe.
I just got done watching the movie, which I bought on itunes on a whim since the reviews were so good. All I can say is wow. Wow. The movie is heart-breaking, and stirred me on a individual level. I’ve never experienced a cult, only I did have a bad experience at a very hippie-type boarding high school, and can relate to the feeling of boundaries being pushed, with little moral compass to follow. It was quaker, and to me at fourteen felt like a cult.
This movie was extraordinary. I mean it really pushes the boundaries of what you can say and how you can impact the viewer, with such tense short dialogue and scenes which illustrate her traumatic two years at the commune which really doesn’t look any different than a cult once you realize how brainwashing and manipulation was used to get people under the leader’s influence completely. It made me sick, especially the song he dedicated to her. Just sick. I was rooting for her, and her sister though she really seemed to love Martha, was not dependable enough to help Martha from the get-go. This is a graphic movie, and I think it gives a voice to people in unpredictable situations that they are not alone, and to seek help (from the right resources and people) …because the ending is very ambiguous. The glimpse of the man, I felt like I was experiencing what she would experience. who is that? I can understand the trauma she experienced, and one of my goals is to help women deal with trauma because I am very intuitive about this kinda thing. It’s becoming more realized that I want to get a degree in psychology and help people who feel victimized.
I just watched the ending backwards and forward four times. There is no tiny smile on her face. At one point, she closes her mouth and swallows but there is NO smile – ever. There is nothing but anxiety on her face.
I think that this movie has a LOT to do with relationships, and because of this, people will definitely view the relationship with the sister and brother-in-law differently. The O.P.’s points of the movie are the ones I have found the closest to my belief; however I believe that the brother-in-law was struggling between being a good husband and being just like Patrick…able to take control of someone vulnerable. I don’t think the scene was hallucination where she was on the couch and he touched her knee…I believe there is a parallel point to this scene…it is just as horrifying that a cult member would be back and touching her as it would be her brother-in-law, the husband of the only person she has left in her life. I personally think she shows liberation towards the end of the scene when she kicks him away, and she has progressed from “sharing herself” towards a more esteemed frame of mind.
I could go on and on about this, but it is just my personal interpretation.