«Red Sparrow», when innocence no longer exists

Cinema Wednesdays - Loris S. Musumeci

«- Have you come to feel sorry for yourself?
- No, I've come to help you.»

A young woman prepares for her dance performance at the Bolshoi Theatre, while a man slips a pistol into his belt at the back of his pants. The ballet opens; night falls. The Theatre's violins play softly; the gunman enters an alley. The violins speed up and the tension mounts for the man: he is being followed. The prima ballerina enters the stage. She is luminous and graceful. Police sirens go off. The man tries to flee on the double. The dancer, for her part, leaps to her pointe shoes. Elegant. The man is surrounded; the dancer falls violently.

Dominika is the Bolshoi dancer; Nathaniel, the arrested man. Dominika has suffered a nameless tragedy: her tibia is broken, she has lost everything and her career is over. The second is an American agent in Russia. He has been released, but sent home. Both have experienced a serious setback. But they also have a springboard. Through her powerful and influential uncle, a desperate Dominika joins a state school that trains so-called «sparrows». They use seduction to approach and fight the enemy. Nathaniel succeeds in obtaining a new mandate in Eastern Europe. The two agents must meet for their respective missions, between charm and manipulation.

The complexity of Russians

Appearances can be deceiving. This is as true of the film as it is of its subject. The whole story is based on mistrust and lies. Reading the synopsis of Red Sparrow before the screening, there's plenty to be wary of too. Spy genre, ordinary guy, pretty love story, femmes fatales, moralizing as a tribute at the end. But Francis Lawrence's new directorial effort sweeps all these clichés under the carpet, except for the presence of femmes fatales - much to the delight of the male audience.

Virtually everything in the film is complex, both the plot and the characters. The latter, however, remain much more interesting on the Russian side. The scenario is quite unbalanced between Russians and Americans. The Russians are the permanent mystery, while the Americans are all the same: kind and benevolent. This could be construed as an unwelcome Manicheism. Although there is an element of Manichaeism, it's not unwelcome insofar as the Russians' mission is seen as just as legitimate as that of the Americans, if not more so.

Hot Slavic women

What's more, the subject is Russian, and most of the story takes place in Russia. This helps explain why. The Americans exist only in relation to the Russians and under their gaze. Coming back to the source, it's all about sparrows. This aspect of the film takes on a philosophical dimension worthy of interest, opening onto a real societal reflection. Can we sacrifice everything for the good, or what we consider to be the good?

The sparrows learn their lesson in suffering and humiliation: everything can be sacrificed for the fatherland, everything must be used against the enemy. With growing cynicism, the sparrows learn to accept rape, to perform fellatio on command, to smile in the face of slaps, to let go of all emotion. Dominika, who used to be the quintessential victim, becomes as impassive as a robot, but seductively Slavic and hot.

Une ambiance russe et d’incessants rebondissements

Toujours dans le scénario, la réflexion philosophique s’exprime dans des petites sentences éternelles comme « Chaque être humain est un puzzle de besoins. » Ces phrases conviennent parce qu’elles sont prononcées par les Russes, souvent filmés dans une contre-plongée qui leur donne un air plus grave et obscur. On se croirait presque parfois au cœur du film d’auteur russe où ce genre de phrases sont prononcées par un acteur en col roulé à la lèvre inférieure légèrement pendante, filmé de profil, regard dans le vide de l’absurde. Plaisanterie à part, heureusement que Red Sparrow otherwise it would quickly become a caricature.

In addition to the Russian new wave philosophical allure, the country's atmosphere can be appreciated in the English pronounced Russian-style in the original English version. Some have cried ridiculous. In reality, the practice is rather classy. Words trail off almost theatrically, making a simple «hello» sound dramatic. Quite frankly, it's believable. The film's Russia, though English-speaking, is fragrant with vodka, compromise and, above all, honor.

Enfin, l’ensemble du long-métrage se met au service d’un coup de maître : le suspens porté à son plus noble niveau. Incessamment, les protagonistes comme les spectateurs subissent des surprises. Les rebondissements sont maniés avec une délicatesse et une élégance magistrales. Chaque scène contredit la précédente. On ne sait plus qui travaille pour qui, qui travaille pour quoi ; on ne sait plus si le mot « vérité » a encore un sens. Sans s’égarer, Red Sparrow confond les pistes et se garde de livrer un message moral. Après tout, l’agent Dominika montre bien que l’innocence n’existe plus.

«Someday you'll understand.»

Write to the author : [email protected]

Photo credit: © Twentieth Century Fox