Is it just me, or does it seem like Stansfield was creeping on Mathilda in the restroom scene?
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Veveanne — 10 years ago(May 19, 2015 03:11 PM)
Good points! Not to mention the circumstances (who else was present, what the characters are in terms of age/gender, where they were, etc) were quite different in the two respective scenes.
I think the ambiguity that you mentionedwhether deliberate on the part of the director or not (regardless of deliberation, viewer interpretation still stands)just makes it all the scarier / more suspenseful. -
DFC-2 — 10 years ago(May 20, 2015 01:34 PM)
All good points. I tend to think of Reno, Besson, and Portman's Mother who were all concerned about what was done with the film and on the set, as each had young daughters at the time. I don't think it was an accident that the only episode where an older person is shown hitting on Mathilda, it is an older kid.
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gabby_bm — 10 years ago(May 24, 2015 12:20 AM)
I never got any "sexual" vibe from any of the adults toward Mathilda. Stansfield thrived on chaos and reveled in others' vulnerability. And this is what he targeted in that bathroom scene- Mathilda's vulnerability. It was similar to how a cat plays with its prey before killing it- allowing it to live just to experience its own vulnerability- and that's exactly what Mathilda experienced in that scene.
This isn't to say that Stansfield didn't utilize Mathilda's sexual naivete and vulnerability to his advantage in intimidation. But to that end, I would say it was simply another facet of his
psychological
attack on her- and not an attack on her sexuality (mental- not sexual)
i would compare that to Jules eating poor, vulnerable Brett's Big Kahuna burger in "Pulp Fiction" and washing it down with his tasty beverage.
I dont need you to tell me how good my coffee is.
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tarigergo76 — 9 years ago(December 29, 2016 06:18 AM)
Stansfield at his sleaziest and Mathilda at her most vulnerable. Outstanding performances by Gary Oldman and Natalie Portman.
Natalie Portman said she wasn't even acting, she was genuinely scared by Gary Oldman in that scene.
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spookyrat1 — 10 years ago(March 18, 2016 07:08 PM)
In discussing the restroom scene and Stansfield's want to invade Mathilda's personal space, one should remember the earlier scene of Stansfield, thriving on getting up close and personal with Mathilda's father.
I feel the restroom scene, along with Mathilda shrewdly knocking on Leon's door, after returning from shopping and observing the massacre, are the most spellbinding of the movie. And yes, in both scenes, Mathilda is at her most vulnerable. -
bowilly-88704 — 9 years ago(June 20, 2016 07:19 PM)
In this scene Mathilda is confronted by her enemy for the first time. I believe this is the turning point in her Quest to avenge her brothers death. Up until now Mathilda's revenge has blinded her to the danger she has been pursuing. When she comes face to face with Stansfield, she is frightened and reality sets in fast. She is overwhelmed by the situation she has found herself in and the expression on her face is that of a person that has given up. The fight in her is no longer there and this is where Stansfield raises the level of intimidation. I see nothing creepy about this scene, in terms of Stansfield creeping on Mathilda, only a ruthless villian proving the power he has over her. Again we are reminded of Mathilda's true emotional state of mind, a frightened child alone in the world wanting to be something that she can't possibly be.