Beyond Surface Passion: a feminist review of 365 Days: This Day (2022)
The Seductive Allure of Cinematic Craft
There is a strange allure to the lush escapism of 365 Days: This Day, a sequel that folds romance, suspense, and erotica into a visually sumptuous package. The film charms through its exotic locales, ornate costuming, and slick cinematography, creating a sensory escape into a world that feels at once luxurious and perilous. It’s a testament to the evocative power of cinema that a film so visually rich can transport its audience into its colorful tapestry. Yet, woven into these threads of visual beauty lies a narrative deeply entrenched in traditional gender dynamics that demand careful examination.
Reinscribing Traditional Gender Roles
At the center of the film’s narrative is the intense and often toxic relationship between Laura and Massimo. While their chemistry may sizzle on-screen, this relationship model is an old one – a vision of masculinity rooted in dominance and femininity defined through submission. Laura, who begins with a spark of agency, quickly finds her autonomy subsumed by Massimo’s magnetic but overbearing charisma. Her character arc devolves, punctuated by moments of sidelined ambition and compromised self-determination.
The film perpetuates a narrative where power balances are skewed heavily in favor of male desires and fantasies. Massimo’s control and authority are rarely challenged, and when they are, it is framed as a romantic game rather than a serious negotiation of power. This dynamic reinforces patriarchal ideas of power relations within heterosexual partnerships, framing male dominance as desirable rather than oppressive.
The Illusion of Female Agency
A crucial litmus test for any film in the feminist analysis is the degree of agency afforded to its female characters. Laura’s journey, while central to the plot, often lacks genuine control. Her decisions seldom influence the overarching narrative in any significant way – she reacts rather than acts, pushed along by the plot’s inexorable flow rather than steering it. The conversations she shares with other women, such as those with her friend Olga, primarily revolve around men, fulfilling but failing to challenge the Bechdel test basic criteria.
The film teases with moments of potential empowerment, yet these are undermined by the narrative’s regression to romantic tropes that prioritize relationships over individuality. Female agency is hinted at rather than actualized, leaving the viewer longing for a more robust exploration of what could be a journey toward independence and empowerment.
Soundscapes and Emotional Arcs
Beyond the glaring gender concerns, 365 Days: This Day resonates through its layered soundscapes and emotive musical choices. These elements craft an atmosphere that elevates the film beyond its narrative constraints, drawing the viewer into a heightened state of emotion. Each musical cue, intricately tied to the unfolding drama, amplifies the emotional arc, engendering a sense of intimacy and urgency.
While the film’s emotional beats are effective, they often rely on tropes of traditional romance rather than challenging or evolving them. The tension between heart-pounding excitement and predictability reflects a missed opportunity to infuse the emotional landscape with subversive elements that could better serve the film’s narrative complexity.
Intimacy, Control, and Narrative Power
The film explores intimacy against a backdrop of control, posing a critical question about what constitutes genuine connection. The portrayal of intimacy often conflates passion with possession, problematizing the narrative’s message around love and control. Whereas such themes could invite nuanced discussion, they are instead overshadowed by a simplistic equation of love with submission, undermining the potential for a more progressive exploration of romantic relationships.
The characters’ interactions are framed through the male gaze, limiting the film’s capacity to offer a balanced perspective on the dynamics between desire and autonomy. While the film remains visually arresting, there’s a lingering sense that its emotional depths could have been further plumbed had it embraced more equitable representations of intimacy.
Conclusion: Beauty with a Critical Eye
Ultimately, 365 Days: This Day captivates as much through its aesthetic as it confines through its gender politics. The film serves as an example of cinema’s paradoxical ability to simultaneously enchant and frustrate, making it a fascinating case study in the enduring struggle for meaningful representation.
While its artistic craft is undeniable, those looking for a film that challenges or subverts traditional narratives may find it lacking. A film that draws viewers into its visual splendor but leaves them yearning for narrative equality presents a compelling duality. For those of us who cherish cinema’s ability to reflect deeper truths, the challenge is to enjoy the magic without—ever at the expense of examining—its ideological underpinnings. In its layer of sensory delight lies a cautionary reminder of how far storytelling still needs to go to achieve true representation of women’s voices and stories.
