March 2020
Feeling Dauntless
Spring in the City
NU alum and ‘Divergent’ author Veronica Roth premieres first novel for adults p.5
Explore Chicago this month with new art exhibits p.10
The Rise and Fall of the RompHim:
She Did the Damn Thing!
How a viral sensation was born and the reason it came to an end p.8
Former Bachelorette Becca Kufrin talks life after the final rose p.12
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CONTENTS Staff of The Monthly
Feeling Dauntless
5
The Rise and Fall of the RompHim
8
Spring in the City
10
She Did the Damn Thing!
12
Open Tab
14
Reel Thoughts
15
Issue 27
Crystal Wall Charlotte Walsh Monthly Editors Catherine Buchaniec Jacob Fulton Roxanne Panas Emma Ruck Carly Schulman Designers Wilson Chapman Jacob Fulton Yunkyo Kim Grace Luxton Writers
Cover photo: Courtesy of Hannah Dirgins
Dear readers,
Editors:
Charlotte: Wow. We made it this far. Three whole months as your Monthly editors. Thank you, dear readers. All three of you. Crystal: I’m terribly sad that Timothée Chalamet hasn’t made any fashion headlines in the last three weeks, but I have faith he’ll redeem himself from the 2020 Oscars. Charlotte: Since it was her last letter to the editor, Crystal had to throw that in there. Crystal: It’s a legacy. Charlotte: I actually might get sentimental tonight. Usually, we throw in a couple of current events, toss in a couple jokes to lighten it up and try and tie it all to this month’s stories, but, dear reader, this is my last Monthly. I’ve had two quarters as your Monthly editor, and it’s been an honor. Never have I ever had so much fun doing journalism, gotten the freedom to write stories I’m truly passionate about or worked with such talented writers and designers. Every third Thursday, it’s a joy to run out of my sorority house and grab a copy of The Monthly, breathe it in and look at all the hard work of the past three weeks. And then we get to do it all over again. Crystal: And this is my last quarter at The Daily … ever. It’s weird. After escaping my theatre major-dom, I joined The Daily my sophomore year and it’s honestly wild to think about where I was two years ago. I didn’t even know what a nut graf was, let alone how to edit a magazine. The Daily is by no means perfect — I don’t know a single newsroom that is — but it is a place I grew safely among my peers. I got emotional reading the cover story about Veronica Roth’s new book “Chosen Ones,” because just like YA characters growing up, I’m also starting a new chapter in my life. Charlotte: Everyone wave goodbye to Crystal! She’s going to New York to live her best life at Fortune. A true queen. But seriously, I have so enjoyed working with Crystal the past two years. We joined The Daily at the same time, worked under the same editors, and grew into reporters ready for the real world (hopefully). She always knows the best place to add a little ~juge~ (as Jane would say), and she makes some kickass banana bread. You better keep in touch, Crystal, I swear to God. Crystal: Charlotte, I know I’m a mushy mess, but I seriously would not be the reporter, writer or editor I am today without you. You have been such a huge part of my A&E Daily experience since day one. And if you’ve kept reading this far, you’re a real one. Charlotte: Alright, enough of the soppy love letters to each other, and now to our true soppy love letter to you — this issue of The Monthly! It’s a crazy one, so stay tuned to read about my favorite middle school author Veronica Roth, the death of the viral sensation the RompHim, the best places to see some art in Chicago this March and why former Bachelorette Becca Kufrin thinks her relationship has lasted while others haven’t (hint: it’s because of her ~woman’s intuition~). Crystal: I’m as pumped for this issue as I am for the “Gossip Girl” reboot. XOXO, the CW.
Charlotte Walsh & Crystal Wall 4
I
t’s a story that has now become infamous among Northwestern writers: Veronica Roth (Weinberg ’10) wrote her breakout novel “Divergent” over her senior year winter break, signed a three-book contract with HarperCollins by April and sold the movie rights to the novel just before
graduation. The book went on to become a massive hit among young adults, eventually being turned into a film trilogy that generated over $750 million at the box office. But Roth said it didn’t go exactly like that. After taking a light course load in the fall and completing her final papers early, Roth said
she took about 50 days to write “Divergent.” She sent the rough draft to an agent she had previously spoken to (whom she found after Googling “how to get published by a big publisher”), who took interest in the piece and signed her. Roth then took another light course load in the spring so she could make revisions. Still, Roth said a book has never come to her as quickly as “Divergent” had. “Now that I’ve written a few (books), they don’t come to me formed in that way. I felt like I just knew the beginning, middle and end, and I was just recording what I had already thought. So I think that kind of accounts for the speed, which I have not been able to achieve at any other point in my writing life,” Roth said. “The whole thing is like, absurd.”
Now, nearly ten years after her graduation from Northwestern (she is still debating whether she’ll attend the reunion), Roth’s debut adult novel “Chosen Ones,” is set to be published on April 7. The book takes on a similar hue to Roth’s previous books — the main characters are a group of young adults predestined to save the world — but with a twist: this time, the narrative follows the group ten years after they’ve already saved the earth from destruction. The characters struggle with loss and post-traumatic stress disorder from their experience, all while their movements are magnified under the public eye. Growing up on book series like “Harry Potter” and “Ender’s Game” Roth said she has always been intrigued by stories about a teen navigating the pressure of saving the world at an extremely young age. So it felt like a natural progression to explore what happens after that — how to be an adult in the world when the world knows your deepest traumas. To make the book as realistic as possible, Roth said “Chosen Ones” required a lot of research and time on the Internet: in addition to reading JSTOR and psychology journal articles on PTSD, Roth pieced through troves of declassified government documents, Googled when concrete sidewalks were invented and investigated the development of sonar. “I think I’m probably on a list now, if I wasn’t before,” she said. “Chosen Ones” editor John Joseph Adams
said because of these deeper, complex themes, the book is a perfect transition between young adult novels and ones for adults. “It’s basically like if the heroes that you grew up reading had saved the world and now they have to figure out what to do with the rest of their lives,” he said. “In a way, it’s almost like the book is reaching down a hand to everybody who was a YA reader and is like, ‘Hey, come on up here and look at this. This is cool. This is basically like what you’re reading now, except that we’re taking it to the next level.’” Adams added that though this was the biggest book he’s ever edited, working with Roth was a dream. The two got to know each other via the track changes function on Microsoft Word, and Adams said she was extremely down-to-earth despite being a literary “superstar” from such a young age. But this early success wasn’t always a gift for Roth. After the success of “Divergent” when she was just 22 years old, she said she grappled with an undiagnosed anxiety disorder and panic attacks. Roth began seeing a therapist and got medication, both of which, she said, helped her deal with the pressure. But she said she learned a lot about coping with online negativity and making healthy boundaries for herself. “Give yourself a safe space to take risks creatively and make things, basically,” she said. “For anyone who is in the creative field and is active on the Internet, you have to learn how
to deal with and accept negative comments.” But Roth’s resilience is no surprise, says English prof. Averill Curdy. Curdy, one of Roth’s creative writing professors at NU, said many writers have the skill and talent to make it big, but this attitude is what allows people to persevere. She added this strength showed even when she was a NU student — Curdy and Roth would meet often to develop characters for her senior thesis, all the while Roth was still writing “Divergent” on the side. “It’s what we would hope for students to achieve — not the ‘bestseller-dom,’ although that’s great,” she said. “But really internalizing the working habits of a writer, and to have a project that you feel passionate about and pursue it really persistently in that way.” And while Roth said she considers herself lucky to have the time senior year to write “Divergent,” she said if she could go back to Northwestern, she would have delved deeper into her classes. And as for other young writers and Northwestern students hoping to get their writing out there, Roth said balance is key. “When I was young, what I needed was a balance between the confidence to give things a try and the humility to understand that you have a long way to go,” she said. “Knowing that you need to work on your writing is important, but not at the expense of like believing in yourself and giving things a try.” “And Google!” she added. “It can answer all of your questions.” ◊
Illustrations by Carly Schulman and Roxanne Panas
7
How a viral sensation was born, and how it came to an end
T
he RompHim is dead. lives of the company’s four founders forever. Long live the RompHim Before the RompHim went global, its in our hearts. founders were graduate students in the The viral clothing Kellogg School of Management. Elaine sensation that spawned Chen, Chip Longenecker, Alex Neumann dozens of summer ’fits, and Daniel Webster-Clark (Kellogg ’17) memes and copycat garments is no more, met each other through their degree the company announced in a Feb. 12 program, and became friends in the months news release. A brand some leading up to had forgotten even existed their pivotal was gone for real — realization. We were discussing and it left many Chen said wondering why it the idea for the how we thought that was conceived in company came there was a real gap in the first place. The to them early on in sole purpose of the their second year of clothing and fashion formerly famous graduate school, options for men relative fashion statement’s near the end of to women. existence was to 2016. answer one question: “ We were -Elaine Chen what if the world had discussing how we rompers, but for men? thought that there The product went live on was a real gap in clothing Kickstarter on May 15, 2017, and the and fashion options for men responses were immediate and visceral. relative to women,” she said. The reactions of journalists, social media “We were brainstorming personalities and everyday citizens ran ideas of alternative options the gamut: in one article, a reporter from that could exist for men Esquire said the RompHim was the reason that we didn’t think really she “(didn’t) want to live on this planet existed or were a viable anymore,” and in the next, a journalist option today, and I at Mic called it “the best thing on the pitched that I personally Internet.” One weekend, the romper was just love a good romper.” even featured in the Weekend Update Luckily enough, so segment of Saturday Night Live. did thousands of future That month, the product made over RompHim fans. From $350,000 in pledges on Kickstarter — there, the idea took significantly more than the company’s off. As they wrapped initial expectations. But in the years since up their degrees, the summer 2017, the RompHim’s popularity four founders took has faded as other trends have come and on an independent gone. Still, that one summer changed the study for credit to
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8
-By Jacob Fulton give them time to further develop their idea. Longenecker told The Daily that the ability to incubate a business while in school was invaluable to the company’s success. At Northwestern, he said the team was able to
collaborate with friends and get feedback that helped them decide their product was viable for the market. Kellogg Prof. Benjamin Jones, the group’s faculty adviser, said it ’s not uncommon for Kellogg graduates to create successful companies soon after their graduation, but most are focused outside of men’s fashion. And while it’s difficult to predict which startups will find the most success, Jones said he’s never seen anything from any of his former students affect the cultural conversation quite like the RompHim. “ I re m e m b e r opening up CNN.com
and on the front page on the website there success died down, he said loyal fans would were two pictures,” Jones said. “One was return for years because of their love for a picture of Vladimir Putin and the other the product. Because of this relationship, was a picture of one of the founding team he said the RompHim ignited a personal members wearing a RompHim. And I fascination with entrepreneurship. thought, ‘Well, this is going quite well for “Sometimes I’m like, damn, that was them.’” cool,” Longenecker said. “For me, it’ll be a But with virality comes responsibility, lifelong passion that I’ll need to figure out and the orders came in massive quantities. a way to stoke the flames of.” Longenecker said after the launch However, all in May 2017, just before the good things founders’ graduation, must come to the company had to an end. Chen What gets me the fulfill thousands of said all four most excited when I orders for chambray founders have rompers. The only full-time jobs in think about RompHim problem? There addition to running is when I see someone wasn’t enough the brand, which had chambray in the become progressively wearing it, and they’re world to meet more difficult to having a great time. the quantities balance. RompHim needed. Through a series of -Elaine Chen D ue to the tough conversations, she unexpectedly massive said the group came to the demand, Longenecker said it mutual conclusion that they had all was hard to become comfortable reached the point where they were ready with running the business until to step back from the company. Though after the Kickstarter orders in the it was difficult to let go of something they beginning of summer 2017 were had worked so hard to create, she said she completely filled. He said it took a felt it was the right decision. few months to get the materials and Though the RompHim’s life may be manufacture the garments, but once coming to a close, Chen said the four those needs were met, it became founders will take the memories they easier to step back and look at the share with them for the rest of their lives. big picture to form a long-term More than virality or success, she said plan. The company began to start she will always appreciate the chance she taking orders from its website, got to start a company with three of her expanding its range of patterns friends and create a product they were and fabrics and even growing all proud of. its line to include RompSuits “What gets me the most excited when — the male equivalent of a I think about RompHim is when I see jumpsuit. someone wearing it, and they’re having a While going viral was an great time, or when we get a really excited unexpected and pleasant customer email about how this piece of surprise, Longenecker garment helps them feel more comfortable said the true power of in who they are and allows them to express the company came in the themselves in a fun way that they haven’t community it created. felt before,” Chen said. “I think those are Even after the Internet the moments that we cherish most.” ◊ Photo courtesy of Elaine Chen
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Spring in the City I
n uxto L e c -by Gra
t’s March, which means it’s time for Chicago residents to shed their thickest coats, change into their second-thickest coats and make a toast to the end of our collective hibernation. Whether or not the sun comes out, the city this month is abound with cultural happenings, from the iconic St. Patrick’s Day river dyeing to 312 Day, a day of music commemorating the city’s area code. Around the city, museum and gallery exhibitions are celebrating Chicago, each approaching identity and history in unique ways. Don’t miss your chance to hop on the El this month and check them out!
Chicago Cultural Center
Hofheimer Gallery
In Flux: Chicago Artists and Immigration
Chicago Streets and Ways
What it is: At the Chicago Cultural Center, over 20 contemporary artists of various disciplines come together for “In Flux,” an exploration of the city’s relationship with immigrant labor and a reflection on what it means to live in Chicago as an immigrant. Divided into three sections confronting American geopolitical history, nightmares of emigration and the ideal fresh start, the exhibit engages the viewer in the challenges of immigration. Leave the exhibit feeling more connected to what it means to be a resident of Chicago, and ignited to engage with and appreciate the communities at the city’s foundation. When to go: After an interview, when you’re not ready to head back to campus just yet.. Stick around to check out the Architectural Biennial installations on the second floor. ◊
What it is: March is when the cloudy winter mist finally evaporates, and you realize you’ve never noticed that beautiful building until today because your raincoat hood was blocking the view. See the city from a new perspective at Hofheimer Gallery, where artists Karen Perl and William Dolan display a variety of nostalgic, thoughtful renderings of the city’s sidewalks, buildings and back alleys as dynamic as Chicago itself. When to go: After a Saturday brunch date at Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits, before catching a matinee (or Saturday morning cartoons) at the Davis Theater. ◊
Museum of Contemporary Art Duro Olowu: Seeing Chicago What it is: In what the artist calls “a love letter to Chicago,” Nigerian womenswear designer Duro Olowu’s solo exhibition at the MCA is a curatorial feat. The featured pieces, which total to over 300, are united by their home: every work comes from a private or public Chicago collection, many from the MCA’s own permanent collection. Works by prolific American artists like Kerry James Marshall and Barbara Kruger hang beside pieces from artists around the globe, showcasing Olowu’s dedication to eliminating the hierarchies of the Western art world. Despite its large scale, the exhibition feels personal, like walking into a curio cabinet displaying the designer’s private treasures. At the end of the show, see all of the inspirations come together in Olowu’s intricate fashion designs. When to go: A Spring Quarter Saturday when you need essay inspiration. Spend some time in the Marisol restaurant, studying and snacking on the daily doughnut selection. ◊
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Design Museum of Chicago Great Ideas of Humanity: Passing What it is: In the 1950s, Chicago Bauhaus movement leader Herbert Bayer organized an advertising campaign for the Chicagobased Container Corporation of America. For the project, titled “Great Ideas of Western Man,” Bayer commissioned artists to create printed illustrations of quotes from the greatest minds of Western civilization.The Chicago Design Museum reimagines the campaign, letting the great minds of tomorrow create art around the ethos of designing a better city and society. The exhibition features flags designed by Chicago Public Schools students, each a response to racial and class divides in the city. When to go: When you’re giving a guest the classic tour of Millenium Park and you want to demonstrate that you know any place besides the Bean. ◊
Art Institute of Chicago Bauhaus Chicago: Design in the City What it is: From urban planning to jewelry making, the German Bauhaus school aimed to elevate industrial design into fine art. When the Nazi regime shut down the Bauhaus in 1933, prolific designers László Moholy-Nagy and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe opened The New Bauhaus in Chicago, now known as the Illinois Institute of Technology. You can see Bauhaus inspiration everywhere, from IIT campus architecture to Mies van der Rohe’s concrete and glass lakeside apartment towers, but this exhibition will take you beyond buildings to diverse applications of the Bauhaus mentality. Following the themes of shelter, light, materials and community, the exhibition shows how widely the Bauhaus movement influenced Chicago’s art and design. When to go: After a sunny Friday morning discussion section (or during it…). Take a Divvy bike down the lakefront path to catch some architectural views on the way. ◊
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D
espite hailing from Minnesota, former Bachelorette Becca Kufrin is a ’Cats fan through and through — Kufrin attended a Northwestern football game and “fell in love” with Evanston before she fell in love on national television. After her now-iconic breakup with Arie Luyendyk Jr., Kufrin found her other half in her season’s winner Garrett Yrigoyen and is now helping others do the same alongside former Bachelor Ben Higgins in “The Bachelor: Live on Stage.” The live show aims to squeeze an entire season’s worth of content into two hours. Ahead of their Chicago date on March 14, Kufrin sat down with The Daily to chat about playing the Chris Harrison role, navigating Bachelor nation and why she has no plans to tie the knot anytime soon. The Daily: How did you become involved in the Bachelor: Live on Stage? Kufrin: It was actually announced months before I was even brought on. The folks over at ABC and Warner gave me a call, and they were like, “Ben needs a co-host. We want you to meet with the director and chat through this and see if it’s something that you’d be interested in.” And at first, I was like, “Oh, my gosh, do people need to get engaged after two hours on this show? And if that’s the case, I want no part in it”’ And they assured me that wasn’t the case, thank God. But I met with the director … and he was walking around this empty dance studio, explaining what goes into the show and how it’s going to be laid out and everything. And at that moment, I was like, “Yes, sign me up. I want to be part of this.” The Daily: What do you hope people coming to the show will get out of it? Do you think there will be true love found on stage? Kufrin: It’s much more fun and carefree than the actual show. You’re still getting some awkward, tense moments, but you’re still getting laughter, and we have seen some connections, like there’s definitely been kissing going on on stage, which always makes our nights very fun. But some of the couples that we’ve worked with have continued now to date. I mean, granted, it’s still a pretty new event — two weeks into this — but one of our first couples that we actually had at one of the first shows, as far as we know, they’re still dating. And so I think it’s definitely unconventional. It’s definitely probably a really weird, nerve-wracking way to date someone and
to meet someone. But I think in this day and age, when people meet in the most random of ways, like it really can work. The Daily: You’re almost two years removed from your season of The Bachelorette now. How have you navigated Bachelor Nation in that time, And how do you feel like your role in it has evolved? Kufrin: I always call myself an old, washed-up Bachelorette now. It feels like longer than two years ago. It was definitely an adjustment going from being the Bachelorette to — I can’t say “normal life” because it’s definitely very different from my pre-show days. But I tried to just stay in touch, make connections. And so that’s been one thing that was really nice about my time as Bachelorette, is to stay in touch with the producers and the executive team to now have these opportunities come up. You know, I never thought, had you asked me two years ago, when I was the Bachelorette that I’d be hosting a live show or hosting the official Bachelor podcast. I would have said, “There’s no way. That’s crazy.” But here we are. I feel like I really lucked out. I see some people leave the show and they don’t have the best experience.They don’t have the best memories, they really want nothing to do with the show. And that’s not my case at all. I have so much to give to the show and nothing but thanks because it helped me find Garrett, and now I have all these really exciting opportunities. The Daily: You are one of very few leads who is still with their final choice from the show. Why do you think the process worked for you when it often doesn’t? Kufrin: I had gone through some relationships in the past — and obviously, my relationship with Ari — that didn’t work out. I realized what I did and did not want in a relationship. So when I went into the role as Bachelorette, I stuck to my guns and I really wanted to find what I needed for myself . And I just think as women we’re more intuitive, so it tends to work out a little bit better for Bachelorettes. We listen to our head and our heart instead so we don’t just get distracted by who’s the prettiest. I think I’ve been through a lot of relationships that really showed me what I wanted in a partner. And so, when I went into my season, I went in with the goal of “I’m gonna really try to make this work and find somebody that’s right for me, and if it’s not right for me, I’m not going to just do it because you’re expected to end up with
somebody.” And that was what was so special with Garrett, with him, the second I met him, I knew he was someone very, very special and who I was definitely interested in. The Daily: How do you think your relationship has evolved over the past two years? Kufrin: Me and Garrett have talked about this at length. We feel like our relationship really didn’t start until we were done filming. Our relationship wasn’t easy. It’s a really weird transition going from the show. I’m from a small town in Minnesota. He was living in Reno. This wasn’t our norm. This wasn’t something where we had any idea what to expect. So we just kind of had to navigate it together — really just compromise and put our relationship first, especially when there’s so many eyes and ears and comments and social media flying around us … but I think in the long run, it just made us stronger. We got to know each other in a quicker way because we were traveling so much and we’re being exposed to all these new different things where we really had to lean on each other and see how we could handle things together. But he’s just been the absolute best support system and partner and best friend through all of the changes over the past couple years. The Daily: Do you have any advice for younger college students looking for love? Kufrin: Give it time. When I was in college, when I was younger, back in the day, I had this whole plan, I was like, I’m going to graduate college, I’m gonna get married, have kids and buy a house. And obviously, that was not the case. And thank God it wasn’t, because I really had a lot of growing up and learning and living on my own to do. So just take things slow, don’t rush anything, don’t have a plan, because usually that doesn’t work out. And just really enjoy being single being in your 20s, dating and just seeing where life takes you, because you really never know where it’s gonna go. ◊
Source: Grace Valtos
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Habibi In offers flavor, spice and everything nice This winter has been brutal, especially for a Floridian like myself, but there’s nothing like a bit of spice to warm you right up. A home of flavor, Habibi In Mediterrean Grill is your place to go for a hot meal (and, I mean, hot). Located just off the corner of Sherman and Church, Habibi In offers Evanston residents flavorful Middle Eastern cuisine and hot sauce spicy enough to warrant a warning — a real warning, as in there-is-a-sign-on-the-counter kind of warning. When you walk in, you’re greeted with a clean interior decorated with photos of sandy deserts and people donning colorful clothes. The upbeat music follows you up to the counter, which is littered with phrases like “Everyone deserves white sauce” and “Either you love shawarma or you’re wrong.” At that point you have to decide what to order, which is no easy feat considering the options you have. But lucky for you (and me), I can make that easier on you. Their menu offers a range of entrees, most of which offer a choice of protein (with falafel available as a vegetarian option) over rice ranging from about ten to 18 dollars on the upper end. The meats are well-seasoned and the bed of rice underneath, a mix of two, is fluffy and
fresh. Be warned though — half the rice has a strong kick, so don’t forget to order a drink. Personally, I would recommend the mint tea, plunged in a pitcher large enough for three. You also can order sandwiches like their gyro or chicken shawarma wrap and add on a salad or side for a few dollars more. And whatever you do, please, for the love of all that is good in this world, do not miss out on the hummus. Paired with fresh, soft pita (which we shamelessly ordered more of ), it was the highlight of my meal. And yes, I will dedicate an entire paragraph to it. The hummus tasted like the chickpeas had melted onto the plate mere moments before it was drizzled with olive oil, spices and fresh herbs. Thankfully, we even had enough to eat with our entrees, but I lacked the self control to stop eating it even after
— by Crystal Wall I was full. If you’re looking for a hot spot for their “Falafel Friday,” Habibi In is the place to go. I’m a bit disappointed that I just discovered it in my last two weeks in Evanston, so I’m bestowing you with the gift of knowledge now. It’s a hidden gem in the Evanston food scene, with plating nice enough for your Instagram story and enough heat for the Crystal Wall/Daily Senior Staffer month of March. Oh, and if you try the hot sauce, let me know how hot it really is — I wasn’t brave enough to find out. ◊
Reel Thoughts ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ only needed the female gaze
C
éline Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” would pass the Bechdel Test with flying colors. That’s partly because the period piece only stars women (sans the first and last ten minutes). It’s also the first film directed by a woman to win the Queer Palm at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. In this narrative, women take up space in their most sensual, devastating forms. And the absence of male presence — and for what it’s worth, the male gaze — feels liberating. For most of the movie, its main female characters are insulated on an isolated island, in a dark, candle-lit mansion that echoes with every noise they make, and this is punctuated by the general lack of a score. When there is music, it’s Presto from Vivaldi’s Summer, an agitating third section in a concerto otherwise portraying seasonal bliss. In the movie, Marianne, (Noémie Merlant) a painter, arrives on a remote island to secretly paint a portrait of Héloïse, (Adèle Haenel) which has been commissioned by her mother so that she can marry her daughter off to a Milanese nobleman. For her part, Héloïse, who just left a convent to be groomed for marriage, refuses to be painted — it is heavily implied her sister killed herself by jumping
yo Kim by Yunk
of NEON Source: Courtesy
off the island’s cliff to escape the fate of an arranged marriage. But Héloïse assures Marianne, unlike her sister, she doesn’t want to die. She’s just angry. In the following days, Marianne follows Héloïse on her walks to the beach, discretely catching every glimpse of her features to transpose onto the canvas. Marianne succeeds, but when she tells her the truth reveals the portrait, Héloïse is disappointed in how Marianne perceived her. The artist starts over, blurring Héloïse’s face with a rag (adding a new meaning to “paint me like one of your French girls”). Outstanding acting and chemistry between Melant and Haenel make their bond seem eternal, even though their time together is limited and illicit. The color palette of the film is devoid of bright warm colors, accentuating the harsh, white cliffs and the turbulent waters encircling the island. So when Héloïse’s dress catches on fire at a bonfire, the image burns into the viewer’s mind. It’s a mirage of a woman resigned to her fate, escaping for a fleeting, singular moment. Marianne chooses to immortalize this moment, giving the film its namesake. The screening left me feeling good about the cinematic depictions of queer love. Granted, the only other French movie that depicts love between women
I’ve watched is “Blue is the Warmest Colour,” known mostly for its sex scenes, which ended up feeling like a fetishized manifestation of male fantasy. Female leads of the film later accused the director of exploitive shooting practices. “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” did not feel this way. It’s a visual diorama that is quiet but haunting, forlorn in its resonance. Sure, it’s not perfect. It’s slightly slow in pacing and it depicts a relationship between two “conventionally-beautiful” European women. But the love feels equal, tender and without slightly-questionable age gaps (I’m looking at you “Call Me By Your Name”). The positive of reviewing “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” is that there is really nothing to spoil, so it makes the job easy. It’s a period piece about a gay relationship — and it’s transparent from the beginning about the nature of its ending. It’s not a tragedy, and it doesn’t try to be. It’s extravagant without delusions of grandeur. And after Sciamma and Haenel recently walked out on Roman Polanski’s win at the César Ceremony, it’s just hard not to fall in love with the director and cast. It’s a film you watch and dare not blink for the fear you will miss a silhouette, a smile or a curvature in queer portraiture. Even if you do, “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” is a slow burn. ◊
15
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