Love Lies Bleeding: Against the World
I want this epic Queer love story to become a modern classic
CW: domestic violence
One of my most memorable classes was a creative writing seminar called Queer Form. The class was about how art with Queer themes can express said Queerness in not just subject matter, but in form and structure as well. By using forms and structures that are surprising or inventive, Queer art can challenge normative ideas that are ingrained in often-used and typical methods of storytelling. What I loved so much about the class was its emphasis on how subject and form can complement each other. As an illustrative example, one book we studied in the class was the brilliant fiction collection Counternarratives by John Keene. Keene visited the class after we had been reading his book for a couple of weeks, and his discussion with us students was so enlightening. Keene’s book uses an exhilarating variety of structures, from interviews to diary entries to stories that play with shapes and how the words appear on the page. The stories draw from historical documents and well-known works in the history of American literature and break them open to give space to the people, real and potential, whose voices have been kept out of the historical record and the literary canon. I cannot recommend this book enough.
I was thinking about my lessons from the class as I pondered Love Lies Bleeding, the new film directed by Rose Glass, with the screenplay by Glass & Weronika Tofilska. The film also comes with my highest recommendation. I think it’s phenomenal, and I applaud Glass’s directorial decisions, which break the borders on how a typical romantic crime film would unfold. This is a crime drama and romance that feels unlike anything else in its genre.
The movie takes place in the 1980’s. Lou, played by Kristen Stewart, is the manager of a gym. One day, Jackie, played by Katy O’Brian, comes into town. Jackie is a bodybuilder who has been ostracized from her home and the town she grew up in. She’s making her way to Las Vegas for a bodybuilding competition. When Lou sees Jackie at the gym, she is instantly smitten. One evening, they get better acquainted. Lou is more reserved and keeps to herself. Jackie is bolder and more direct. As they will both learn, they each have their own secrets and demons.
After a passionate night of sex, Lou lets Jackie stay with her. In the meantime, out of sheer coincidence and initially unbeknownst to Lou, Jackie gets work at a gun range managed by Lou’s brother-in-law, JJ (Dave Franco), and owned by Lou’s father (Ed Harris). JJ physically abuses Lou’s sister Beth (Jena Malone), who tragically refuses to ever press charges. This situation fills Lou with rage and hopelessness. An added difficulty is that Lou’s father makes a fortune from illegal arms dealing. These factors combine into a volatile mix that erupts into bursts of violence and passion throughout the film.
The movie deals with intense feelings and actions, and Glass’s inventive direction allows the audience to feel the intensity. Moments of violence are sudden and shocking. Musical riffs and sound effects frequently crescendo before abruptly cutting. The edits are rapid; a close-up shot will cut to a distant aerial shot. A scene in the present will abruptly shift into a nightmare, memory, or hallucination. The meanings of these memories and nightmares are vague at first, but then solidify with clarity as the plot progresses and characters reveal more of themselves. Montages are composed of unexpected shots: I remember one of Jackie exercising that included shots of egg yolks dripping in a trash can. The camera often matches the movements of the characters, gliding while they’re walking, staying still while they’re sitting, frantic during sex. During one scene when a character is performing on a stage, the camera spins around as a dancer would. The energy being depicted seeps into the mode of depiction. Boundaries in form are cracking.
Everything moved so quickly in terms of direction and plot that I couldn’t remove my eyes from the screen. There was actually one brief moment when I remember looking away because the door to the auditorium opened. When I turned back to the screen, I was upset because I felt I had missed something vital in a quick cut. The film keeps the viewer on their toes through these directorial techniques, and this sensation echoes how Lou and Jackie have to be quick on their feet because of the many dangers they face. They’re threatened by both overarching and immediate threats, the former coming from strangers (there’s a shocking scene early on involving men at the gym, illustrating the ever-present danger the lovers face due to societally entrenched misogyny and homophobia), the latter coming from people they personally know. Having a dangerous father and violent brother-in-law is a nightmarish situation to be in.
Yet, even in the midst of these threats, the film finds moments of warmth for Lou and Jackie, as well as surprising instances of bleak-as-hell humor. Though they must push against the forces around them, the forces of life and love within these characters gradually grow and expand.
This is an exciting and inventive film, and I want as many people as possible to watch it. Here is my spoiler warning: feel free to skip the next paragraph if you don’t want any spoilers, even though I will avoid revealing some details.
Despite how perilous their circumstances are, the lovers triumph. I watched this movie with a dear friend, and we both appreciated that this film did not fall into the overstuffed category of “tragic Queer love story.” Most likely in order to make honest statements about the destructive capabilities of homophobia, many stories about Queer love do not allow the union between the lovers to last. This film, as mentioned earlier, does understand the honest dangers posed by homophobia, but the film isn’t tragic. As I’ve mentioned in my discussions on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Past Lives, love survives. In this film, Queer love in particular shines. Indeed, there is a moment near the end that illustrates the power of their love and that also shatters the boundaries of reality, both the reality established by the world of the film and reality of the world us viewers inhabit. The love Lou and Jackie share cannot be bound by any external rules; it is singular. Furthermore, I want to point out the significance of the fact that, during the end credits, the silhouettes of Lou and Jackie are shown dancing and rollicking on what appears to be a film set. The lovers have broken through the very form of the film; the medium cannot contain them. As brutal and intense as the film is, I appreciate its life-affirming, triumphant, romantic ending.
Before concluding my discussion, I want to give a few more commendations. The score is hypnotic and adds to the feeling of getting pulled into the film. Shout out to the composer Clint Mansell, whose work on film scores I’ve admired for quite some time.
The performances all around are incredible. Malone is heartbreakingly tragic. Franco is a slimy scumbag that rightfully deserves the hatred of viewers. Harris is chilling, cold, and confident in what he believes is the extent of his power.
Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian are especially magnificent. Stewart conveys the inner turmoil of Lou as she struggles with decisions to keep things in or let them out. This guardedness is a survival mechanism; she knows too well what can happen to her if she isn’t careful. Still, she lets love in. O’Brian conveys flashes of vulnerability that slide through Jackie’s confident personality. Her character’s journey is also one of growth. The relationship between Lou and Jackie allows them to grow as people, to let out the best parts of themselves. Also, their chemistry is the kind that ignites the stars.
Please, watch this movie if you haven’t already. More movies like this need to exist.
You have such great thoughts about this. I love the idea of their relationship transcending form and what we all think we know about film. The surreality of the climax scene was dark but also joyous, like their love expanding what is possible with their story. One other thing that stood out to me was the cycle of violence that is so everpresent in this film. While Jackie is unstable, it is often the misogynistic, homophobic world that causes women to absorb and also express abuse. I like that even though Lou is horrified by what she'd done, she doesn't hesitate to protect her, even knowing the circumstances could be deadly.
I loved it too. It was emotionally tiring, but one that was also very entertaining.