Why I love Detachment(2011)

Few months back, a friend suggested I watch this movie - Detachment. I was not interested as it wasn't a comedy(my first choice). But I did copy the movie from him because... Why the hell not!

In January we all know what happened. So I was in my hometown for a month. I had to pass my time somehow and so I decided to binge watch all movies and series that I had on my laptop. And that's when I came across Detachment.

It starred Adrien Brody. I had never watched him in a movie before. In fact, I only knew two things about him - a) He is one of the few people who are banned from ever hosting Saturday Night Live and b) He is a respected actor. After watching his performance, I can attest to point (b).

I didn't have any expectations from the movie. As I said it was just for passing time. The friend who gave me this movie told me that I would have a new found respect for teachers after I'm done watching it. So, according to him, the movie was about teachers and what they go through to educate us. But if you ask me, I think there's a lot more to it than just teachers and their difficult lives.

Of course, there is the main story of Henry Barthes - a substitute teacher who tries to educate students about the "reality" of life in the short period of time he is with his them. But there is more to the story. A subplot(in a way).

His personal life is filled with tragedy. His grandfather used to sexually abuse his mother when he was a kid. And to keep him from seeing all this, Henry's mom used to lock the door. But he understood what was happening(at least he did understand later on). His mother committed suicide when he was 7. All this had a huge impact on him. After all this, you would expect him to become a cynical asshole. But he did not become that. He sorted himself out and believed that everyone(specially kids) can drive their life in the right direction even if a lot of shit had happened with them(That's what he did, right?).

In a nutshell, this "Positivity" is what he's trying to spread to all his students.

Anyways, let's get back to the B story. So, one night on his way back to his apartment, he finds a teenage prostitute Erica. She tries to seduce him but Henry couldn't care less. He makes it clear to her that he's not interested and tells her that the life she is leading, she chose it herself. She, obviously, blames her circumstances and tells him to "Fuck OFF!"

The next night, she follows him and this time Henry offers her to come to his place. She gladly accepts. He gives her food, clean clothes and, most of all, respect. I know I know..... What am I going about? What's the point?

There is one. Lemme tell you a bit more. Then we'll get to it. At one point, when he finds Erica giving oral sex to someone in his apartment, he didn't kick her out. He simply asks her to do it outside his apartment if she has to.

He didn't want to change people. He wanted to be the best he was. And he expected people to do the same. Just the best they could be. Something I admire about the character. Just saying.

One more little detail before I get to the underlying subtext of the movie that I could see. There are other issues he had to deal with. Like, once he caught a kid in school beating a cat to death with a hammer. He, obviously, reported him to the principal. And they took over from there.

Last detail. There's a girl, Meredith, in his class going through some heavy issues at her home and she wants him to engage but he doesn't. In fact, even on his last day of school, he didn't have a lot to say to her.

Now I would like to discuss the second aspect of the movie which I found to be more interesting and tell you why I love Detachment.

The defining scene for me in the whole movie is the scene where Meredith asks Henry for help after class. And as he explains that he's always there to help, Meredith breaks down in tears. This was the first time a person had accepted her as she was. Not even her own father did that. She, obviously, doesn't want Henry to ever leave her. And she mistakes all this for love.

She hugs Henry but Henry is reluctant. He understands the boundaries they need to maintain and so he doesn't hug her back properly. That's when Sarah, a fellow teacher, walks in on them. Meredith runs off crying as Henry doesn't feel the same way about her. Sarah gets shocked to see Henry "touching" one of his students. That's THE BEST MOMENT OF THE ENTIRE MOVIE!!

Sarah exclaims why Henry was touching Meredith? Again and again. It is very clear to Henry what she was implying. To be clear, she was implying that Henry was a pervert who "liked" teenage girls. This one thought disturbed him deeply. It brought back memories of his childhood. Somehow reminded him of Erica.

Flashes of Erica's naked back go through his head. Erica is a teenage girl but on some level, he realizes, he did find her attractive. And this thought disgusted him. He is reminded of his abusive grandfather. And that's why, a calm and composed guy like himself, screams with anger in front of Sarah. He screams something like, "Do you think I look like an old pervert!?" "Old" thinking of his grandfather. And then he storms off.

Let's analyse this realization of his and all the information mentioned above. He did find Erica attractive on some level. Why else would he try to help her? He didn't stop her from being a prostitute. He did say that if she doesn't want to do it, she can promise herself but he didn't stop her. If anything, he asked her to do anything she wants outside the apartment. He didn't make any move towards her. That is clear. But where was he going with this relationship? She's living with him and she's not his kid. He's not treating her like her daughter. What was it then?

Think about the little boy who killed a cat in cold blood. I'm pretty sure he needed Henry more than anyone in the school. But he didn't help him out.

He wasn't there for Meredith either. His advice and help wasn't enough for her. He didn't help her out as much as he did Erica. If he had shown more interest in her, probably she wouldn't have committed suicide.

He had realized this aspect of his nature in that moment. And that is why the next day he contacted Child Care Services and let them take Erica away. He couldn't risk it. He couldn't trust himself. He knew it was wrong of him to feel "that" way about Erica. Even if it was only on a subconscious level.

Remember when I said Henry "sorted himself out"? Well, he did sort himself. But the trauma he went through as a kid, stayed with him; Buried deep. And when he was accused of doing something, the very same thing that had haunted him since his childhood, he burst. The secret he had been keeping so long somehow caught up with him. And, hence, all his emotions came out at once. Mostly anger and disgust.

It was the most beautiful scene of the entire movies. And to capture that feeling in a movie is commendable. That's why Detachment moved me and it's one of my favourite movies.

UPDATE:

There is one more aspect that I failed to notice earlier. I watched the classroom scene again. And the one where the Child Care Services people take Erica away. And I could see one more aspect of Henry.

A serial killer's psychology - "Correspondingly, in some cases of serial killers, the murder ritual seemed to have recreated earlier conflicts with meaningful objects, such as parents, authority figures, or peers. The outcome of the replay is different to the original, though. This time, the killer dominates the situation."

Bear with me. Serial killers like to replay their past traumatic events but this time, they're in control. And they repeat it again and again with multiple victims until they get it right.

Compare this to someone saying, "I'm going to be there for you because noone was there to help me out when I was in your situation."

Consider both points mentioned above. Maybe it's in human nature to have this train of thought.

Maybe Henry, subconsciously, was replaying his childhood trauma - an older guy living with a much younger girl(in this case Erica). But this time he was in control and he would help her out rather than abuse her like his grandfather did to his mother. Maybe he wants to make everything right. And, subconsciously, this was his way of doing it.

After he goes through the moment of realization, he fears that he might turn out to be like his grandfather. He fears whatever he did for her might be just because he is somehow attracted to her. This obviously disgusted him; even scared him. He might or might not have been attracted to her. But the doubt is enough to scare him. And that's why lets them take away Erica.

Had to get it off my chest....
No more updates. Promise.

Reference :
http://ambafrance-do.org/psychology-help/16678.php