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Heavenly Creatures (1994)
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Movie Review by Jarrod
August 6th, 2008
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'Heavenly Creatures' is about two girls who plan and carry out the murder of one of their mothers. It was a crime that shocked New Zealand in 1952, and since the perpetrators were teenagers, they were too young for the death penalty, and were instead sentenced to five years in prison. Upon release, they were told that they were never to see each other again; ironic, since it was the threat of separation that drove them to commit the crime in the first place. This is one of Peter Jackson's earliest films, and one of his best. It is the work of a skilled and inventive storyteller, though it was released several years before Jackson would earn worldwide fame for his Lord of the Rings trilogy. Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet play Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme, who meet at a repressive Catholic school, and become fast friends. Juliet is a recent transfer, the daughter of a college professor. Pauline is drawn to her, and they do have a lot in common. Both are outcasts with vivid imaginations; they love Italian tenor Mario Lanza, and various Hollywood actors, from James Mason to Orson Welles. They call each other by names they have created as part of a novel they are writing together, set in a fantasy kingdom called Borovnia.
They are fascinated with the macabre, with death and sexuality, and as they grow closer, their parents become alarmed at the intensity of their relationship. Lesbianism enters the picture, at a time when homosexuality is considered a mental disorder, and the word itself is taboo. Pauline's mother, Honora (Sarah Peirse) is more disturbed than Juliet's mother, Hilda (Diana Kent), a psychologist and marriage counselor who is having an affair with one of her clients. Juliet's father, Henry (Clive Merrison) faces relocation back to England, splitting from his wife, and shipping Juliet off to South Africa to live with her aunt. Pauline wants to go with her, but cannot get a passport without parental consent. She harbors a deep and powerful hatred for Honora, and secretly wishes that she would die.
Juliet contracts tuberculosis and recovers in a hospital; Pauline visits her regularly and they correspond with lengthy letters that describe the events in Borovnia, the romantic drama between the king and queen, the homicidal killing sprees of prince Diello, an entire fictional universe populated by fanciful characters, given life as the clay models Juliet has designed. The script, by Jackson and Fran Walsh, is spellbinding, in the way it builds up tension, and allows for moments of humor and horror, gradually revealing what these girls are truly capable of, and the darkness that lies beneath their laughter and giddiness. Pauline is the mastermind; Juliet is little more than an accomplice, but willingly goes along with the scheme, though she seems to get cold feet at the last minute. Pauline's diaries provide a glimpse inside her head, where we see (and hear) her scathing observations and criticisms of her family, her nonchalant confessions, her deepest desires and ambitions.
Her intelligence has a cold and calculating quality to it. Her emotional attachment to Juliet is forged out of need and dependance, mutual respect and maybe even romantic attraction, but neither of them really knows for sure. Pauline loses her virginity to an older man, named John, but cares only about Juliet's attention, and thinks of her during the sexual encounter. Lynskey and Winslet are splendid; this was Lynskey's debut as an actress, and Winslet was on the verge of greatness; though it was not until Titanic that she became a star. Lynskey made more of an impression on me, particularly in how well she can convey malevolence with a single glance. The special effects are commendable for their beauty and originality.
The murder itself is shown in chilling detail; as Honora is hit over the head with a brick stuffed in a stocking; her shocked cries for help as she realizes what is happening to her, followed by the dull thud of the brick making contact with her skull. The girls run off screaming and covered in blood, back to the tea house they had lunch at; it was their intention to make it look like an accident, but it ended up being so messy that no one would see it as an accident. Pauline's diaries were used as evidence that it was premeditated.
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