Aftersun : Our Parents are Living for the First Time too
But first a little context into this piece . . . :
Charlotte Wells' directorial debut Aftersun is a cinematic masterpiece.
I saw the film about two months ago and it still lingers in my mind. .
The film’s big takeaway for me is really that “our parents are living for the first time too”, and it accomplishes that in such an intricate, immersive, and personal manner.
I wrote a thought piece for Aftersun on Letterboxd after watching the film that was just a brain dump but, I have now reformatted to a more polished analytical piece and brain dump. You can read the piece below :)
Let me know your thoughts on Aftersun in the comments.
Spoiler warning ahead!
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Aftersun (2022) directed by Charlotte Wells, starring Paul Mescal (Calum) and Frankie Corio ( (Young Sophie) is an intense, beautiful, tear inducing, beautiful and cathartic experience all in one. Aftersun follows an adult Sophie “who is reflecting on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier. Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn't” (IMDB).” Aftersun is actually a semi-biopic of a vacation director Charlotte Wells took with her after.
Aftersun was a film that made me feel trapped, guilty, is a little funny, moving and so visually tantalizing. While watching the film I really felt like I was trapped in a glass box that was impossible to escape. I could see everything that my parents went through but was tied down by guilt and shame inside the box because I didn’t recognize or help them with their struggles (which is an odd feeling considering I would be a kid during this time). But I was Sophie. I was a mess of tears, left the film shaking and locked myself in the bathroom for 10 minutes to let it all out. I haven’t had a more riveting experience watching a film last year apart from EEAAO.
Visually Aftersun was the most engaging film of 2022 and story wise one of the most emotional and profound. Aftersun’s cinematography was quite simple but still eerie and serene all in one. The acting was so passionate and moving, especially Paul Mescal who *literally* took my breath away in some of his sequences. The characters were simple at first a glance but had alot of depth to uncover as the film went on. But the film's strength lies in the emotional rollercoaster of a journey it took me on and evokes as it unfolds this seemingly innocent but dark story about the relationship between parent and child.
AFTERSUN’S REMINDER
The biggest reminder of this film is that our parents are living too, which we don't realize as kids and then later hits like a truck when we get into adulthood and find ourselves in the positions our parents did (at least for me). With Sophie and Calum's week-long vacation, the film explores the darkness of our parents and how they are trapped in their own world while learning to live life along us and trying to teach us. Being a parent is complex because they are still growing and teaching someone like them. This was demonstrated by Calum's mental health journey as we see him struggle with depression. However, he tries to keep a happy face for Sophie and teaches her how to apply something simple like sunscreen, but never showing his inner turmoil to her. Our parents have their struggles that we often don't see or understand as kids because we just want to learn.
As a kid, like Sophie, we are curious, full of adventure, ready to take on the world and absorb it all around us. We see and learn from our parents first as we watch them do something for us, then we try to imitate and then we do it for them. This was demonstrated by how Sophie learned from Calum the importance of applying sunscreen and eventually when they were in the baths Sophia was the one to apply sunscreen for Calum. The film is powerful in showcasing how quickly the parent-child relationship changes over time as kids do eventually become like their parents even in the smallest ways. We may not fully understand our parents, but we definitely do emulate them.
AFTERSUN’S SYMBOLISM AND CINMEATOGRAPHY
In order to further demonstrate the parent-child dynamics, two symbols were used. A child's relationship with a parent is ever-flowing, changing, fluid, and dynamic just like the water. Charlotte Wells' usage of water was a strong symbol to show the time passing and the ever-changing dynamic between Sophia and Calum, but also how each character chose to engage with water highlighted their mental state. Another symbol I loved was the usage of mirrors and lenses to show how a child views their parents to another world. It is so intelligently shown with the usage of TV and mirrors. As kids, we view our parents sort of as from another world because we really don't know them beyond our parents. We connect to them but sometimes their lives beyond what we remember doesn't feel real, just like what we see on TV. Our parents are these mirages almost and we don't see past the hazy lens and the darkness clouding them like from a TV. Our parent's stories are often blurry and one to watch and see how it plays out in the past, present, and future.
I loved how this film highlighted the sadness of life, our parents and loneliness with the deep blue tones associated with Calum’ and the innocence and childlikeness of Sophie by associating her with yellow. It’s a division between parent and child but it can be fluid when the visuals on screen mix. The scene that highlights this is when Calum was in the bathroom trying to snip his cast off and Sophie, on the other side of the wall, is lying and realxing on the sofa. Calum is draped in dark blue to emulate the sadness and darkness of his feelings and that is contrasted with Sophie who is draped in yellow while she is vibing peacefully. And to me that is masterful filmmaking!
Another element I adore about this film is that Aftersun doesn’t try to do anything big. It’s a personal small-scale piece and reminder on how we view almost parents as outsiders but they are also living. Personally as a 20 year old iin college navigating my own life and as a kid of immigrants, this film made me feel so guilty. It made me question every time I could have done better for my better for my parents.It reminds me of all my parents did that I probably took for granted.It haunted me with the moments I lashed out against them in retaliation and saw them struggle but didn’t think much of it. This film is a great reminder to be grateful for the moments we share. While it does make me feel guilty, I have to remember everything I am feeling is from moments when I was younger and did not understand certain things. I believe the mere fact that I am able to have these feelings shows mature growth on my part to recognize where I could have gone wrong as a kid . . . but it's not something to beat myself over! I know that and I believe that Sophie does too.
Aftersun is a selfaware film. It knows what it wants it audience to feel. One of my favorite shots from Aftersun is at the ending when Calum holds up his camera on screen before he walks away. When Calum holds up the camera towards the audience, I interpreted as nod of acknowledgement from the film to the audience, that we are Sophie. The film knows that its audience is suffering internally (or most of us) . Calum pointing the camera to me says “Yes you watching. You are just like my Sophie who I love to make movies of”, and the space on the left is to show the emptiness in Calum’s life after he has left Sophie. Ah that’s so beautiful (and heartbreaking)!
FINAL MESSAGE
Charlotte Wells has crafted quite a masterpiece here and is one I can rewatch for all the details. Everything here is intentional. With the tracking shots that expand the landscape and make the world feel bigger than it is, showcasing all the different families and people of walks of life reminding us how rich the world is, the stylistic placement and blocking to highlight the difference between parent and child, this is a film I can go back and pick up at. It’s so rich and meaningful and while it may seem “artsy” the visuals and the placement portray all the emotions that needed to be felt. We didn’t have to even learn anything about the characters, we really just had to watch them live and feel. The dialogue that was on screen was impactful in every way in how Calum wanted to present himself and what Sophie wanted to say. The film references itself so many times and with small scenes shows the progression and growth of Sophie's character within a week is beautiful. Our parents are taking care of us but we are taking care of them too.
It may not have much within a narrative but visually it’s a serene delicate spectacle that will leave you shaking and stern. This film has really changed how I will interact with my parents forever. Check up on them, check on your family and loved ones. Because they are human too. The film is jarring but is worth the watch.
What a moving masterpiece is the most I can say . . . Everyone has to watch this. It may not work for you but it's worth the 90 minutes that it presents.