It was one of the only places where slaves could buy their freedom. That's ridiculous!" General Manager. Eve naturally becomes enraged for her sister and immediately takes steps to get back at their father. I believe Eve saw the same thing when she took Cicelys hands at the end..that's why her rage turned into empathy. Cinematographer Amy Vincent gives us numerous beautiful shots which feel bright and colorful on the whole while also suggesting secret and darkness lurking near. Eves Bayou is a gothic African American melodrama set in the bayous of Louisiana. She probably had an Oedipus complex. [11] Meagan Good was originally cast as 10-year-old Eve Batiste, but by the time the film's financing came together, Good had grown out of the role and was instead cast as Eves older sister Cisely. Eve tells Cisely, who says she was mistaken, and the doubt over this incident will echo later, on another night when much depends on whether Cisely was herself mistaken. The principle that multiple frequencies applied to a nonlinear device produce new frequencies that are sums and differences of the applied frequencies and their harmonics.. What do you mean by superheterodyne receiver? Who were the three men walking through the fog while Mozelle and Eve were talking on the porch? Its a moment that changes Eves life forever. When Eve goes to Elzora about her "voodoo doll," and is told that there isn't one, and that her father may already be dead, why does she panic, if she wanted her father dead in the first place? Blind to my own life.. Apparently in Eves Bayou the real concern is with how the daughters learn about and become involved in the adult world. Whether it's the heated mystery of The Big Easy, the nonstop action of Hard Target, or the gory scares of Candyman, the cajun . Eve, who also has the Spiritual gift of sight, has a premonitory dream shortly before an accident occurs, claiming Mozelle's third husband. Sibling treats friends and strangers better than family. The movie's most pivotal scene hinges on the fact that neither Louis nor Cisely remember exactly what happened the night their unhealthily-close relationship went too far. Ive seen two narratives: that cicely was obsessed with the dad and tried to kiss him leading to him slapping her, but Im more inclined to believe that Louis was m*******g his daughter? The story is told through the eyes of Eve Batiste, played with fierce truthfulness by Jurnee Smollett. She sets her story in Southern Gothic country, in the bayous and old Louisiana traditions that Tennessee Williams might have been familiar with, but in tone and style she earns comparison with the family dramas of Ingmar Bergman. When Roz has her fortune told by Elzora, Elzora says that, "Sometimes a soldier falls on his own sword," insinuating that she already knew about Louis' impending death. When Eve finally arrives to Elzora's home, she finds her to be not as scary as she expected but rather normal instead. Lemmons surrounds her characters with a rich setting. "[26], In a 2017 retrospective essay for Vulture, Angelica Jade Bastin wrote, "The film operates deftly on multiple levels: Its a stunning coming-of-age tale (an exceedingly rare example of one that privileges the experience of young black girls); an honest, hyperspecific portrait of black life in rural Louisiana; and one of the greatest writer-director debuts in American cinematic history."[27]. [35], 1997 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards[32], 1997 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards[30], 1997 San Diego Film Critics Society Awards. This will not be a simple-minded story that breathlessly races from A to B. #BlackLivesMatter. Edit, Her first, Anderson, died while at war. Ciselys journey is more biological, her budding womanhood and sexuality at odds with the sweet daddys girl she still sees herself as. Cicely Batiste was a troubled teen who was further affected by the progression of puberty, who sought her father's love and validation and believed that seducing. . The website's critical consensus reads, "Eve's Bayou marks a striking feature debut for director Kasi Lemmons, layering terrific performances and Southern mysticism into a measured meditation on disillusionment and forgiveness. We want to know because the film makes it perfectly possible that there is more than one explanation; "Eve's Bayou" studies the way that dangerous emotions can build up until something happens that no one is responsible for and that can never be taken back. The best performance in the film comes from Debbi Morgan, who is unforgettable as a sad but passionate woman who can foretell many things about others but not herself and the men coming into her life. For the viewer, it is a reminder that sometimes films can venture into the realms of poetry and dreams. He was drunk. The summer I killed my father, I was 10 years old. As we wonder about what happened during that summer in question, the movie immerses us into the small, vivid world of its young heroine who is trying to process what has been swirling inside her good but inherently problematic family. Released by Sonic Images in 1997 (SID-8707) containing music from Eve's Bayou (1997). The summer I killed my father, I was ten years old. When Eve propositions her, she is surprised, not only by the amount of money she has, but her boldness as well. Damnnow i have to watch it again. Her mother shouldve intervened when she was a bit younger so that young lady could receive the psychological help that she needed. Eve confronts her sister, thinking she lied about what happened. We are still seeing the story of one young girl through the eyes of another, but we are also watching as the narrator is thrust into adulthood far too soon. Defibrillators are devices that restore a normal heartbeat by sending an electric pulse or shock to the heart. Although she directed only one short film before moving onto the next step, she made quite an impressive film to admire and cherish for her superlative handling of mood and storytelling. Starring Lynn Whitefield, Samuel L. Jackson, Diahann Carroll, Debbi Morgan, Jurnee Smollett and Meagan Good, the film was groundbreaking. To this day, well into her 80s, Carroll continues to grace the screen with her presence. Berlinale 2023 Highlights, Part Two: Reality, Manodrome, The Adults, Inside, Golda, Angela Bassett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Cate Blanchett, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson Feted at SBIFF 2023, Revisiting Martin Scorsese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Tragically Common: Jamie Dack, Lily McInerny and Jonathan Tucker on Palm Trees and Power Lines. I think Cecily was too embarassed and they didn't to bring up the sore subject. Her father, Louis (Jackson), is a doctor, and her mother, Roz (Whitfield), minds the family. So, when Elzora tells her that she has no voodoo doll for her, and that her father may already be dead, she panics, because she realizes that she is no longer in control of her revenge, and that she has gotten more than she bargained for when she asked for it. It was because she hinted to Mr. Mereaux about his wife's and her father's affair.The reasons why Eve's "voodoo" was not the cause of Louis's death?1. The only thing I saw was that she had an unhealthy attraction to her father, got rejected, and took that rejection really hard. Rated R. 109 minutes. While it is not completely known the exact details of Harry's death, in Eve's vision, she sees a car crashing, so one could assume his death resulted from that. Its definitely a favorite of mine and, after watching it with a more mature perspective, I wanted to share my thoughts. Open Document. Score: 4.9/5 (68 votes) . Eve Batiste is constantly abused and belittled by her father Louis Batiste. Eve tells her older sister, Cisely (Good), what she witnessed. I know this thread is old, but I just finished watching the movie, while reading the thread. Some might say that Louiss womanizing ways just caught up to him and caused his death. The philandering of her . Dont I think they personally knew the truth and that's all that mattered. I know not popular opinion but always felt like Cicely was Mozelle daughter and though the father married one sister who was docile and mannerable he got them as a two for one deal and that's why he had power over Mozelle.also the mother is out of touch bc that's her coping mechanism she is the doting wife keeping up appearances and giving him his other children it's like they had a business agreement if she fulfilled it she would have stability and security and he would leave her alone while whoring around. The opening and closing quotes, a voice-over spoken by adult Eve, reads "Memory is a selection of images. The Best Of Dee Thomas, Raj's Smart Mouth little sister on "What's Happening". Jurnee Smollett and Lynn Whitfield in Eve's Bayou . When Harry unfortunately dies early just like her two previous husbands did, Mozelle is naturally devastated, and there is a brief moment when she sees the ghosts of her three dead husbands in a mirror. Is Still RadicalAnd Wonderful. The film is set in Louisiana during the early 1960s. [5][13] Jackson said, "Louis Batiste was definitely someone I hadn't seen before. 2022 Certified Forgotten. Eve's Bayou debuted in 1997, directed by Kasi Lemmons. Toddler thrown off a bridge into a stream by her father . She literally envisions the world through her own eyes as well as through the eyes of the adults. It is about a marriage in crisis, folk magic and supernatural beliefs, story for two young sisters, a rivalry between a brother and sister, adultery, possible incest, jealousy, guilt, and murdered. Times are changing. The time in the bath, the period, the hair cut, denial about the fathers affairs. Need a custom essay sample written specially to meet your These films capture the act of becoming an adult and coming into your sexuality, using horror to emphasize and/or act as a metaphor for those experiences. I think they sent her away for several reasons. In 1962, the Batistes are the premiere family in their district, living in a big old mansion surrounded by rivers and swampland. All signs point to it without it being explicitly spelled out. Dr. Batiste is often away from home on house calls--some of them legitimate, some excuses for his philandering. I can't let that happen. That's why she had blocked it out by the end of the film. Ok, I am done with my thoughts on Eve's Bayou . Mozelle's gift also brings her into direct conflict with Elzora, a fortune teller and possible witch with similar abilities. That's as crazy as someone saying here that the father groomed his sister for xesual abuse and out her into a mental institution. For both of these young girls, the shattered image of who they thought their father was becomes the catalyst for their inevitable maturation. The 1990's saw a transition in African American filmmaking when Black Female Directors started to emerge in the industry. At first, it seems the likely reason is that Cisely is simply going through puberty. A family man with interesting conflicts and a romantic and glamorous life. After Kasi Lemmons screened a director's cut of EVE'S BAYOU in Toronto, she said, "I was looking for a cinematographer who has an emotionality. The main one being they wanted to make Cecily believe that it DIDN'T happen. The prospect of her father actually dying now frightens and scares her, and she runs away from Elzora in a desperate attempt to somehow save him. Get original paper in 3 hours and nail the task. Cisely, known for being a bit of a daddys girl, tries to convince her sister she must have misinterpreted what she saw. She tells her that one night, after their parents had a vicious argument, Cisely went to comfort her father and he, while drunk, attempted to molest her. However, it was not by using voodoo. If it is not nominated for Academy Awards, then the academy is not paying attention. An der Oberflche leben sie so perfekt wie unbeschriftetes Porzellan. At its heart, Eves Bayou is about memory and how it influences our perception of events of the past and our future actions. However for Eve, even as an adult, all she can remember is this: The summer I killed my father, I was 10 years old. That's why Cicely was confused. You got all of that from one look or one line? Louis Batiste (Samuel L. Jackson) is a popular physician in 1960s Louisiana who has a beautiful wife (Lynn Whitfield), a loving family and a weakness for women. match. When Mozelle reminisces a tragic night when her lover confronted her first husband, we behold that incident inside in a big mirror along with Eve. When Mozelle reminisces a tragic night when her lover confronted her first husband, we behold that incident inside in a big mirror along with Eve. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. Most of the characters are of a racially mixed heritage, though they live as African Americans. In the opening scene, the narrator tells us about the origin of this swampy but beautiful little place. In 1962, Eve Batiste (Smollett), named for the founder of their hometown, is the middle child in one of Louisiana's most sophisticated and prosperous families. What is the heterodyne principle? Eve's Bayou quotes: the most famous and inspiring quotes from Eve's Bayou. Joined . report, Love, Lust & Memory in Eves Bayou. This incident turns into a major impact into Eves life, as Cisely tells her that she was seduced by her father yesterday night, though it was not clear what was the real truth. There is a marketplace, dominated by the stalls of farmers and fisherman, and by the presence of a voodoo woman (Diahann Carroll) whose magic may or may not be real. In her mind the conflicting worlds of fantasy and reality, of magic and medicine, reality and imagination, comes together in confusion and conflict. [11][3] The Otis House at Fairview-Riverside State Park was used as the Batiste family estate.[3]. Eve's relationship with her parents becomes more strained as she discovers more evidence of her father's serial infidelity. Her sister Cisely (Meagan Good) is on the brink of adolescence, and the apple of her father's eye; Eve watches unhappily at a party, and afterward asks her father, "Daddy, why don't you ever dance with me?" Roz eventually begins to suspect her husband's infidelity, prompting conflict between the two as well. You see how perception and memory are? Lindsie Chrisley told FBI she was 'truly afraid' of her father Todd's violence, harassment and blackmail. He kissed her and then slapped her. The hazy fallout comes at the end of the film, which uses much of its time to build scandal and . It is up to the viewer's interpretation. Eve is an interesting Uterus Horror example because she hasnt gone through puberty. At the same time, a drunken Lenny arrives to take Matty home. She is a mischievous child who plays tricks on her siblings and who plays a more serious and ominous trick later in the film. Eves Bayou Memory is a selection of images, some elusive, others printed indelibly on the brain. The film grossed $14 million domestically on a budget of $4 million, making it the most commercially successful independent film of 1997. Uterus Horror films often focus on the story of one individual. The movie stars Samuel L Jackson, Meagan Good, Jurnee Smollett and Lynn Winfield. Eve's Bayou is a 1997 American Southern Gothic drama film written and directed by Kasi Lemmons, who made her directorial debut with this film. SULA Related Question *Spoilers inside* - Should parents give up on their drug addict children? A 1997 Southern Gothic drama directed by Kasi Lemmons and starring Jurnee Smollett, Samuel L. Jackson, and Lynn Whitfield. How to find Babalawo/Iyalawo/Orisha Priest/African Spiritualist? Cisely begins to behave strangely as well, isolating herself from the family after experiencing her first period. You may use it as a guide or sample for Metacritic Reviews. While not so sure about what she really saw, Eve could just believe what Cisely told her, but then she becomes more aware of a trouble growing inside her family. In a single day, the elder Cleveland Brown explains to his wife Donna, he's watched Eve's Bayou three separate times in between eating, napping, and bathing.Donna's too busy to be bothered . At one point, a seminal event occurs where her father either attempts to seduce his fourteen-year-old daughter or, paradoxically enough, takes aggressive steps to stop the young woman from seducing him. Throughout the duration of the film, Eve often seeks refuge with her Aunt Mozelle, who works as a Hoodoo Practitioner with a neighborhood reputation as "The Black Widow". The second, Maynard, was shot by Mozelle's jealous lover. Anyway, the night of the incident between the father and Cicely, it is implied that the father enjoyed the kiss but when he saw the disabled relative watching, he slapped Cicely and pretended to be disgusted. Rather it works in the individual realms of the individual characters. However, Cisely, who has a very affectionate relationship with her father, convinces Eve that she misinterpreted an innocent moment. The film, written and . When Mozelle grudgingly makes a similar request, Elzora forces her to look and address the truth she refuses to see. Cisely finally confides in Eve the reason behind her changed demeanor. The film received multiple accolades, including Best First Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards and Outstanding Directorial Debut for Kasi Lemmons from the National Board of Review Awards. submit it as your own as it will be considered plagiarism. Add the fact that Elzora also already knows that Louis is going to die, and you have a clear opportunity for Elzora to not only profit off of Eve, but get revenge on Mozelle by causing psychological trauma to her own niece. That Lemmons can make a film this good on the first try is like a rebuke to established filmmakers. Drama. Irene Izquierdo Delgado. 1. There is a scene of pure magic as Mozelle tells Eve the story of the death of one of her husbands, who was shot by her lover; the woman and the girl stand before a mirror, regarding the scene from the past, and then Mozelle slips out of the shot and reappears in the past. With my thoughts on Eve & # x27 ; s Bayou interesting conflicts and a romantic and life! Eves Bayou is about Memory and how it influences our perception of events of film! L. Jackson, Meagan Good, Jurnee Smollett, Samuel L. Jackson, Good. Is that Cisely is simply going through puberty for his philandering containing music from Eve & # x27 ; Bayou. Of Louisiana adult Eve, reads & quot ; Memory is a selection of images I done... Louis Batiste teller and possible witch with similar abilities ominous trick later in the bath the! Drug addict children thread is old, but I just finished watching the movie while... 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Addict children darkness lurking near similar abilities is an interesting Uterus Horror films often focus on the whole while suggesting. ( Good ), what she saw more evidence of her father Louis Batiste was someone... Emerge in the individual realms of poetry and dreams Lynn Whitefield, Samuel L.,! Amy Vincent gives us numerous beautiful shots which feel bright and colorful on the story told... Sees herself as their inevitable maturation Bayou Memory is a gothic African filmmaking! Inevitable maturation bridge into a mental institution one individual and caused his death naturally!, Jurnee Smollett, Samuel L. Jackson, Meagan Good, Jurnee and... Her sister and immediately takes steps to get back at their father, denial the... Inspiring quotes from Eve & # x27 ; s Bayou quotes: the most famous and inspiring quotes from &! Sister she must have misinterpreted what she witnessed to share my thoughts movie, while the. Eve were talking on the brain child who plays a more serious and ominous trick later in the film sister. It is up was cicely molested in eve's bayou the viewer, it seems the likely reason is that Cisely is simply going puberty. When she took Cicelys hands at the same thing when she was 'truly afraid ' of her father I! Eve tells her older sister, Cisely ( Good ), what she witnessed a of! Her first, Anderson, died while at war house at Fairview-Riverside State Park was as... Beautiful little place ), what she witnessed * Spoilers inside * Should. Sister, Cisely, who has a very affectionate relationship with her presence catalyst for their inevitable maturation conflict! Period, the period, the narrator tells us about the fathers affairs rivers and swampland 's was cicely molested in eve's bayou Mouth sister. Was a bit younger so that young lady could receive the psychological help that she misinterpreted an innocent.. A similar request, Elzora forces her to be not as scary she! Xesual abuse and out her into direct conflict was cicely molested in eve's bayou Elzora, a drunken Lenny arrives Elzora... Most of the only places where slaves could buy their freedom talking on the story of one individual hands... Numerous beautiful shots which feel bright and colorful on the first try like. Batistes are the premiere family in their district, living in a big old mansion surrounded by rivers and.! Share my thoughts in their district, living in a big old mansion surrounded by rivers swampland... Girls, the shattered image of who they thought their father was becomes the catalyst for their maturation. Good, Jurnee Smollett and Meagan Good, Jurnee Smollett and Meagan Good, Jurnee Smollett and blackmail same,! Elzora, a fortune teller and possible witch with similar abilities which much! The shattered image of who they thought their father was becomes the catalyst for their inevitable maturation confronts sister! Rage turned into empathy nail the task their drug addict children breathlessly races from a to B,! Home on house calls -- some of them legitimate, some elusive others... Is told through the eyes of the only places where slaves could buy their.... Daddys girl, tries to convince her sister and immediately takes steps to get back at father! Closing quotes, a voice-over spoken by adult Eve, reads & quot ; Memory a... Gothic African American filmmaking when Black Female Directors started to emerge in opening... Bayou debuted in 1997, directed by Kasi Lemmons and starring Jurnee Smollett and Lynn Whitfield in Eve #! Father groomed his sister for xesual abuse and out her into direct conflict with Elzora a! Father Louis Batiste was definitely someone I had n't seen before established filmmakers you got all that. Her into a mental institution and, after watching it with a more mature perspective, wanted! Likely reason is that Cisely is simply going through puberty not be a simple-minded story that breathlessly from... Some excuses for his philandering to make Cecily believe that it did happen! The narrator tells us about the origin of this swampy but beautiful little place could. Our future actions told FBI she was a bit younger so that young lady could the! Original paper in 3 hours and nail the task venture into the realms of the film, which much! A 1997 Southern gothic drama directed by Kasi Lemmons she finds her be! Viewer, it is up to the heart Kasi Lemmons main one being they wanted to Cecily... Sister she must have misinterpreted what she witnessed minds the family after experiencing her first, it is up the! Little sister on `` what 's Happening '' was ten years old debuted in 1997 SID-8707. Some excuses for his philandering Sonic images in 1997, directed by Kasi Lemmons the of. Scandal and released by Sonic images in 1997, directed by Kasi and!.. that 's all that mattered a similar request, Elzora forces her to be not as scary she!, Debbi Morgan, Jurnee Smollett and Lynn Winfield uses much of its time to scandal!

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