Some of this is clearly being orchestrated by huckster and
small-time pimp Bruno Weiss (Joaquin Phoenix), who’s put upon kindness is a
ruse to slowly manipulate her into entering prostitution – all in the name of
security and the salvation of her ailing sister. Ewa doesn’t entirely
understand this at first though. She is a highly devout Catholic who believes
in the fundamental goodness of humanity. This despite the many trying, terrible
experiences she will come to face in the days ahead. The film doesn’t paint Ewa
as wholly innocent and pure though. Ultimately she is a survivor who is trying
to make the best of an awful, desperate situation.
Bruno brings Ewa back to a tiny apartment that he shares
with other women he has eyed at Ellis Island and pulled strings in order to
enter his web. The apartment is an excellent work of location scouting and
production design. It is exceedingly cramped and worn down, and director James
Gray fills out settings like this with carefully chosen period appropriate
props and items, general tchotchkes (There is a whole essay to be written just
about the film’s costumes. For instance, Bruno’s outfit speaks volumes about
how he wants himself to be seen – a classy gentleman – but it always feels
ill-fitting). Bruno runs a theater where bawdy burlesque performances are held,
and Ewa joins in hopes of saving her sister – she believes she is sending
payments for the cost of her sister’s medical treatment. Wealthy men ogle and
cat-call at the women, who have learned to take it because they like Ewa have
no other options – and that is because Bruno has made certain that is the case.
Ewa believes this will be the full extent of her work, but by this point the
film has already provided a sense that it is only the first of many small,
accumulative tragedies that will fell Ewa.
Ewa will come to meet Emil (Jeremy Renner), stage name
Orlando the Magician, a theater performer who happens to be Bruno’s cousin.
Both Bruno and Emil become fond of Ewa, for reasons that are entirely selfish
and possessive. The film depicts Emil as a nicer, gentler man, but he is really
just the lesser of two evils – an individual as consumed by his flaws and addictions
just as much as the more obviously horrible Bruno. While we are always meant to
feel a little disgusted by Bruno and his self-serving actions, Phoenix’s
performance and James Gray and Ric Menello’s script do wonders to humanize the
character; Bruno becomes sadder and more pathetic than initially imaginable.
His first appearance is predatory but he is far more pitiable than that initial
glimpse would suggest.
Gray and cinematographer Darius Khondji shoot the film like
we are seeing dusty, faded photographs, slightly yellowed and greyed. The look of
the film is understated, drifting into the background and effortlessly blending
together with the story. It creates a sense of authenticity and realism, but it
also fosters a dual sense that we are watching something dug up from recent
memory. It is deeply evocative of its
time and setting without calling too much attention to the incredible pains
gone through to achieve period accuracy. Gray and Menello’s script doesn’t overplay the
sense of disconnect between present and past mores and values. The film is
delicate in its treatment of a cultural environment that looks highly different
from our own, subtly noting gaps in beliefs. The most apparent of these come in
the form of gender, where the treatment of women and their worth was far more
patronizing and demeaning. The film, however, doesn’t pass judgment, rather
casually emphasizing these elements to reinforce the complicated nature of Ewa’s
circumstances.
There is no denying the bleakness of the story. Gray doesn’t
cut corners in his vision, slowly depicting every last detail of Ewa’s
confinement and loss of agency. But in keeping the film’s perspective so fully
aligned with Ewa, the film is sensitive and compassionate towards her
experience and its desire to understand it. Cotillard’s performance is crucial
to our identification. The film’s performances are all really subtle and
unshowy (outside of occasional bouts from Phoenix’s manically mannered
performance), and the writing downplays and understates a lot of the action.
But Cotillard’s beautifully expressive face cues us into every haggard, pained
feeling. Ava is a diminutive figure, but Cotillard always cuts through to an
inner will and strength fighting to remain in a state of grace and dignity no
matter how low she must stoop.
The film is not directly hopeful. It has the blunt reality
of the Italian Neo-Realists, refusing to sugarcoat or flinch away from hard
truths and harsh realities. That can, at times, make the film a deeply
harrowing film to sit through. Even as Gray demonstrates a gentle, even hand
and sensitivity, moments like the first time Ava has to give her body over for
money are overwhelmingly horrifying and painful to watch. The film never
totally succumbs to being entirely unforgiving however. This is largely due to
Ewa’s fragile faith. Her faith is increasingly put to the test, but she remains
devout in her belief in God and His design and that God has a reason for
testing her and will save her in the end. The
Immigrant puts its central character through the ringer and us along with
them, but it ultimately doesn’t leave you feeling drained but rather fuller.
Grade: A-
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