Not much Joy
Reply
Tag Archives: Joy
Stuck Between Two Worlds
This film from the scene where Joy is watching her daughter play on the playground shows the struggle of being stuck between two worlds, the world of being a prostitute in Germany and the life that she used to have when she lived in Nigeria. Joy is currently on the outside of the fence because she is stuck in the world of being a prostitute in order to pay off her debt and earn money. However, there is this part of her that misses what she has had to give up in order to have a better life than she did in Nigeria, such as her daughter and not being able to return to Nigeria for the fear that she might be deported because she does not have a visa. This can be related as a common theme for immigrants because they are stuck with having to adapt and immigrate into a new country but there is a longing to maintain their identity from their country of origin. I think that Joy may not like the job as a prostitute however she understands that because of where she comes from this is something that she must do in order to have a better life, pay off her debt and help her family.
The Power of the Camera
A moment of joy in Joy
There is one rather lovely scene in Joy in which we see some joy. It is the scene in which the women spend free time dancing together. This scene recalls our discussion of the song scene in Fire at Sea; both moments exemplify the “human response to suffering.” Here, costuming and shot composition call attention to the vibrancy the women are still able to generate within their oppressive setting. They wear casual clothes with plenty of color and pattern – a change from their usual work clothes: skin-tight, made-up and excessive ensembles. This more natural, yet still colorful look suggests that they can be themselves and celebrate life, even within their confines. Further, this shot breaks the rule of thirds, as four figures fill the screen. This compactness works on two levels: first, it brings into focus their enclosure within a small environment, representative of their metaphorical entrapment in the world of prostitution, but also, it produces a sense of comfort. The shot feels as if the room has been filled with life and friendship. The women are close together, dancing and smiling, highlighting a sense of equality and support for one another. The scene offers a moment of relief in the film’s otherwise heavy mood, working as the song scene in Fire at Sea does to humanize the people on screen.
A Betrayal of Trust Invokes a Further Betrayal
In this scene we see Joy negotiating the terms of her asylum if she were to turn information about her madame over to the government. This scene ties in really well with the theme of a harmful binary, which holds vulnerability inferior and opposite to agency, which can be found in “Rethinking Vulnerability and Resistance” by Judith Butler. Joy is put in a position where she is extremely vulnerable, and even though the problems she is facing are not unfamiliar to the woman working with her to gain asylum, and especially familiar to Joy’s madame, they still have no problem labeling Joy as ‘vulnerable’ and exploiting her for their own personal gain. Both the government and the madames might try and justify their actions by saying that they provide these prostitutes with protection, but at the end of the day they are more concerned with their own personal gain and consider the safety of the people they’re working with to be secondary. By putting the idea of the prostitutes being vulnerable into the forefront of their minds, people who seek to exploit these girls justify the actions by which the girls are made vulnerable. By advertising security, like the blonde woman does in this scene with the posters in the background saying it’s safe to speak out for prostitutes, and then denying any certainty of getting help after putting oneself at risk, these prostitutes are made vulnerable through betrayal after betrayal of trust, which is use to justify further betrayal and greater oppression down the line.
Up Close and Personal
In the film Joy there are lots of close ups on our main characters. This can really reflect the boundaries that are being crossed and taken advantage of with Joy and the prostitute’s. Even with the sounds of this film it is really dependent on silence. There isn’t that much dialog and there is no score which helps provoke uneasy, uncomfortable and realism especially with the scene of Precious getting raped, all we hear is her cry for help. I think having mainly medium close ups and close ups help with the theme and tone of the film since we are getting really close and personal with the characters and seeing how easy it is for them to let themselves become vulnerable to strangers. And maybe even a since of being trapped inside this narrative of this is the only life for them.We really see the emotion or maybe even lack there of since Joy ironically doesn’t show much joy at all in the film but once we get to the end we see Joy walking away from the camera embodying her own freedom away from the camera and Madame no longer following that narrative anymore. 