I Thought He Had Cancer

This was one of the most impactful scenes to me in the movie that truly shows how this system works. Not only are these women being used by the Madame and the whole system but these women are made to believe that they have to take on the burden of sending tons of money to their families.  Joy was made out to believe that she had to send tons of money for her Father’s cancer treatment but upon Madame’s return from Nigeria, she learns that her father is healthy and her brother has a new shiny car.  Joy is being used by her family so that they can live comfortably in Nigeria while she has to do all the work and be used in order to scrape by with all that she owes every week.  In Joy’s case if her family was in fact lying to her, she could of taken the man’s money to live with him and gotten out of this situation sooner.  This aspect plays into why it is so hard to break out of the system.  Joy is sending all of her extra money to her family, who claims they are in such need of it, when in reality they have luxurious things that Joy does not have herself, which causes her to not have money stored away for when she is finally free. This causes the women in her situation to be more attracted to becoming a madame themselves because it’s a business that they know and can make a lot of money doing.

 

A moment of joy in Joy

There is one rather lovely scene in Joy in which we see some joy. Iis the scene in which the women spend free time dancing togetherThis 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 comfortThe 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.