MISS JULIE

MISS JULIE opens in the summer of 1894 in the basement kitchen of Miss Julie’s ancestral estate (a visually depressing scene). Saffron Burrows, Peter Mullan and Maria Doyle Kennedy deliver outstanding performances in Strindberg’s classic story of class struggle, and the emotional torture that is birthed from “improper” relationships set outside the boundaries of marriage. Not being familiar with Strindberg’s play, this viewer had high hopes that both characters would be redeemed in the end, and thus “held on” for a happy ending that was not to be.

With the sense of “mardi gras” or carnival in the air, Julie, the count’s daughter, has just been jilted by her fiancé for being more outspoken and uninhibited than was prudent for her time and position in society. Asserting her dominance as master of the estate, while her father is away, Julie arrogantly finds her way to the basement kitchen which is larger than most small homes. In an overtly condescending manner, Julie confronts her father’s footman and kitchen maid, Jean and Christine, respectively. Julie’s patronizing attitude toward her father’s servants leaves little sympathy for her in the eyes of the audience. Unexpectedly, Jean, a clean cut, bearded, self-educated man with pride and a huge chip on his shoulder concerning the upper class, looks more like a gentleman than a servant. Julie tells Jean to try on her father’s clothes as if he were “Dapper Dan” (a doll for teaching little boys how to dress). Jean tells Julie, defiantly, that he would prefer not to play her game.

She asks, “What if I were to command you?” “Then I am forced to obey,” he replies, for Jean cannot afford to lose his job.

Attracted to Jean’s gentlemanly looks and self-confident demeanor, Julie commands him to grasp her leg and kiss her boot while Christine, the kitchen maid, collapses in a rocking chair from pure exhaustion. Christine, who is supposedly engaged to Jean, is totally oblivious to the erotic turn of events going on in her presence.

Sympathy for Mullan’s character is apparent as he reacts to Julie’s erotic commands. He begins to tell her of his childhood where he was raised on the dirt floor huts of the servant quarters at her father’s estate. Being in love with the beautiful child of the count, he peered out from his lowly dwelling, dreaming that he could raise himself up from the his class, take Julie’s hand and live happily ever after. As Jean grows older, he finally gives up hope and realizes that society will never let him rise above the class to which he was born, which leaves him jaded and resentful of Julie and her upper class peers.

Attempting to hide the fact that she is moved by his story, Julie unsuccessfully tries to awake Christine for no other reason than her own whim. This angers Jean as he screams at Julie to respect the fact that there are others in the world who have to work all night and day to survive.

“Sleep is something to be respected!” he exclaims.

Julie moves her seduction outside the kitchen to the estate’s grounds, which is obviously a soundstage. Testing Jean to see how far he will go, Julie entices Jean to kiss her. Jean then tests the limits by grabbing her breast. She slaps him. He tells her he does not want to play her game and pushes her to the ground as he returns to his duties. She follows him and continues to push him. Being taboo to be caught alone together, they hide from a group of other servants who are still drunkenly celebrating carnival time. Julie listens in shock as her servants vulgarly mock her with drunken song and dance. Nestled closely to Jean, in hiding, Julie is obviously hurt by the true feelings of her servants as Jean tries to cover her ears. Jean, attracted yet resentful, pulls up her dress and begins to rape her, knowing she will not cry out. Perhaps, she wanted to be raped. This is left up to the audience’s interpretation.

Director Figgis uses a seldom seen split screen technique for filming two simultaneous angles of this scene. Although no “skin” is seen by the audience, the scene is sexually graphic nonetheless. It leaves both characters tormented, if not violated, and the audience as well. Figgis maintains the split screen to show both characters’ reactions to what has just happened after the partying servants leave. Jean coldly and regretfully makes his way to the sink and begins to carefully wash his genitals so as to remove all evidence of what he has just done. Julie watches in shock as she seeks comfort from him by asking if he still loves her as he did when he was a child. He replies that he has no respect for the person who is now “the footman’s whore.” He lets her know that even a low class servant woman would not stoop to such a raw sexual act and that Julie is no better than a dog.

Knowing that word of this could mean big trouble for him, Jean psychologically defeats Julie and levels the playing field of their two separate worlds. Seeing a way out, the still ambitious Jean convinces Julie that he could escape his servitude and rise to another class by being in business in another city if only he had a benefactor. The roles change as Jean demands that Julie steal her father’s money and run away with him. Out of fear or desperation, she steals her father’s money, and both she and Jean pack their bags.

Christine, Jean’s betrothed, confronts the couple as they are about to depart on Sunday morning. Jean’s strong spirit sinks as Christine puts both Jean and Julie “back in their place.” Christine tells Jean he needs to shave. He obeys, and Julie drops the money and weeps in despair.

The redeeming message of MISS JULIE comes from Christine when she asks Jean if he will attend church with her that morning. Julie wants to know what Christine believes. Christine conveys the gospel message that God is no respector of persons, regardless of class, and all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. She further conveys that the shedding of blood is the only redemption for sin, and Jesus Christ shed that blood for all mankind. Julie, knowing she was caught in the ugliness of sin, sees a glimmer of hope until the mean spirited or jealous Christine informs Julie that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” Christine goes on to apologize, “I’m sorry, that’s just the way it is.” This leads Julie to believe, in error, that her wealth excludes her from Christ’s provision and completes the reversal of roles, making the servant class the only people worthy of salvation and thus a higher class in the eyes of God. Julie, having lost all hope except to redeem herself by shedding her own blood, takes the razor that Jean used to shave, goes to the fountain outside the kitchen and slits her wrists as both Jean and Christine look the other way in preparation of the return of Julie’s father, the count.

Although MISS JULIE quotes the Bible, few people understand that the “eye of the needle” that Christ referred to in scripture was the gateway to the city that was small and guarded after daylight hours. A camel would have to unload its wealth temporarily to fit through the small door and enter the safety of the city walls. The wealth could then be dragged through the door or picked up the next day. Also, the following verse reads, “but with God, all things are possible.” This means that even the wealthy can enter into the Kingdom of God as long as their trust is not in riches but rather the blood of Jesus Christ.

While well written, well acted and reasonably well directed, MISS JULIE does not deliver the widespread appeal that will drive mainstream America to the box office. Its depressing visuals and hopeless ending are not uplifting or truly edifying