Megan Griffiths
is the producer of the film Eden. This epic film follows the story of a
women kidnapped into American’s human trafficking business. As the producer realized the challenges
that came with making such an intensive film, dealing with a major issue,
decisions had to be made. In her interview with Tom Tangney, Megan Griffiths
recalls her judgment to remove all nude scenes from the film. This is obviously
a major stylistic approach similar to Marleen Gorris whose “typical film objectification of naked women by means of a very controlled camera focus.
Undressed, the women are not framed voyeuristically for the viewer but are
frequently in close up with the camera at their eye level even when seated”
(Humm, p.103). Both women recognize the importance of the focus on the content
of the film and not the nudes of the characters. When faced with real
issues, and trying to convey human trafficking as it, Megan Griffiths,
understood that the focus and presentation of the characters needed to be genuine
to the true horrors faced.
As Naomi Wolf notes in her article Culture
“Women are mere ‘beauties’ in men’s culture so that can be kept male…women
are allowed a mind or a body but not both” (p.59) demonstrating exactly what
the director was tying to avoid.
In a New York Times article, Stephan Holder, states “ You may call me naïve, but it is deeply upsetting that “Eden” is set in the United States and that the organization’s boss, Bob Gault (Beau Bridges), is a law-and-order-preaching United States marshal. We imagine this kind of crime flourishing in the shadows of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. But in the United States, with a backslapping good old boy running the operation?” showing the deep effect that the movie had on its viewers. It is no surprise that the setting of the events makes it shocking to most Americans as they try to remove themselves from thinks they believe happen in third world countries.
While Stephan Holder recognizes this powerful film, FarranSmith Nehme of the New York Post criticizes it stating “..it's not a documentary, it isn't entertainment, and aside from
Chung's intelligent, dignified performance, this sure as heck isn't art..”
which is both harsh and indecipherable. The director herself recognized that
this is not a documentary in her interview with Tom Tangney, stating
that the women who had experienced these events helped write her story. The
lack of entertainment in the movie sense of the word is a given, because the
film was made to arise questions and recognize a real problem. It is not a
typical film with problems of zombies and fashion disasters like most movies.
This film focuses of an issue that is not recognized as a reoccurring event in
the United States.
Eden movie trailer
Overall based on YouTube viewer comments and other review
websites the film elicits thoughts about human trafficking in the United
States. It produces shock and realization of the distance people have placed
between horrific events such as those Eden depicts. This distance is not slowly
decreased, but promptly obliterated by the producer who makes the first scene
Eden’s kidnapping. Pulling the viewers into the situation and unfolding the
evens as the surreal becomes quite real.
Bibliography:
Eden Reviews-http://www.aceshowbiz.com/movie/eden/review.html
Holder, Stephan True Story Inspires Tale of Sex Trade; in a Twist, a U.S. Marshal Is the Bad Guy, The New York Times, online.
Humm, Maggie. Feminism and Film. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1997. Print. Megan Griffiths- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0341722/
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