Roadside Attractions
In the opening moments of the Chilean movie Gloria, the titular character, divorced for a decade and who’s pushing the older side of middle-age, is at an demographically appropriate nightclub in Santiago. With drink in hand, she’s unashamedly fishing for a man. But what director Sebastián Lelio winds up exploring is Gloria’s profound personal confusion about the Feminine.
Gloria (Paulina García) does seem to have at least a superficial grasp of the Venusian Lover archetype. She values her appearance and dresses to attract the opposite sex. When she meets Rodolfo (Sergio Hernández), an older and retired naval officer at that same club, her inner Party Girl is delighted with his sexual vigor, passion and love of dancing. He falls hard and heavy and they quickly become a couple. And that’s when Gloria’s conflicting issue with the Mother archetype and everything Lunar rears its ugly head.
She’s desperate for a more emotional relationship with her grown daughter Ana (Fabiola Zamora), whose European boyfriend may, of course, spirit her away for good. As if to release her pent up Lunar energy, she goes excessively maternal on her grown son who has a child of his own. To watch her crumb his dining room table and offer him health-related information – a silent plea to allow her to use her mothering instincts in some way – is heartbreaking.
Soon though, Gloria has more negative Moon energy in her life than she could have bargained for. Turns out the divorced Rodolfo – with a helpless ex-wife and similarly hapless grown children – is woefully lacking in self-awareness. He begins to load his misplaced nurturing tendencies onto his family, and his increasingly excessive sensitivity onto Gloria who rightfully feels marginalized.
Ultimately, Gloria’s real agenda becomes the core of the movie: effecting the Saturnine task of self-definition. It’s the proverbial solitary mission. No kids, no lovers. Tough at any age, but especially poignant and gratifying in one’s sixth decade. It’s satisfying to watch her upward trajectory, as well.
Astrology Film Rating: ☽♀♄ (Moon, Venus, Saturn)
