In modern day films, more often than not, the Virgin Mary is depicted as a goal for women to strive for in terms of her morals and of her maternal instinct. In an article by Melissa Conroy entitled “Watching Eve and Mary, Contemporary Cinema rewrites woman”, Conroy discusses the traditional roles of women in comparison to the two most important women in the Bible, Mary and Eve, and how it is almost impossible for women to attain the standards that they set. In two modern day films, Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut and Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men, the narratives represent the “re-workings” of the representations of these women in comparison to one another. Essentially, they provide examples of how the position of women should be a maternal one and that they should not have any sexual desires for men other than their husbands.
In Eyes Wide Shut, the two main characters, Bill and Alice, get into a fight after they go to a party together. Having a rather strained relationship, Alice asks Bill if he was tempted to have sex with anyone at the party, and he proceeded to say that he was not worried that Alice would want to have sex with anyone because “Women don’t...they basically don’t think like that.” Bill assumes that women in general do not have sexual desires or fantasies of any men other than their husband/boyfriend. When Bill says this to Alice, Alice responds by explaining the countless sexual fantasies she has, providing clear examples for Bill that he was wrong in that aspect. As the film progresses, the viewer sees that Bill is very distraught about his wife’s sexual desires because of his initial view that women did not desire to cheat on their husbands. Conroy relates Bill’s interpretation of Alice’s desires to portrayals of Mary and Eve, saying “If Mary is saved by being outside the realm of sexuality, procreation and desire, Eve’s fallen body promotes the equation of female with these negative attributes.” Throughout the film Bill sees Alice as being solely a motherly woman who is devoid of any kind of sexual desire. He also compares women who are sexually deviant such as prostitutes to Eve, being a negative and unnatural thing. Eve, being the one who caused the downfall of man, is seen as a negative type of religious figure, in the eyes of Conroy, and is therefore why Bill seems to compare sexually promiscuous women to her disobedient nature. Because Alice is motherly yet at the same time she has lust for other men, Bill is confused because she is not the “ideal” woman that the Virgin Mary embodies. Although it is not necessarily apparent in the film, Conroy makes the connection between Eve and Mary and Alice, portraying a not so evident underlying theme of religion in the film.
In Eyes Wide Shut, the two main characters, Bill and Alice, get into a fight after they go to a party together. Having a rather strained relationship, Alice asks Bill if he was tempted to have sex with anyone at the party, and he proceeded to say that he was not worried that Alice would want to have sex with anyone because “Women don’t...they basically don’t think like that.” Bill assumes that women in general do not have sexual desires or fantasies of any men other than their husband/boyfriend. When Bill says this to Alice, Alice responds by explaining the countless sexual fantasies she has, providing clear examples for Bill that he was wrong in that aspect. As the film progresses, the viewer sees that Bill is very distraught about his wife’s sexual desires because of his initial view that women did not desire to cheat on their husbands. Conroy relates Bill’s interpretation of Alice’s desires to portrayals of Mary and Eve, saying “If Mary is saved by being outside the realm of sexuality, procreation and desire, Eve’s fallen body promotes the equation of female with these negative attributes.” Throughout the film Bill sees Alice as being solely a motherly woman who is devoid of any kind of sexual desire. He also compares women who are sexually deviant such as prostitutes to Eve, being a negative and unnatural thing. Eve, being the one who caused the downfall of man, is seen as a negative type of religious figure, in the eyes of Conroy, and is therefore why Bill seems to compare sexually promiscuous women to her disobedient nature. Because Alice is motherly yet at the same time she has lust for other men, Bill is confused because she is not the “ideal” woman that the Virgin Mary embodies. Although it is not necessarily apparent in the film, Conroy makes the connection between Eve and Mary and Alice, portraying a not so evident underlying theme of religion in the film.
The film Children of Men, much like Eyes Wide Shut, is concerned with fertility, death and female sexuality. In a world where infertility has stopped the human race from reproducing, Kee, a pregnant immigrant represents Mary in particular scenes in the film. While she is giving birth, she is on a floor in a barn among cattle and farm life. When Theo, the protagonist in the film asks her who the father was, she jokingly replies that she is a virgin. Because Kee is the only woman left on earth able to bear a child, she is, like Mary, the second chance for humanity. Once the child is born, the whole community rejoices because they recognize that humanity is saved; it is essentially a miracle child. Although the representation of Mary in Kee is apparent, she also represents Eve in that she is cursed with the severe pain of childbirth. {1} In both Children of Men and Eyes Wide Shut, the Virgin Mary and Eve are portrayed through different female characters, whether by reproduction, lust, or sexuality in general. In both cases, men’s interpretation of the traditional roles of women through the figures of Mary and Eve, are changed completely. {2}
The Virgin Mary is also depicted in a 27-minute film titled “Tropico”, performed by singer Lana del Rey, that was released in 2013. The overall context of the film revolves around the Genesis story of Adam and Eve and how sin and redemption play a crucial role in their relationship with God. Scenes of Lana del Rey costumed as the Virgin Mary appear in the film on multiple occasions, as well as more modern figures such as Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe. The point of this film was to show how society puts entertainment figures on a high pedestal equal to that of the most important figures of the Christian faith including God, Jesus Christ, and the Virgin Mary. This depiction suggests that the importance of Mary as a figure is not valued as greatly in society today compared to more historical times because we relish over figures because of their talents on the screen or through music. The song suggests that society looks up to and worships entertainers and performers in the same way or greater than they do religious figures. For instance, children idolize bands for their talents and looks and view them in the same light as they would God. The film portrays the Virgin Mary in illuminated by a light beyond her, exemplifying her devotion to innocence and purity. The modernized version of the story in the Garden of Eden assesses how the morality of modern society has decayed through the use of religious symbolism and famous American icons, including John Wayne.
In 2012 Rihanna released an album, Unapologetic, including a song titled “Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary”. Although the song is not necessarily a religious one, Rihanna continuously calls out to Mother Mary saying, “Mother Mary, I swear I wanna change”. Rihanna’s depiction of the mother of Jesus in her song implies that she made a mistake in her past, regrets it, and is making a confession. She is asking for forgiveness for her previous actions and looking to the Virgin Mary as a symbol of redemption and aid in a time of distress. This portion of the song is telling that in times of need people look to religious figures to seek guidance to lead them on the right path.
{1} Melissa Conroy, “Watching Eve and Mary: Contemporary Cinema Rewrites Woman,” Muskingum College, 37 no. 1 (February 2008): 18-20.
http://0-web.b.ebscohost.com.helin.uri.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=2f5d8ead-d582-4103-8dc2-22296ddef44e%40sessionmgr120&vid=1&hid=118
{2} Conroy, “Watching Eve and Mary: Contemporary Cinema Rewrites Woman,” 18-20.
Rihanna. "Mother Mary." Advertisement. YouTube. November 30, 2012. Accessed April 20, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l3yxN2srj4.
Header image: https://www.osv.com/TheChurch/Mary/Article/TabId/660/ArtMID/13700/ArticleID/13258/Mary-of-Nazareth-shows-Mary-Joseph-as-saintly-but-human.aspx
Children of Men image: http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/children-of-men-2007
Eyes Wide Shut image: http://vigilantcitizen.com/moviesandtv/the-hidden-and-not-so-hidden-messages-in-stanley-kubriks-eyes-wide-shut-pt-i/
Lana Del Rey, “Tropico,” "Tropico VEVO. December 4, 2013. Last modified 2016. http://www.vevo.com/watch/lana-del-rey/tropico-(short-film)-(explicit)/GBUV71301124.