By the end when the screen became black, I was petrified as if I had seen a Basilisk! The final shot of the movie left me thinking in circles as to what might have happened to David similar to the famous spinning top in The Inception. Beyond the bewildering ambiguous climax, The Lobster was by itself a bolt out of the blue film which dares not only to break but also to simply smash the hell out of the conventional beliefs held by the society.
It started with an innocuous discussion on Steve Carruth with my friend who suggested me to see The Lobster which actually led me to see this disturbing piece of amazing art in the first place. Why do I call it "disturbing" or "disconcerting"? You will know soon enough.
The first scene where a woman shoots a horse until it dies lays the foundation for what was to unravel in the next 120 minutes. In a certain place, all the single people are expected to find themselves a partner within 45 days of checking into the hotel else they would be turned into an animal of their choice just like David's brother who became a dog. The Manager further tells David that his unique animal selection to be a lobster is actually good because most of the people choose to be a dog and that's why the world is occupied with so many dogs! All the guests in the hotel are given lectures and skits to explain the advantages and benefits of having a partner. They go the extent that sexual stimulation is given in moderation to them by the Maid and masturbation is a punishable offence! Another eligibility condition to become partners is that both of them must have a distinct and common trait. With so many rules in place and limited time to find themselves a life long companion, the guests were in a soup. After many twists and turns, David heads to the forests to join the loners where the rules are even more stringent and gruesome. Dance solo with electronic music.No romance. No flirting. No kissing. And the punishment for kissing is a "Red Kiss" where the lips are cut off and the offenders are made to kiss each other! The leader warns David that the punishment for anyone to indulge in sexual behavior is "Red Intercourse" and asks him to imagine it. The stars were shining upon David and he meets a short-sighted woman like himself and falls in love with her. What happens after that, I leave it to you to watch and find out for yourself.
Now, dissecting the movie into its naked form, The Lobster is based on the prevailing mores in the society that it is essential for everyone to have a partner and that it is imperative they have something in common so that they can lead a happy life. This is precisely what The Lobster tries to blast in a dark jet black satirical way. For a true open minded person, marriage is something which is a match of hearts and not based on common features or traits to lead a happy life. If the two people in question have a shared characteristic then it's just an additional bonus. For those who are truly in love with each other, they see beyond the mundane trivialities and it wouldn't matter to them one bit whether the common interests exist or not.
The Lobster really makes a tremendous mark in capturing the essence of the traditional stereotype to bundle and give it as a bitter syrup to all the pedestrians. However, the handling of the subject is so unsettling that at times you feel it's safe to close your media player rather than to watch it. Whenever I saw an animal in the forest, my first instinctive reaction was to think whether it's really an animal or a human transformation and when David kills and skins one of the rabbits for his lady love, I was more than horrified. The director has done an exceptional job by strongly implanting the beguiling idea of transformation in the mind during the early stages of the movie and does not bother to look at the road since then. This is where the genius and sheer brilliance of the movie lies as The Lobster could have been a stunning sci-fi had the director progressed and proceeded on the "transformation" route but instead he chooses to go astray from that genre into uncharted territories. The background score was equally comfortlessly ominous as the cinematography. Howmuch ever deeply destabilizing, ultimately, the curiosity in you wins the battle and makes you to eventually sit up right till the movie's double-edged conclusion.
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