The movie "Orlando" is a screen version of the same name novel by Virginia Woolf. In the title role, even in two main roles, actress Tilda Swinton starred. It seems that she was as if born for this role.
The film lasts only an hour and a half, but I had the impression that I watched it twice as long. The thing is that the picture is divided into seven parts and each looks like a separate mini-film. Each part tells about a certain moment in the life of Orlando. He lives part of his life as a man, and a part as a woman.
However, sex change and other speculation do not fit this situation. Orlando is a romantic young man who wants to dedicate his life to poetry. Queen Elizabeth I notices him and makes her favorite. Before the first night, she asks him never to grow old. Orlando obeys the wishes of his Queen. And so, the years go by, and Orlando does not age. The film covers 350 years of his life.
Each part breaks the illusions of a young Orlando until he turns into a woman and begins to understand life.
At first I did not like Orlando. He is too naive, too in love. He seems so ordinary, to whom fate has been benevolent. Life gives him perhaps an endless life, but he spends it almost in vain, locked up in his huge mansion given by the Queen.His dragging life shakes the appearance of Billy Zane, who played Marmaduke Shelmerdine, an adventurer. After spending the night with Orlando and giving her a child, Marmaduke disappears, radically changing her life.
Watching "Orlando" I begin to remember "The Age Of Adaline". There, the main heroine, having gained immortality, was forced to hide from the government, which immediately began to conduct experiments over her. Immortality Orlando opposite no one is interested. Queen Victoria signs a decree that he is a woman and no one is surprised.
The theme of immortality in culture has long been familiar. Humanity has sought to find the magic pill for many centuries. In principle, I would also like to be immortal, but only eternally young). But I was really interested in the theme of sex change in the movie. Especially such not a surgical method
As I said, the appearance of Tilda Swinton is perfect for the role of Orlando. However, in my opinion, it should be made up better, because the female in her androgynous appearance is still more.
So, in a year the film was released, and even 5 years ago, people in society shared for us heterosexuals, gays and lesbians. In recent years, there have been a great many gender differences. I do not even remember their names, I'm not interested, but sometimes I see them on the news. While most of all I was struck by the story of a man who became a woman, but at the same time he is a lesbian and lives with a woman. However, progress is coming and soon it will be normal for us to share on him / she / it / they, transgender, transexsual, bigenders, nobody, etc. There are more than 50 gender variants now.
I'm not interested in discussing the mental health of these people. I'm interested in fantasizing about the future of mankind and where it will lead. Today I imagine that there may be a "single" person, combining different identifications. These are androgynous people. He feels both a man and a woman.
In mythology, androgynous were the ancestors of humans, then they attacked the gods, but failed. In retaliation, the gods divided the androgynous into two halves: male and female, and since then people have been forced to seek their mate.
While with the transformation into androgynous are well managed by Koreans
Their men are becoming more feminine, but once this difference has to be washed away too? Androgynous are incredibly popular in the fashion industry. You can do anything with their look, they can advertise both men's and women's clothing. What is the reason for such a rapid transformation of people?
For myself, I find only two reasons: relatively peaceful time and the rapid development of progress. Franca Sozzani, the editor of the Italian Vogue, said: "Muscles are no longer in fashion." Plowing in the field is no longer necessary - in developed countries everything is done by machines.
Watching "Orlando" pushed me on such thoughts. If our ancestors were androgynous, does it mean that we should evolve again into androgynous? Whether I'm right or not, see where it goes. But in any case, now all the fun is happening, and then it will only be better, only more fun).