The infiltration of your life by an unsettling emptiness is an insatiable glutton that feeds on fragments of your being. The rigorous routines of modern life are viciously persistent, eager to grind the essence of your soul, spark of joy, and compassion into powder and confine them in shackles of monotony. The dystopian concept of time being in an absolute stasis is the torturous agony of dreams that die in silence and echo of cries that go unheard. The starkly contrasting realities plunge your subconscious in the veil of sorrow while you drift into a slumber, masqueraded by a philosophical undertone, subconscious introspection, and macabre daydreaming. The glorious masterpiece of the silvery moon, drenched in stardust and flamboyance, is an unembellished Ethiopian veil that tales the most whimsical of narratives in an ember and sad ballad to the gluttonous worms that eminent to encase the dancing stars. Abiding by the muzzle of folklore and frigid sobriety, you converge upon daylight and the bridal veil that spars all worlds.
The further you crawl on that crawling slumbering spire of inquiring that roots from the moody shade of stars, you are met with epidermis drenched in stardust and layers of time unkempt, sad tales of refrained balls, crowned with the daughter of a vengeful god that quenched the thirst of time and moon that dripped with molten ink that extinguished the fragments of brush on a polished obsidian slab, an echoing sigh of flames stasting the cadaver of a zap of life that once embraced them in a loving amber and saber of light. Time being a murky cobweb of infinity dripped with paper dominoes in layers confined inside a bewitched envelope that binds tags of dreams draped with sorrow. Emptiness teased your being in the flick of reality, clutching the masqueraded essence of your compassion, soul, and moonbeam.
With teeth sharp and a sigh of softness that subtly drowns you, the moon succumbs to the melting of your moonbeams. That is the sad yet glorious laughter shackled inside a ballad whispered by the gluttonous worms that revel on a napkin dipped in the bizarre poetry of life and smoke.
In time, Raquel begins to suffer from some health complications such as a constant feeling of dizziness due to cleaning products. There physical symptoms are a clear illustration of the negative impact this job is having on her body. Out of concern, the family matriarch Pilar decides to hire another maid in order to assist Raquel with the cleaning. While this act is well intended, it is met with resistance.
In her mind, Raquel perceives her work as a source of pride. This attitude stems from the fact that she becomes protective of her position. In this case, instead of viewing a new maid as an additional source of labor, she perceives her as a rival of her position in the family. Despite the fact that many different maids have been hired over the years, Raquel still fights with them, seeing it as a form of self-defense. More often than not, she becomes the one who draws the boundaries and establishes the distance.
Upon entering the scene, we notice the presence of Lucy, a very young woman, optimistic and happy. She first meets Lucy and treats her the same way she treats the others, trying to ignore her. Sadly, she was kind, patient and noticed that Raquel was more of a human than just a colleague. Slowly, she began to soften. She shows Lucy micro moments of herself and this allows her to develop a new perception of herself and her place in the society.
In the beginning, the movie does not end as expected, with a grand gesture. Rather, focus on a very subtle shift towards a new Raquel that was not obvious before. The audience is then free to contemplate on a woman’s emotional journey, that gave so much of herself in return for rather little.
Cast and Crew
The film was directed by Sebastián Silva. The screenwriters were Sebastián Silva and Pedro Peirano.
The two main characters of the movie are Raquel, who is played by Catalina Saavedra while the rest of the Saavedra family is played by Claudia Celedón.Alejandro Goic taking on the role of Edmundo, the household’s authoritative figure.
Agustin Silva playing Lucas, the supportive teenage son, who possesses a gentle and sympathetic disposition.
Andrea Garcia-Huidobro as Camila, the daughter who frequently has confrontations with Raquel.
Mariana Loyola as Lucy, the gentle maid who participates in empowering change in Raquel.
Anita Reeves as Sonia, one of the supporters who is brought in during the turmoil brought on to Raquel.
The film’s emotional depth, particularly in the performance of Catalina Saavedra, is outstanding. Raquel is brought to life in a manner that is incredibly subtle, articulate, and rich in emotional layering.
Thematic Analysis
- Loyalty and Identity
The relationship that Raquel has with her job and her sense of self has been the focus of previous analysis. In what way does the devotion that Raquel has, as either a performer of caretaking or as a maid, bring negative implications? Is devotion self-betrayal? In what way does the film ask this question? In what way does the action of loving something steer one toward defining such a thing as everything one is?
- Belonging and Exclusion Raquel is, in certain regards, an outsider to the family. Though she is as much a part of the family as she is not, it is worth asking in what way does her bond that is not biological but relates emotionally to the household warrant such consideration.
- Resistance to Change
The issue of Raquel with the new maids is synonymous with the case of someone that is being replaced. What does the constant presence that the arrival of new people threaten in such a person? No matter how hostile one’s responses to new situations may be, those responses stem from the fear that such a situation may expose one to.
- Personal Growth
Every story has a ‘breaking point’ and from this point on portrays events that changed a character’s life. For instance, in this film, breaking point comes when the protagonist meets Lucy. Lucy’s positive outcome in life clashes any relationships that are partially harmful. Through this strange relationship, Raquel begins socializing. She begins to appreciate assistance, share her comfort zone, and eventually, confront her fears. It is astounding, to say the least, exemplifies that people can change tremendously during the last stage of their lives.
- Everyday Dignity It treats her with the utmost respect, for she is not merely an extra, but rather a fully-fledged character with emotions, aspirations and, of course, a life. The story as a whole helps the people to understand the notion of dignity concerning people and service, as well as the dignity of people who are above glasses.
Critical Reception and IMDb Rating
Commentators agree that the thoughtful storytelling and the powerful lead for The Maid’s performance is the reason for the widespread acclaim. Moreover, she is well acknowledged on IMDb and is regularly appreciated for the emotional depth and realism portrayed in her performance. It is agreed that Catalina Saavedra’s performance is a defining factor of the movie. Raquel’s character is considered to be one of the most deeply felt and honest performances in Latin cinema during the 2000’s.
The film secured numerous accolades in international film festivals, notably including the Grand Jury Prize which it won at the Sundance Film Festival. Moreover, it was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, proving it’s international reach.
Conclusion
The Maid is a slow, contemplative film that brings to focus the life of an often forgotten, neglected individual. There is no reliance on Hook’s tremendous, dramatic action, but there is reliance on subtle emotion and the personal, the weak. Viewers, in Rachel’s story, are gently nudged to reflect on the concept of serving, caring, and changing.
The Maid, in its core, is the portrait of a woman who in the process of reconciling with herself and overcoming the barriers of self-isolation gets to realize the merging of connection, friendship and self-acceptance as her ultimate richness. It is a reminder that renewal is possible even in the most monotonous and routine filled activities. The personal and intensely intimate story of Raquel, will resonate with each of us who has furiously, feverishly sought and contemplated the question of where we belong.
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