Film #6 — 2/3 Wildcard Films; 1/6 Countries (Czechoslovakia); 5/9 Decades
By C. Ramsay
Part of the Czechoslovak New Wave, Valerie and Her Week of Wonders is a coming-of-age surrealist and folkloric tale that’s as optimistic as it is terrifying. The titular character is a 13-year-old girl still mesmerized by the allure of childhood when she’s suddenly thrown into a medley of situations well beyond her years, desperately seeking to surface from beneath the weight of her nightmarish reverie. Throughout her days she seeks to reassess her connection to herself, her friends and family, her love interests and those she realizes are preying on her, her religion, and above all, her sexuality, but in order to apply herself to doing so she must also learn to combat the influence and forces outside of her control.
The opening credits are stylized to convey innocence, using white title cards and constant fades to white, script font, and choir music as a backdrop to the activities that Valerie enjoys, which mostly consist of resting, walking, swimming, and spending time with animals. Her room serves as a haven of purity, a refuge presented in the lightness of almost entirely white decor, free of clutter and all of the people Valerie is otherwise incessantly harassed by. The world outside this space is not wholly unfamiliar or uninviting, though. There’s beauty and lightness everywhere, showcased through gorgeous shot composition that makes everything look and feel dreamlike. Much of the film is slightly overexposed which, especially for things like water and dew, brings out the iridescence on a lot of the small details in frame, adding naturally dazzling accents that Valerie is frequently drawn to. In all areas there is community for Valerie to be a part of and people willing to give her support when she needs it. What troubles her in this new stage of life is that she also begins to witness those willing to exploit the individuals in her community and their collectivity.
Puberty introduces a barrage of new experiences and sensations that can’t be adjusted to until they happen, and with all of that uncertainty also comes a myriad of social conventions and ramifications that need to be adapted to in real-time. Under the guardianship of her grandmother, a seemingly devoutly religious woman, Valerie’s home is filled with puritanical expectations. As she goes through her sexual awakening and discovers that she’s not straight, yearning for women but being repeatedly pushed towards and preyed upon by men, the gender roles imposed on Valerie lead to her disaffection and are typically adjoined with visuals of literal monstrosity, underscoring the dangers that she associates with conforming. Her virginity is persistently sexualized, and the loss of innocence that she mourns is not her first sexual encounter, but rather the sexual harassment that she becomes constantly subjected to by people she has no interest in after starting her period. Her acquaintance, Hedvika, a woman recently married off to a man she too wants nothing to do with, best describes the disappointment that Valerie feels when she states “all my dreams have come to nothing.”
The assumption that children will follow in the footsteps of the adults around them, sharing in the same traditionalist values, comes up regularly. The predatory approach the adults have towards the youth is mostly expressed through sexual rapacity, sometimes even going so far as to be incestuous to show how iterative different generations are anticipated to be. However, this parasitic relationship is also portrayed through vampirism, in which the kids supply the blood for the adults without consent, a process that has carried on for generations. When Valerie does decide to have sex—notably with a woman she feels safe and comfortable with, and who also happens to have been bit by one of the vampiric adults—the genuine romantic connection and lack of conformity not only heal the damage done by the grown-ups, but are also the antidote to becoming like them.
The most troublesome adults in Valerie’s life are the ones who are most interconnected. They have the same depraved wants and are willing to go to the same lengths to achieve them, but when the authority of one is thwarted, the curtain is also pulled back on the others. The ability to fully maintain childhood innocence is not possible; once it begins to be lost, it snowballs. We spend only a brief amount of time with Valerie as she learns to assert her independence, and while she slowly adapts to her changing life, discerning how to handle the expectations placed on her and the people they’re placed by, the most important lesson sadly seems to be that unwanted influence will always return in unforeseen ways.
Star rating (/5): ★★★★
Recommend?: Yes