Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 3, 2015)
J u n e 3 , 20 1 5 P a g e 1 1 M fi s s fi s s fi p p fi A fl b e r t a N o r t h P o r t fl a n d V a n c o u v e r E a s t C o u n t y B e a v e r t o n A r fiana R fi vo fi re ( fle f t ) and I sabe fl fle Ca r ré fin the F ren ch fi flm “Ma r fie ’ s S t o r y . ” Un sh a ck fl fing Imp r fi son ed ‘M a r fi e ’ s S to ry ’ r e son a t e s fo r fi t s v fi c to ry a n ov e r c ru sh fing d e f e a t s BY D ARLEEN O RTEGA I t ’ s a good th fing th a t I s aw “M a r fi e ’ s S to ry ” a t th e Po r t - fl and In t e rn a t fion a fl F fi flm F e s t fiv a fl w fi thou t p ay fing a t t en t fion to th e judgm en t o f Am e r fi c an fi flm c r fi t fi c s . R e ad fing tho s e , I ’d h av e exp e c t e d a t r e a c fly and m an fipu fl a t fiv e d ep fi c t fion o f a c fl fi ch éd h a rd - flu ck s to ry w fi th no th fing to add to “Th e M fi r - a c fl e W o rk e r , ” th e 1962 fi flm abou t H e fl en K e fl fl e r . I fl fik e fly wou fld h av e sk fipp ed fi t , and m fi s s ed an oppo r tun fi ty to b e d e ep fly mov ed and fin sp fi r ed . Th e fi flm fi s b a s ed on th e t ru e s to ry o f M a r fi e H eu r t fin , bo rn fiv e y e a r s a f t e r H e fl en K e fl fl e r fin V e r tou , F r an c e . A t th e b eg finn fing o f th e fi flm ’ s d ep fi c t fion , M a r fi e h a s fl fiv ed th e fi r s t 14 y e a r s o f h e r fl fi f e w fi th p a r en t s who flov e h e r bu t h av e no t m an ag ed ev en to g fiv e h e r a b a th o r comb h e r h a fi r , a s th ey h av e no w ay to commun fi c a t e w fi th th e fi r b fl find and d e a f d augh t e r . Sh e fi s b r fi fl fl fi an t fly p fl ay e d by a young d e a f a c t r e s s who c ap tu r e s th e s en s e o f th e c rud en e s s o f M a r fi e ’ s finn e r fl fi f e , d r fiv en on fly by wh a t sh e c an s en s e and tou ch . H e r f a th e r h a s d r fiv en h fi s f e r a fl d augh t e r to a conv en t s choo fl fo r d e a f g fi r fl s fin hop e s th a t th ey w fi fl fl a s sum e th e Sou fl bu rd en o f c a r fing fo r h e r . H e fi s d fi s appo fin t ed wh en th ey r e fu s e - - bu t on e o f th e s fi s t e r s , a con sump t fiv e nun n am ed M a r gu e r fi t e , h a s an en coun t e r w fi th M a r fi e th a t fl e av e s an fimp r e s s fion . Long a f t e r M a r fi e ’ s d ep a r tu r e , th e s fi s t e r c anno t sh ak e th e s en s e th a t sh e fi s c a fl fl ed to un sh a ck fl e M a r fi e ’ s fim - p r fi son ed sou fl . I app r e c fi a t ed th e c a r e w fi th wh fi ch th e fi flm d ep fi c t ed how on e exp e r fi en c e s su ch a c a fl fl fing . L fik e m any who h av e exp e r fi en c ed su ch c a fl fl fing s , M a r- gu e r fi t e fi s conv fin c ed o f th e c a fl fl bu t h a s no r e a fl fid e a o f how to a ch fi ev e fi t . Sh e a fl so mu s t ov e r com e th e p e r f e c t fly flog fi - c a fl ob j e c t fion s o f som eon e who s e gu fid an c e sh e r e sp e c t s , h e r Mo th e r Sup e r fio r . Wh en th e Mo th e r Sup e r fio r fin a fl fly r e fl en t s fin th e f a c e o f M a r gu e r fi t e ’ s conv fi c t fion , M a r gu e r fi t e app ro a ch e s h e r wo rk w fi th f e rvo r and joy , on fly to exp e r fi - en c e flong mon th s fi fl fl ed a flmo s t ex c flu s fiv e fly w fi th c ru sh fing PHOTO COURTESY OF F ILM M OVEMENT d e f e a t s . M a r fi e th r a sh e s and fl a fi fl s and r e s fi s t s a fl fl a t t emp t s to d fi r e c t h e r . I t fi s obv fiou s fly f e a r th a t d r fiv e s M a r fi e , bu t th a t h a rd fly fl e s son s M a r gu e r fi t e ’ s moun t fing f ru s t r a t fion and d e sp a fi r . I c an s c a r c e fly fim ag fin e an Am e r fi c an fi flm ev en a t t emp t - fing to t e fl fl su ch a s to ry w fi th enough p a t fi en c e to c ap tu r e wh a t th fi s fi flm conv ey s p ro found fly : Th a t fi t fi s po s s fib fl e to h av e co r r e c t fly d fi s c e rn ed th a t on e fi s c a fl fl ed to do som e- th fing o f fl fi f e - ch a ng fing fimpo r t an c e , and y e t to exp e r fi en c e no th fing bu t f a fi flu r e fin r e spon s e to on e ’ s s fin c e r e and d fi fl- fig en t e f fo r t s , and fo r a flong enough t fim e th a t th e r e fi s a r e a fl po s s fib fi fl fi ty th a t you w fi fl fl no t su c c e ed . Th fi s fi flm fimp a r t s M a r gu e r fi t e ’ s s t rugg fl e w e fl fl enough th a t I p r a c t fi c a fl fly h ad to p e r su ad e my s e fl f to no t g fiv e up on w a t ch fing fi t ! M a r gu e r fi t e mu s t endu r e no t on fly M a r fi e ’ s b flow s bu t th e know fl edg e th a t sh e fi s bu rd en fing h e r comm un fi ty fo r mon th s on end , w fi th no ev fid en c e th a t M a r fi e fi s ev en r e a ch ab fl e . Bu t a s I to fld my s e fl f wh fi fl e w a t ch fing fi t , M a r gu e r fi t e do e s su c c e ed o r th e r e wou fldn ’ t b e a fi flm a t a fl fl . And b e c au s e th e fi flm h a s c ap tu r ed enough o f M a r gu e r fi t e ’ s s t rugg fl e to m ak e you f e e fl a c tu a fl g r a t fi tud e , fi t a fl so fimp a r t s how mom en tou s M a r fi e ’ s b r e ak th rough s a r e fo r bo th t e a ch e r and s tud en t . I t s t ru ck m e th a t wo rk th fi s fimpo r t an t fi s f r equ en t fly d fi ffi cu fl t fin ju s t th fi s w ay - - fi t fi s p e r s fi s t en t fly and r e fl en t fl e s s fly fimpo s - s fib fl e , un t fi fl fi t fi sn ’ t . C ONTINUED ON P AGE 1 4