Ratcatcher

Unbelievable film. This may be the most honest portrayal of children I've ever seen. Amazing. The girl who played the younger sister is one of the most charming actresses I've seen in a long, long time. Something about her energy and attitude, so powerful in this pre-sexual way. It's odd. In real lifem and especially in film, we so often see women's power deriven from sex...or the allure of sex or the suggestion of sex or in the opposition to sex. This sexual marker seems to be the jumping off point so often, it was refreshing to watch a child, in a pre-sexual state, with control of her surroundings, a point of view, a sense of humor, a personal moral code (she rats out her brother to her father for trying the beer and picking on her, but NOT for spitting in the beer).

Her character, of course, contrasts sharply with the older (teenage) female characters in the film, one who is systematically gang-fucked, the other who sluts herself up to presumably go see an older man (although we never see this happen). These women, having just discovered their sexuality, negotiate their way through the world via sex.

And of course, the wives/mothers have become de-sexualized...one wife laments her drunken husband showing his love for her only after several pints. All the mothers are hysterical at some point in the film, fearing constantly for their children's safety - sometimes warrented, sometimes not - but always unsexual. Even in the happiest moment, the moment where the mother may be re-sexualized after her husband has been crowned a local hero and the family is "down to party," she must resort to dancing with her children, while the husband goes to the pub to flirt with a younger, desparate woman and get picked on by young thugs.

Sadly, the young, pre-sexual actress is also doomed by her own innocence...her pov is an illusion - she proudly whispers to others around her as her father receives an award, "My father is a hero," as he sits in line with young children receiving phony,feel-good awards, an award that will give him an excuse to get drunk again that evening. She still looks up to her deadbeat dad. Soon, the day will come when she, like her brother, sees the dad for what he is - a piece of shit - and will, like her brother, find solace in loving someone else. Maybe, if she's lucky, even get to urinate in front of him.

She has yet to feel the sting of betrayal, and lovingly sneaks into bed with her mother at one point in the film, and her brother at another point in the film, and puts her arm around them. Each one of them move her arm away, annoyed, but she insists...putting her arm around them again. Each of them give in, because they need to.