Thread

Topic: " Somersault "

By:Guest

Somersault is an Australian movie that premiered in 2004 and won 13 AFI awards and is the confronting yet strikingly beautiful story of a teenage girl's journey away from home. It is rated MA 15+ and so is not recommended for people under the age of fifteen. I'd even suggest that teens aged 15-20 watch the movie with a parent or at least a friend because it can be a bit depressing and graphic in parts.The movie is set in rural NSW and follows the lead character Heidi as she abruptly leaves her family home in Canberra and has to fend for herself in a small, skiing community. Heidi's story (in which she learns about love, life and her own sexuality through the people she meets and the experiences she has) is powerful, but for me, the stand out character of the movie is Bianca, Heidi's co-worker at the service station. What fascinated me about Bianca was the fact that she had a younger brother with Aspergers syndrome. Although Bianca is only a minor role, the viewer gets the chance to see examples of the way she interacts with her brother, and hear the way she explains his disability to Heidi. To Heidi, Bianca's family seems loving and warm, but to me it seems that Bianca's life may not be as easy or as happy as it first looks.The movie left me wondering about the character of Bianca, and about how she coped with her brother's disability. I would be interested to hear other people's feelings about the character of Bianca, so please submit a comment if you have seen the movie and noticed Bianca.

Overall it is a disturbing yet very beautiful Australian movie and I give it 8 out of 10.

I too noticed Bianca, but she was not the stand-out character for me. I guess her character is not developed, other than through her relationship with Heidi. What I liked about the film was that her character was not a sugary portrayal of a sibling. Bianca's compassion did not seem to me to extend to her friend Heidi. Thus, my favourite image in the film was Heidi creating a wall of water against her (at the service station with the hose). Here's how I understood Bianca's response to Heidi. Bianca bears the mantle of responsibility as a sibling. There is structure in her life provided by family, perhaps by 'special' responsibilities. But she doesn't have a mind of her own when it comes to deciding about whether to stay friends with Heidi or not. It appears she decides that her father's perception of Heidi is correct. I found the father's lecture to Heidi about 'good' and 'bad' girls to be the most disturbing moment in the film. But I also thought, how much life experience outside of her immediate family has Bianca had? I know that in families with a child with a disability, there can be a closeness that is often regarded as positive. Perhaps this film shows a down side to this, maybe Bianca is resentful at the freedom Heidi seems to have. Maybe her home life has left ignorant of the troubles that her peers face. Actually, that's what I loved about this film. Perhaps unintentionally, it points out that having a sibling with a disability in no way means your life is more difficult than your peers. Heidi seemed to be struggling with the lack of structure and boundaries that a 'close' family life can provide. Her vulnerability was the most touching aspect to the film. I am a sibling, but I identified with Heidi much more than I did with Bianca. I would love to know why the writer/director chose to include Bianca and her family with the 'sibling' aspect thrown in.