[Editorial] The Love Witch: A Horrific Exploration about the Mental Repercussions of Abusive Relationships

Biller's attempt to discuss feminism fails, while topics such as mental health prevails.

Since its release in 2016, Anna Biller's The Love Witch has become synonymous with the word ‘feminism’. However, by stating that this explicit feminist piece solely discusses female centric issues, restricts and denies other layers. This editorial will briefly touch upon how the film explores the mental repercussions of abusive relationships

The opening sequence introduces us to Elaine and allows her to openly reveal that she has murdered her ex husband due to a “nervous breakdown” after he left her. She comforts the audience by saying she is “cured” but her expression is possessed by fear as she states that she “still gets intrusive thoughts”. The most important revelation in the opening sequence is when Elaine shares that she is a victim of abuse.

“My therapist told me that I am not unusual at all. People are abused all over the world. Everyday. Much worse than me…and they do fine.”

On the surface, this dialogue serves to assure the audience that her experience was not as bad as it seems. However, this is a form of dismissal and it is present throughout the film. This dismissive behaviour is prevalent during a stressful moment for Elaine and it is otherwise known as 'Escapism'. 

In psychology, escapism is generally defined as a desire or behavior to ignore, evade, or avoid reality...During traumatic experiences, many individuals naturally ‘escape’ the situation mentally in order to avoid further distress and psychological harm.

One specific scene which displays this clearly is the closing sequence. Elaine violently murders one of her lovers and as soon as she is satisfied with her outburst, her mind immediately finds comfort in the fairy-tale universe she has been trying so intensely to actualise throughout the film. This purging of her truth causes a cataclysmic effect on her perspective, mental health and causes chaos towards people within her social circle.

Final shots of The Love Witch after Elaine has murdered her lover.

As the film progresses, we begin to establish that the “intrusive thoughts” are not of murder but flashbacks of her abuse. Half way through the film, we gain an insight into Elaine’s psyche which explicitly displays that it is tormented by toxic words injected into her by her ex husband and father, thus indicating that Elaine has constantly been surrounded by abusive men. 

A flashback - or "intrusive thought" - presents itself halfway through the film and bombards the audience with abusive and condescending language while - simultaneously - allowing the audience to establish Elaine's history.

The quotes from that segment are as follows:

1. "I love you Elaine…you know that don’t you? I love you very much…But you need to be more careful. Dinner was late three times this week and that house is a total pig sty. Did you know I found a whole hot dog under the bed this morning? And why don’t you ever brush your hair? You need to take care of yourself and of the house. I am embarrassed to have people over. I’ve been real patient up until now but you need to step up your game."

2. “I have a crazy bitch for a daughter. What? You’re not crazy? Well, if you aren’t crazy you’re stupid. Which one is it? Are you crazy or are you stupid? And you can lose a few pounds. You are looking a little fatty.”

3. “Oh my god Elaine! You have lost so much weight! You have such a hot body now! I want to make you cum.”

Once dissected, the first quote and third quote above brings to light how her ex-husband has heavily influenced and distorted her perspective and behaviour as she re-enacts everything he has told her to do in order to gain "perfect love and perfect trust" from other men. Elaine’s first encounter with her first lover explicitly displays this.

Elaine with her first lover highlights the impact of her ex-husband’s toxic behaviour.

She insists on cooking for him and preparing a table for two. As soon as they finish eating, they immediately have sex. Everything she does in this sequence is to please him in the ways her ex-husband has brainwashed her to do in order to receive "perfect love and perfect trust".

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These misogynistic beliefs being injected into our protagonist/antagonist are not the only issue in this sequence. During the intimate scene, there is an effect over the shot which can heavily symbolise that Elaine is dissociating. 

Dissociative disorder is a mental illness that affects the way you think. Traumatic experiences, problems that cause stress, and difficult relationships are a few examples that can lead to dissociative disorders (Rethink.org)

If you dissociate you might feel like you are not connected to your own body. Or like you are watching things happen around you, without feeling them.

This quote is explicitly displayed in the sequence where Elaine has sex with her first lover. In that scene, there are multiple versions of herself that leave her body and float around her which cements the idea that she is dissociating as she is clearly not connected to her body at that moment. Moreover, her facial expression seems static which further solidifies this idea as she seems to not be present. There is an explanation for this dissociation and that can be found through the characterisation of the cult leader. The film alludes to the notion that he sexually abused Elaine and this can easily be established during scenes where they share the screen together through their contrasting body language. She is distant and protective of her personal space whereas he rejects her personal boundaries and always inappropriately crosses the line. Consequently,  it is clear that her numerous abusive scenarios have amalgamated and formulated a detrimental influence upon the way Elaine views men and even experiences sexual pleasure. Thus, signifying that she is not “cured” like she states in the beginning. 

Hooks (2000) offers a generic yet poignant description of feminism by stating that feminism is simply a “movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.” Hooks continues her introductory paragraph by debating that this definition is “open-ended” therefore, encompasses men. On this premise, The Love Witch should not be classified as a feminist icon as our lead puts men down for crying and reduces them to sexual beings who exist to please her. 

It is these dangerous behaviours that Elaine executes that are praised on social media. Specifically, I have personally noticed that these positive validations of her actions mainly come from women. These individuals tend to utilise the ‘good for her’ meme which is popular amongst those within the online horror community. The joke is a problematic one as it explicitly condones her actions which have been triggered by severe mental health issues. Moreover, the premise of the joke emphasises that the character has every right to commit her crimes as she has been the subject of abuse. Therefore, this popular meme embraces a toxic mentality and rejects and discourages personal growth and healing. 

Others might argue that Elaine’s behaviour mirrors misogynistic ideals. However, through her embodiment of these ideals, she becomes possessed by misandry. Ultimately, my comprehension of her behaviour situates her within the 'abused becomes the abuser' complex. 

I primarily see her on par with Norman Bates. They have both been subject to abuse for multiple years and have become torn between their own desires and trapped within ideals set to them by people abusing their power. These behaviours should never be celebrated. Yes, their past is tragic which renders them tragic beings but, it does not eradicate the lives they have taken nor do their actions make them powerful. Their actions make them extremely mentally fragile and villainous.

In conclusion, describing Elaine solely as a feminist icon truly hinders further interpretations of the text. By diving into the film and placing its surface narrative to one side, one is able to digest more. This film may not have intended to be read in this manner but once considered, it is difficult to ignore that the film touches upon the horrors of the mental repercussions of abusive relationships.

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