Hello class, for this post I chose to talk about the scene where Velda shows us her wedding dress, my favorite scene from the movie. While the title of this clip was “Metephor not evidence”, I still think there are some very subtle but deliberate and effective visual ques that make this scene so visceral. First, I want to dissect what she is talking about. She begins by showing us her wedding dress; talking about how she left the church a few weeks before the wedding. She then rationalizes her boyfriend’s decision to stay saying, “He personally struggles with the loss of friendships that he would have had to deal with if he left with me”. In my opinion, this is also a reflection of her own sentiments toward her own leaving of the church. She then puts on the dress, indulges in a little reminiscence, and then says this very important line “Now that I have it on, I don’t see it that way anymore. I think I just see it as something that covers up the girl I really want to be”. This line to me tells me that her Amish past still haunts her presently, making it difficult to adapt to English culture. She still does not feel comfortable in her own skin. As far as answering the central question goes (Amish or English) this scene offers a third answer: Neither. This scene is about Velda’s physiological liminal space, it is about loneliness. Having said all that, by refraining from using any cutaways (as well as additional speakers and music), as any visual or auditory interjections of any kind would only serve to taint the visceral loneliness of the moment and break the flow of the scene, this scene effectively paints a visual picture of isolation. Thus she exists in a mental and physical state of isolation, with nothing but her own reflection to keep her company.
-Luca Wagner