TAKE SHELTER

US, 2011, 120 minutes. Colour.
Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Tova Stewart, Shea Whigham.
Directed by Jeff Nichols.

This is a striking and thought-provoking film.

On the one hand, there is a ‘realistic’ story about a man and his family, their ordinary lives at home, the man and his work and his prospects. On the other hand, there is far more, as the film goes into the man’s mind, his imagination, his dreams as he discovers mental torment and premonitions about an apocalyptic threat. The ending does not set everything out like the solution of a problem, but leaves the audience pondering what they have seen and what it might mean.

Michael Shannon has shown he can do torment, madness as well as malice in quite a number of films, frightening in such films as Bug, World Trade Center, puzzling and threatening in My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done and Revolutionary Road (for which he received an Oscar nomination). His is ideal casting for this strange ‘Everyman’, Curtis, in today’s or tomorrow’s US mid-West.

Curtis is overwhelmed by his nightmares as well as his visions of swarming birds, spectacular lightning . looming tornado clouds. His mother was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia when she was in her mid-30s and Curtis is now afraid for himself and of himself. He does not hear voices. He sees visions. He behaves erratically, symbolised by his getting his workmate to help him excavate a giant hole for a shelter against the tornado he continually sees coming. This costs him his job, his reputation, his friends.

While it puzzles his wife and daughter, his wife is a strong woman, coping practically with the crises and showing that marriage can truly mean for better or worse. She is played by Jessica Chastain who is currently proving herself a substantial actress in varied roles (The Help, Tree of Life, The Debt). His young daughter is deaf, which leads to some powerful scenes with mother and father learning how to communicate with her as well as help her during the storm.

What is happening to this basically good man? He visits his mother in an institution. His brother comes, concerned about him. He seeks counselling and psychiatric help.

With the apocalyptic images and a powerfully ranting speech that Curtis makes to bewildered friends and colleagues at a company lunch, there is quite a deal to ponder about images of the end of the world and a coming catastrophe. This has already led some reviewers to think about the film as a symbolic story of America in the grip of global financial meltdown, of jobs and wages, of unemployment, of the fragile state of the American psyche. All are themes worth reflecting on – as well as the literal refuge in the shelter that Curtis builds and equips and the symbolic warning of impending disasters.

1. The title of the film? The literal meaning? The building of the shelter? The refuge in the shelter? The symbolic nature of the shelter?

2. The Ohio settings, the house in the field, the sand site, the psychologist’s rooms, the visit to the institution? An atmosphere of realism?

3. The surreal aspects of the film? The special effects for the storms, the yellow rain, the flocks of birds, the birds falling from the sky? The stuntwork?

4. The themes of breakdown, mental illness? Connected with apocalyptic imagery? As symbolic of contemporary America? American breakdown?

5. The apocalyptic tone: visual, suggested, the storm, the rain, Curtis’s outburst at the lunch and his warning to all the people? The coming of the storm, the shelter? Coming out of the shelter – and then the gathering storm?

6. The ending of the film, left for the audience? Real or imaginary? Curtis as mad, yet not mad? Prophetic?

7. The introduction to Curtis, Michael Shannon’s performance, his appearance, his hard face, yet communicating an (**or was it ‘and’? Not clear) interior life? His puzzle about the yellow rain? Seeing him at home, his loving relationship with Sam, love for Hannah? Hannah’s deafness, the bond with her parents? A nice family? Curtis at work, his ingenuity, his working with Dewart? Their discussions together?

8. The significance of Curtis’s dreams, vividness, the crash with Hannah in the car, the strange creatures attacking the car? His dog biting him? His wetting the bed? Sam and her being threatening? The consequences, buying the wire and building the enclosure for the dog? Ousting him (**from?) the house, eve and though Hannah related well to him? His protective attitude towards Hannah? His feeling the dog-bite through out the day? Not wanting Sam to touch him?

9. The background of paranoid schizophrenia? Curtis going to meet his mother, explaining her story to the counsellor, her manifestation at thirty-five, disappearing from the house, leaving Curtis the ten-year-old, eating from the garbage? Her being institutionalised? His fears? Her being in the institution for so long, loving her son, the meeting? His brother not wanting to visit their mother? The importance of Curtis’s visions? Visual schizophrenia rather than aural?

10. Sam, the measure of normality in the house, at home, cooking, sewing, with Hannah, caring for her, taking her to the lessons, Curtis being late, with the mud on his shoes? The lesson, learning the alphabet, communicating with their daughter? Her sewing, selling the pillow, her stand at the market? The visits of her friends and their talking? The plan for the implant for Hannah? The details of the operation? Her common sense?

11. The effect of Curtis and his changing, becoming more abstract, seeing the birds in the sky, the vision of the lightning flashes and the question whether he alone was seeing them? Growing fears, at work, building the shelter, taking the equipment home, compromising Dewart’s job, the digging, the detailed setting up of the shelter, lowering it into the hole, his explanation of taking out the loan, but not discussing it with Sam, buying the gas masks? Setting up the toilet and the other facilities? Covering up the shelter?

12. His brother’s visit, the bond between them, his brother’s concern, discussions, discussions about their mother, willingness to help?

13. The transfer of Dewart, talking to his boss, his reasons? The boss coming to his home? The truth about his taking the equipment? Dewart on leave without pay? Curtis being sacked?

14. His visits to the counsellor, the help, his not being able to afford the psychiatrist recommended by his doctor after his visit?

15. The effect of the dreams, his silence, the nightmare with the blood on the sheets, calling the ambulance, his calling it off? Sending them away?

16. Sam, loving, her straight talk? For better for worse in their marriage? Her explanation of the deal and what he should do, his agreement, Sam having to cope, especially with the plans for the operation?

17. Curtis, his confessing to Sam? Her persuading him to go to the meal, the challenge by Dewart, the fight, his turning the tables, his fierce apocalyptic outburst, the reaction of the people? Sam taking him home?

18. The storm, their going into the shelter, wearing the gas masks, sleeping, awakening?

19. Sam and her challenging Curtis to come out, her persuasiveness, his eventually coming out, everything calm? The irony of the coming storm and Sam’s final exclamation?

20. The visit to the psychiatrist, the plan for the holiday, enjoying the holiday, building sand castles – and apocalypse?

21. The symbolism of the film? Curtis as the everyman American? His mental state? His security? His job? Being sacked, financial concern? The symbolism of the apocalyptic attitude after the global financial meltdown?