Yorgo Lanthimos’s ‘Poor Things’ tells the bizarre tale of Bella Baxter, a woman who died as Victoria Blessington – a depressed woman entrapped in a cruel marriage – and is reanimated with the brain of an infant by an eccentric scientist, whom she notably refers to as God, a shortened version of his namesake Godwin. The film offers a multi-faceted perspective on the relationship between man and woman – and the pre-existing power dynamic – as well as the marriage between nature and nurture, and how much of who we are is a result of our experiences and social conditioning.
Bella is born into a black-and-white world, offering ‘Buh’s’ as her only form of speech. Her coordination lacks and her clothing is infantile, as she is babied and trapped in the confines of Godwin’s home. The character epitomises the ‘Born Sexy Yesterday’ trope, an uncomfortable theory deriving from male insecurity and need for dominance, where a female film character exudes sex appeal, but acts and behaves similarly to a child. Bella’s encounters are often with men, who present to her varying levels of harm, though her naivete diminishes over time. Her first introduction to men comes through Godwin – her creator, her God. His love for Bella is paternal, but ultimately controlling – he invites Max to look after her and observe her. Perhaps worryingly, Max McCandles offers the least danger to poor Bella, though he does fall for her innocence, proposing to her before she has fathomed the meaning of the word.
The first encounter she has with a man – not orchestrated by her controlling creator – is Duncan Wedderburn. He is a lawyer who is fascinated by Godwin’s desire to trap her to the confines of his home, and decides he must meet her; Bella Baxter’s relationship with Duncan represents sexual exploration among young women, it feeds her desire for new experiences, but she is wise enough to know – despite, at this point, knowing very little – that Wedderburn is not good for her. She refers to their activities as ‘furious jumping’ – a phrase that, in itself, is uncomfortably juvenile and already represents the power imbalance between the pair. This act takes up much of the second part of the film, documenting her travels to Lisbon. Curiosity drives Bella, and she begins to seek independence – a state which immediately angers Duncan. Nonetheless, she explores. In his efforts to entrap Bella, taking advantage of her vulnerability, Wedderburn brings her – and keeps her – on a ship. While he believes this will limit her exploration, therefore binding her to him, it acts as a source of enlightenment for the quirky protagonist.
The ship depicts her first encounter with a woman – a confidante who understands her position and offers her solace and knowledge. She meets a cynic – Harry Astley – who introduces her to the faults in human society. It is at this point we begin to question where cruelty and inequality stem from – Bella’s logical, matter-of-fact attitude is disrupted, and replaced with ultimate despair at the sight of poverty. If humans are naturally cruel, why would this be her reaction? She risks her safety in an attempt to help them, and is ultimately prevented from doing so: inequality is a product of laws and legislations, coming from the top, and while philanthropic humans try to help, good-natured attempts are often cut short by greed, as shown in her failed attempt to give money to the poor.
Many of Bella’s traits are presented as innate among humans – including a desire for destruction – shown in her early attitudes towards killing animals – and development. She, herself, believes herself representative of all. Her lack of previous engagement with the public, having not been bred with the ideals of a good woman and polite society, leaves her at a vantage point: an ability to understand what is wrong with the world, pointing out ‘A weakness in men.’, and read people logically, as she does with the cynic, Harry Astley, summarising his ideology as a result of fear, rather than realism. She notices, almost immediately, the key components of the world: good and evil, decadence and detriment, ‘I have adventured it and found nothing but sugar and violence.’ It is poignant, also, that people are often in awe of Bella’s innocence and view of the world when it benefits them, ideas of polite society are only ever used as a moral framework when her lack of awareness does not satisfy those around her, whether through sex or entertainment.
Much of Baxter’s exploration takes place in a brothel, as she is treated like an object and sold as such. While she views this as self-exploration given her curious nature, she is ultimately met with a depressive episode as she realises what is wrong with the world, exposed to men who mistreat her with no sense of protection and a landlady who cares only for the money she provides. It is this exploration that seems to fully shape her into the woman she becomes, removing any remnants of innocence she once possessed and leaving her in a position where men can no longer take advantage of her; in completely taking control of her body, she learns to recognise the intentions of man and skillfully avoid them, and ultimately comes to realise what she wants to do in life – pursue a career in medicine. All of Baxter’s experiences – the good, the bad, and the ugly – are summarised by her cruel land-lady, and act to highlight the purpose of humanity, and what makes us who we are ‘Not just the good, but degradation, horror, sadness. This makes us whole Bella, makes us people of substance.’
The peculiar journey of Bella Baxter serves as a profound exploration of societal dynamics and the complex interplay between innocence and exploitation. The film skillfully navigates the power dynamics within relationships, delving into Bella’s emergence from a controlled, infantile existence to a self-discovery propelled by encounters with various male figures. The narrative transforms Bella’s naivete into a lens through which broader societal issues are scrutinised, exposing the systemic roots of cruelty and inequality. Bella’s unfiltered perspective challenges conventional norms and seems to point out all that is wrong with humanity in almost too simple terms.