Pepi, Luci, Bom

I googled the film to see if I could find a plot summary of the movie to help me better understand what I had watched. I came across a review of the movie that was published in the Washington Post. I was pleased to read that the reviewer, Desson Howe, was confused about the movie in the same way that I was. After watching the movie in class, I was really confused about what was happening and who all the characters were and how they were related. In addition to a fast-paced plot line, the movie also displayed a lot of shocking imagery and actions. Howe comments that the movie is “a series of screen provocations, including frank and degrading sexual acts, it's designed primarily to jolt the viewer.”

I definitely agree with the idea that the point of the movie was to shock the audience. However, I also think that shocking scenes of the movie helped to emphasize the themes. The theme that most stood out to me was the way women were treated by men. To me, the shocking parts of the movie (like when Bom peed on Pepi) could be interpreted as slightly less shocking by the way that women were treated and objectified by men (like the way that Pepi’s husband treated her and other women). I think that in general, the point of using so many graphic images and scenes was to emphasize the various themes, such as the rights of women, that were challenged throughout the movie.