**Spoilers**
So…where do I even begin? The Misandrists, by director Bruce LaBruce presents a radical group of female separatists called the FLA (Female Liberation Army) in Berlin, plotting to overthrow the patriarchy through amateur lesbian porn. Yep. Disguising themselves as sisters and students in a school for wayward girls, led by ‘Big Mother’ (Susanne Sachße), the students attend classes on parthenogenesis, are encouraged to have sex liberally and frequently, and are constantly reiterating female domination through the eradication of the male population.
“Nobody fucks with a nun.”
The film begins with two students, Isolde and Hilda, frolicking in a meadow when they come across an injured male revolutionary. Isolde convinces Hilde to help her hide the young man in the house’s basement to care for him, despite the fear of Big Mother’s wrath if she ever finds out. When a soldier comes around to investigate the missing revolutionary, Big Mother dons an absurd nun’s habit to deal with the situation and assemble the girls in a single line to be questioned. The images of schoolgirls, covens, nuns, cult and sex are a bit too obvious in the film’s commentary of feminism and womanhood.
The house’s inhabitants are made up of a unique cast of women and girls. Their physical features add to the film’s striking German punk visuals: their beauty marks, piercings, stark eyebrows, thick makeup, and queer haircuts only enhance their individuality, propelling their feminism to the forefront of the film’s aesthetics.
(Wo)manisfesto/(Her)story
What I did enjoy about the film, was the language given to the characters by LaBruce’s simple changes of words and phrases. From changing “history” to “(her)story”, “manifesto” to “(wo)manifesto” and including expressions such as “who could it be at this ungoddessly hour?”, the language enhances the storytelling. By feminising the language, LaBruce makes a point of empowering the women as the storytellers, writers of (her)story, soldiers at the frontline, taking back the control and ability to write their own lives.
However, the overtly sexual performance and explorations surely does not aid the feminist movement in any way? If LaBruce’s intentions are to liberalise women and preach feminism through this film, I don’t think sexualising school girls, or showing an unapologetic scene of violent sex reassignment surgery will help in the cause. If anything, the film’s satirical jabs and the cultish portrayal of feminist ideals, dilutes the message. I find that it’s too much, but at the same time not enough. Too much of the wrong, and not enough of what needs to be changed and done.
This movie is definitely not for everyone, but if you like over the top dark humour, stylised punk visuals, lesbian sex, then The Misandrists may just be your thing.
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