Thinking activity on movie screening- Vita and Virginia

VITA AND VIRGINIA
ORLANDO

This blog is written in response to a post-viewing task of a Movie Vita and Virginia in connection to Novel Orlando by Virginia Woolf, given by Vaidehi Ma’am. In this blog I am answering the questions stated by ma’am in her blogs.

Vita and Virginia:

Vita and Virginia is a movie directed by Chanya Button, released in 2018. This movie talks about a Romance between Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville. It is a biographical romantic drama adapted from the 1992 play Vita & Virginia by Atkins.

Orlando:

Orlando: A biography is a Biographical novel published in 1928. It is inspired from the life of Vita Sackville Woolf’s lover and a close friend. The book describes the adventures of a protagonist who changes sex from man to woman and lives for around 36 years only but story spans over 300 years.

How far do you feel that Orlando is influenced by Vita and Virginia’s love affair? Does it talk only about that or do you find anything else too?

When we see the relationship between Vita and Virginia we find that it was the time when the relationship between two females or male was not accepted by society. They wanted to change this relationship. It was questioning the gender identity there was no gender as the female and male. Vita and Virginia both are female, both are having their own individual neutral family, they are having their husband which is a normal family, normal relationship according to society. But they both are attracted towards each other and they get into a love affair which is not normal or accepted by the society. There comes a question about gender identity.

I interpret that this same question of gender identity is brought to light in Orlando as we see that In Orlando, protagonist Orlando's gender changes suddenly in the novel. First he is a male living the life of a male and in the other half of the novel he is changed into, he turns into the female gender and very precisely we can see that there is a lot of change by the society towards a female and a male protagonist. very clearly we can see that through the example of writing of the poem The oak tree, when Orlando was the male was writing the poem The oak tree the critics were ready to listen and were ready to write review on his that poem but once he turned into the female Gender and was writing the Oak tree she had to face the problem for its publication and acceptance.

So here looking at the concept of gender identity we can say that Orlando is influenced by Vita and Virginia as a love affair.

Who do you think is confused about their identity Vita or Virginia? Explain with illustrations.

Vita and Virginia both were celebrated female writers, Vita was more popular than Virginia. They both met at a party. Vita and Virginia both had homosexual relationship with each other in the time of 1920s where the sexual relationship of male that is a gay relationship was also a crime and in that period to female had homosexual relationship in a way. It was real daring, Vita and Virginia both were married to a male and had a happy married life.

According to me I feel in both, Vita was more confused about her identity she had various love affairs with various people. We also find in the movie that in the beginning her mother was questioning her or in a way scolding her for being eloped with a man named Violet. Vita was also mother of two children, we also found that her own as husband had other extramarital affairs, Vita already had love affair with Violet, was a wife of a man, was a mother of two children and yet she had homosexual relationship with Virginia and in the movie itself we saw that after Virginia he also her she also had sexual relationship with another lady with whom he entered into the exhibition. Through that we can read that she had various relationships with male and females. She herself was perhaps confused that to whom she was in a relationship a male or a female also she was married and was playing the role of wife in the eyes of society and also she was a mother of two children. through the behavior of Vita we can feel that she herself is confused that what she wants in her personal relationship she wants to have a a ideal family relationship also and wants to have a fantasy homosexual relationship also not only homosexual, she is also having an extramarital affair with a man which clearly suggests that Vita is confused in herself.

What is society’s thought about women and identity? Do you agree with them? If Yes then why? If not then why?

In a view of society it is generally accepted that every woman or a female should play her role genuinely and her own gender roles should be her own priority. Doing something out of the box is not appreciated by society at first. the traditional role of a female is to look after the family, look after the husband and children and to complete the household work and today women are coming out of the traditional home and stepping out of the house for earning money for having her own stability and being independent but still today society expect that it's ok if women is working outside the house but she should look after the family first. If a family is in trouble or has functions, the woman is expected to leave his work and give priority to the house. Even if she is earning, earning turns to be a second priority and it is completely opposite for the man. For men earning is still a first priority and household work or house looking after the home is secondary.

In short, according to me, in the eyes of society women are expected to play their traditional gender roles which is not correct today. The world is advancing, society should widen its view and happily accept and support females working and should help to make a free from traditional roles. Conditioning of the mind should be changed and should be explained that you are also equal to the men and she has all the Independence to do what she wants to.

What are your views on Gender Identity? Would you like to give any message to society?

Gender identity is defined as a personal conception of oneself as male or female (or rarely, both or neither). Gender identity is the major issue in our nation. society is not ready to accept their children or their relatives in any other Gender than male and female. It is necessary to understand for everyone that it is natural and it’s not in their hands. We can understand that it is not easy to accept the truth of transgender but if they are we should support them. today our nation has made a section about its permission and its allowance but still we find that they are there are people who are not ready to accept it or look at the transgender sex with surprise. Being an individual and Society we should support them, accept them and should make them feel that they are one of us, normal people not an exceptional case.

Today much of Attempts are made by literary writers, filmmakers, TV serial makers to open the eyes of the society and to normalize this thing about transgender. we had a TV serial named ‘Shakti' talking about transgenders; serial name the 'Kaisi Yeh Yaariyan' which had a character who was homosexual and was not accepted by her mother. This attempt made by the directors and producers are a good step towards a good Society for such people who are ignored in the society.

Write a note on the direction of the movie. Which symbols and space caught your attention while watching the movie?

In the movie Vita and Virginia we get to see where Virginia is very much in a disturbed and she is running out of the house and lots of black birds are flying over her. She visualizes blackbirds coming towards her and striking her. This scene was a strong scene that attracted my attention and I think it was symbolizing the mental stability of Virginia. it was symbolizing her loneliness and depression. I interpret this scene as showing the mental illness of Virginia Woolf.

Virginia Woolf suicide is considered to be the most artistic suicide. In the movie we find a scene where she is standing near the river bank and looking at the water. I personally feel that scene symbolizes her suicidal thoughts after being tired of her own indecisiveness and mental illness which was also creating troubles for her husband.

In the movie we also have a scene where Virginia and Vita are meeting for the first time and the camera is moving towards the leaves and the plants which are growing faster. It might be symbolizing the growing feelings, attraction between the two, Vita and Virginia.

Vita and Virginia" had to be made into a Bollywood Adaptation, who do you think would be fit for the role of Vita and Virginia?

If Vita and Virginia would be a Bollywood adaptation I would select Priyanka Chopra in the role of Virginia Woolf And Alia Bhatt in the role of Vita Sackville.

Thank you for visiting. I hope this blog was useful to you. Please share your views about gender identity in the comment section.

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