La Nana, or The Maid, is a 2009 Chilean drama directed by Sebasti?n Silva. The film is a character-centric, profound dawdle dealing with the emotional intricacies of a domestic servant. With astonishing lead performance as well as careful treatment of the focal point, the film portrays the self-change of a woman beginning to question the conformities of her comforting, yet delusive world, ‘cladded’ with beliefs. The film is also an example of socio-economical reality with supremacy in a productive socio-economical context.
Plot Summary
The centre of the story is a woman, Raquel, who is a maid in Santiago, Chile. For the past 23 years, she has worked as a homemaker for a certain family. Other than professionally, Raquel is almost a family member. She attends to household ‘chores’ of cleaning, organizing, cooking, ‘manageable’ for her to devote the entire day. The servant also has a urge to retain the ‘aura’ of the home, which is comendable, as shown in her work.
Regardless of devotion and loyalty to her work, she feels unappreciated and constantly restless. Pilar, the head of the family, begins to change the status quo and decides to bring on extra help due to her concerns over the diminshing wellbeing of Raquel. Soon after, neither the mother nor the family intends to or even gets close to understanding the work illness labeled as ‘burnout’ Raquel is experiencing. New help is there just to ease Raquel’s burden. To Raquel, there is no better way to understand what is happening around as “they are usurpers”.
With the new influx of patterned maids, Raquel’s response is marked with waning symptoms of new aversive behaviors. There is no outward display of violence yet, it is clear as to how the elbow rest head is going to work the rest of the day. All fights are bears no winners. Mental tension builds not only on the help’s side, but in Raquel as well when she begins to notice her growing fears, pain, and isolation altogether.
All of a sudden, the sun solstice and the winter of Raquel’s discontent hovers to a new season with the arrival of a new helper Lucy. The arrogance and cruelty of Raquel for once does not intimidate the gentle Lucy. From the very start, she is in the front of the line and actively warms Raquel. The ethereal partnership they form is the emotional crux of the film and is pivotal in bringing change for Raquel. She is able to willingly and deeply immerse herself in her first encounter with self-reflection.
Characters
Raquel
The primary character, Raquel, is reserved and deeply complex emotionally. During her adult life, she has dedicated herself to a family and developed emotionally to her position. This results in her having an internal struggle with her loyalty and pride as well with her future.
Pilar and Edmundo
Pilar is thoughtful and sympathetic to Raquel’s situation while Edmundo is more aloof but is equally respectful towards Raquel. Their emotional bonds to Raquel are not out of love but concern and this is where Edmundo gets frustrated. Edmundo’s decision to hire additional help is not out of dissatisfaction.
Lucas and Camila
The teenage children in the household. Lucas has a warm relationship with Raquel, while Camila is more distant and occasionally critical. Their conflicting behaviors and attitudes demonstrate the shifts in the way the new generation perceives the people who form a part of their household.
Lucy
Lucy is an emotionally significant person for Raquel. She is kind and welcoming, breaking the boundaries of competition to offer courtesy and consideration to Raquel. It is her presence that applies the much needed push for Raquel’s emotional development.
TepoThemes
- Attachment and Subservience
To Raquel, working as a maid for a family is more than just work. It is a source of her pride. She is utterly loyal and passionate about her duties. New workers entering the household create a deep emotional crisis for Raquel, as it threatens her sense of self. The loyalty ascribed by Raquel, along with self-worth, dives into complex attachment theory. - Anxiety of Disloyalty
Along with deep emotional ties, the fear of abandonment is omnipresent. Raquel’s fear is more than just losing a job; it is losing an anchor to a world she has created. Anxiety is generated by the presence of others, irrespective of the family’s inclination towards her. More than just external manifestation, the movie highlights the performance of her inner world. - Disconnection and Solitude
Raquel often appears to be emotionally detached even when she is with people. These dualities, of being a family and being apart, encompass a family’s close, yet, restricted bond with Raquel. When Lucy comes along and offers companionship, Raquel is taken aback. The way the disconnect and vulnerability are explored gives the film its core emotional foundation. - Change and Growth
Gradually, Raquel starts to metamorphose. She understands that the fixation to play her role, for that of the performer, for the role of the servant, is a position to be feared. Raquel learns from her dealings with Lucy that change is good and that worrying about other people’s problems and opening herself up to them is the way to healing and happiness. There is a quiet, yet even the last scenes are hopeful; Raquel starts to not only see herself as a servant, but also as a person who has her own value and needs.
Tone and Style
Unlike other films, The Maid is toned down with it approach. The director refrains from the use of melodrama and chooses silence over volume and observation over movement. More than the vibrancy of the film, its highlights come from the silence; Raquel’s gestures and actions, her routines, her discomfort, and even her eventual engagement to a more free part of her life.
The camera focuses on Raquel as she completes her daily chores, often more than other characters. She is, to them, the focus of the house. The camera’s focus on her is not exaggerated, it is not needing. Rather, it is soft and natural, as though the audience was watching a film of a life being lived. The film is relaxing. There is the absolute minimum of sound, and it is as though the characters were having a real-life conversation instead of acting.
Performance
The performance of Catalina Saavedra, the person portraying Raquel, is exceptional. She successfully narrates the more ‘hidden’ yet very present side of emotion with no needs for a particularly large emotional outpour. Every single part about her from her tone to her posture enough, describes the conflicting emotions of confusion, pride, sadness and even hope that the character feels.
Through Saavedra’s work, the audience is able to recall and connect with Raquel even during the more challenging and evasive points in her life. Her life is unebrodied, and at the end of the film, the audience is left with a perspective of “witnessing” someone coming back to herself through small but significant means.
Reception
The critics and the audience had nothing but praise for The Maid, having found the film to be honest, delicate, and masterfully woven. The film bestowed glory upon the nation through countless international film awards. The focus of the film was more profound and aimed towards the people the society tends to ignore more often than not. While the focal point was set towards a particular aspect, the morals of the film had worldwide relevance.
Many people in Raquel found a projection of their own daunting feelings and emotions—the fear of the unknown, the fear of stagnation, and even the fear of becoming purposeless. What was more inspiring was the way the film highlighted personal development, even if it took place in the later stages of life and through the slightest, most delicate, and gentle of progress.
Conclusion
The Maid is a work of art that not only attempts to explore the theme of emotional isolation and its intricacies, but it also delves into the complexity surrounding one’s identity. Through the life of a singular woman, the film touches upon broader aspects such as the value of work, the dignity that comes with it and the intrinsic, often obscured, humanity that, in the end, needs to be acknowledged, treasured and not disregarded.
Ending the movie with Raquel’s transformation is something that feels both earned and emotional. She starts from being resistant and fearful, then shifts her attitude and becomes more friendly and open; this change is both heartwarming and motivational. The Maid teaches us that there is remarkable and emotional stories hidden even behind the most mundane activities.
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