The Neon Demon — Review
Disclaimer: This review was written in May 2016 during the Cannes Film Festival. It was not published at the time.
Warning: This review contains spoilers for The Neon Demon.
Source: Amazon Studios
Perhaps the most common critique of Nicolas Winding Refn’s divisive film The Neon Demon is the claim that the film is “all style, no substance.” However, this argument is exactly the point that Refn is trying to make. The film focuses on the theme of vanity and condemns society’s hollow obsession with physical beauty. The way in which the film critiques this idea is by acting as an allegory. Beneath its dazzling cinematography, The Neon Demon features a sparse storyline and thinly-written characters, but this is intentional on Refn’s part in order to highlight the way in which people favor beauty over depth or substance. To criticize the film for being “all style, no substance” is to miss the point of the film entirely.
Critics have dismissed The Neon Demon as being self-indulgent, but what else can one expect from a film that so heavily examines the concept of narcissism? Both the characters and the film itself mock our culture’s shallow obsession with beauty. In fact, Jesse confides in Dean that she has no real talent but she is pretty and she “can make money off of pretty.” Similarly, fashion designer Roberto Sarno expresses his belief that if Jesse wasn’t beautiful then Dean “wouldn’t have even stopped to look.” The joke is on viewers who brush off The Neon Demon as being a gorgeous film that’s just as empty as its characters. The allegory as well as the metaphors lurking within the storyline are obvious almost to a fault, and yet the point of the film still manages to be missed by plenty of moviegoers.
One-dimensional characters and a weak plot aren’t the only aspects of the screenplay that have infuriated viewers, there have also been complaints of cringe-worthy dialogue and the way in which characters deliver their lines. Again, one can argue that these aspects of the film are intentional. One cannot simply label The Neon Demon as a drama, it is campy and darkly comedic. The way in which characters deliver their lines embodies the vapid, beauty-obsessed culture that Refn is satirizing. The film makes numerous references to fake or manufactured beauty (most notably through Gigi) which is why characters deliver their lines in a slow, poetic manner in order to emphasize this phoniness.
Source: Amazon Studios
Another criticism of the film is that the setting is inaccurate because the modeling industry is much more prominent in New York City than Los Angeles. However, Refn makes it clear from the beginning that this is a fictional version of Los Angeles. This atmosphere isn’t meant to be realistic. This is a glittery, neon-infused nightmare. This is a fever dream. The absurdities that occur in the motel serve to solidify that the atmosphere of the film is meant to be nightmarish and unhinged from reality rather than a straight-forward and realistic depiction of Los Angeles, from the ravenous landlord played by Keanu Reeves to the cougar bursting into Jesse’s room. This twisted depiction of Los Angeles clarifies that the film isn’t purely about the modeling industry, the film goes far beyond that scope.
Refn proves that a film with a meager plot that values style over substance can actually be full of depth. In fact, the one aspect of The Neon Demon that causes it to fall just short of being a complete and utter masterpiece is the fact that the film lacks subtlety. Refn really hits viewers over the head with his message. What starts out as a perfect film ultimately loses a bit of its edge as Refn makes his point all too obvious. The acts of cannibalism and necrophilia don’t exist simply for the sake of shock-value; these scenes clearly contribute to the film’s overall message. However, it does feel like Refn is trying too hard with these scenes, which takes away from the film’s spark. It’s not that the tonal shift in the final act is jarring, it’s simply that the film could have benefitted from a more nuanced form of storytelling. Refn has crafted a powerful and stunning film, he doesn’t need to spoon-feed the message to his audience.
Source: Amazon Studios
Early on in the film, Gigi declares how different colors of lipstick are often named after food or sex. Not only is this an accurate observation, but it serves as potent foreshadowing seeing as nearly everyone in the film either wants Jesse as a sexual object or wants her eaten alive, whether that’s literally or figuratively. Gigi asks Jesse whether she is food or sex, but once Jesse rejects Ruby’s advances it becomes clear which of the two she will ultimately become. Ruby even remarks that Jesse is dessert, which is fitting considering Jesse is eaten near the end of the film. Similarly, the conversation of fresh meat vs. sour milk also serves to foreshadow Jesse’s fate.
The meaning behind the cannibalism in the film is obvious: an industry that places so much precedence on physical beauty (whether it be the fashion industry or the film industry) will chew up someone like Jesse and spit her out. People’s desperate attempts to be beautiful or perfect will consume them or eat them alive. In addition, the infamous eyeball scene is foreshadowed earlier in the film when Jesse tells Dean that when she was younger she thought the moon looked like a “big, round eye.” The cougar in the film is also symbolic of the animalistic urges of the film’s characters. The women in the film act like wild animals trying to devour each other, both literally and metaphorically.
Similarly, the meaning behind the necrophilia scene is also quite clear. Society is obsessed with image or outer appearances, with little regard for what’s on the inside. It doesn’t matter to Ruby whether the person she is with is alive or dead, as long as she’s beautiful. It doesn’t matter who this woman is, what matters is what she looks like. Sex and death go hand-in-hand in The Neon Demon, and this is a recurring theme throughout the film. Jesse’s dream involving Hank sliding a knife down her throat is perhaps one of the clearest instances of this connection between sex and death.
While Refn has cited Valley of the Dolls and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre as inspirations for the film, The Neon Demon feels more like a mashup of Black Swan and Heathers. In addition, the film also feels as though it is influenced by Repulsion, Un Chien Andalou, and the works of Dario Argento. There are also numerous Kubrick references, from red rum lipstick to “some real Lolita shit.” Refn draws inspiration from numerous sources, and still beautifully constructs his own unique vision. Regardless of how viewers feel about the film, there’s no denying that the cinematography is absolutely stunning and Cliff Martinez’s score is downright hypnotizing.
Source: Amazon Studios
The use of color and mirrors throughout the film is also mesmerizing. The frequent use of the color blue emulates the story of Narcissus falling in love with his reflection when he sees it in a body of water. The blue light is meant to symbolize this body of water, wherein Jesse sees herself and begins to fall in love with her reflection. This symbolism is further emphasized by Jesse kissing her reflection. Once Jesse loses her sense of innocence, the film’s color palette dramatically shifts from blue to red. The shift in color also parallels the shift in the film’s tone as depravity and danger set in. Moreover, it is certainly no coincidence that Jena Malone’s character is named Ruby.
At one point in the film, Roberto declares, “Beauty isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.” The same could be said for the film itself. The Neon Demon is everything wrapped into one beautifully demonic package. The film is beautiful but ugly, dark yet humorous, superficial but meaningful, seductive yet revolting, and everything in between. As Refn told Rolling Stone:
“It’s a camp movie. I took all my love for vulgarity and whatever other Italian Renaissance art form you can imagine and relished in it. I wanted to make a horror film, I wanted to make a melodrama, I wanted to make suspense, I wanted to make humor, I wanted to make existentialism, I wanted to make science-fiction. You name it, it’s all in there.”
The Neon Demon is the type of film that sticks with viewers long after it’s over, whether viewers love it or hate it. Notwithstanding how audiences feel about The Neon Demon, this is undoubtedly a film that will get people talking. Refn’s film isn’t one that can be easily criticized, because the majority of the “flaws” in the film aren’t flaws at all, but are intentional maneuvers from Refn himself. To quote the director, “Creativity is about an expression, a reaction – good or bad, I don’t fucking care.” Whether viewers are captivated by the film or enraged by it, Refn has succeeded in everything he sought out to accomplish with The Neon Demon.
