The Divine Order, 2017.
Written and Directed by Petra Volpe.
Starring Marie Leuenberger, Maximilian Simonischek, Rachel Braunschweig, Sibylle Brunner, Marta Zoffoli, Bettina Stucky, Ella Rumpf, Sofia Helm, and Nicholas Ofczarek.
SYNOPSIS:
Switzerland, 1971: Nora is a young housewife and mother who lives with her husband and their two sons in a peaceful little village. Here, in the Swiss countryside, little or nothing is felt of the huge social upheavals that the movement of May 1968 has caused. Nora’s life, too, has been unaffected; she is a retiring, quiet person, well liked by everyone – until she begins to campaign publicly and pugnaciously for women’s right to vote, an issue that will be put before the male voters on February 7th, 1971.
While a large chunk of the world was undergoing dramatic progressive changes for the better (or liberal propaganda as it’s called by the antagonists here), the men residing in Switzerland weren’t too crazy about the dawning new age. Specifically speaking, these backward minded males were against the concept of women acquiring more rights, especially the ability to vote and partake in the lawmaking process. Even worse, they weren’t even keen on the idea of allowing women to work normal jobs for fear that it would take away from their traditional family duties (cleaning and cooking).
In The Divine Order, these events are represented by two families at the center of the movement, mainly Nora (Marie Leuenberger) who seeks a more meaningful purpose in life, fancying the prospect of working as a secretary upon seeing an opening in a newspaper advertisement. According to her husband Hans Maximilian Simonischek), she is forbidden from taking the job as the law dictates she must comply with whatever he wishes. Naturally, a movie like The Divine Order functions at its best when we see subjugation in action, giving audiences, even more, a reason to root for these determined and ambitious women. Unfortunately, most, if not all, of the characters come across as competently acted archetypes that don’t really make much of an impact.
The entire narrative plays out as one would expect it would, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but execution is key with such a formulaic plot. Nora forms a close group of family that quickly extends to most of the female population residing in the small village (although there is an anti-women rights activist who possibly could have been far more interesting if explored in more depth), growing the movement from putting up posters around town to blackmailing an adulterer into agreeing to let the ladies use a conference hall for a meeting.
The problem with The Divine Order is that director Petra Volpe focuses on very generic aspects. Nora has a rebellious niece that struggles in school, willingly chooses to date an adult many years her senior, and quickly becomes so out-of-control that she is sent elsewhere to live. Most of this noncompliant behavior comes from the frustration of other countries such as America transitioning into statuses of equal footing (although even now we still have more work to do), which makes her a far more interesting character to study. Unfortunately, she barely has any scenes and is essentially just another reason for Nora to fight Switzerland’s battle for equality.
There is a point where the film temporarily becomes highly engaging, as both men and women fear to present their honest thoughts about the dilemma in public due to reactions from the opposite sex. Deep down Hans respects and even seems to admire Nora’s dedication to this cause, but refuses to do so outside their home. On the other side, there are women that are afraid of the backlash men will give them for enlisting their support. Suddenly, the film abandons all this drama where the death of the key character is apparently enough to cause everyone to make peace, and just see where the upcoming vote to decide the future rights of women in Switzerland swings. It’s fairly ridiculous and not very believable, but nowhere near as cringe-worthy as a segment where members of the group take a sexuality course to become one with their vagina and explore the beauty of their womanhood.
Awkward moments and conventional filmmaking aside, The Divine Order can’t be labeled a terrible film. It’s simply one that lacks the creativity or imagination to do anything outside the box with its admittedly empowering story for women. History doesn’t have to be boring, but that’s what has happened here; it’s one of those movies you dread taking notes on during a course despite the fun of getting to watch something in class. There is definitely some fine acting with some nice shots of the village and effort to evoke the 1970s (as Nora begins to have a feminine awakening she switches up her wardrobe to clothes that both fit the era and her desire to be less prudish), but it’s not enough to save overall bland filmmaking.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, friend me on Facebook, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, check out my personal non-Flickering Myth affiliated Patreon, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
