Jacobean Drama – ‘Gone Girl’ – Muhammad Ahsan
The movie I picked for this assignment was ‘Gone Girl’ and the scene was somewhere in the middle where Amy Elliott-Dunne, kills Desi Collings during a sex scene. The movie has to do with the disappearance of Amy, and some believe her to be dead because of her husband Nick Dunne. The general public believe he is her killer because of certain circumstances that occur making him out to be the killer. After a while we see Amy, alive and well in another state in a facade trying to run away from her past life and her past relationship with her husband. Turns out she actually framed her husband for being unfaithful in their relationship and has planned for weeks to frame him for her “death” by sending him to specific places and planting certain things that could be used as evidence against him in the case for her murder. To free himself from the accusations of the general public Nick goes to Amy’s ex lovers and asks about her. Turns out she has been crazy for a while and even accused one of her old lovers of raping her. After Amy gets robbed by her “friendly” neighbors, she goes to her Desi to find comfort and protection.
After seeing her husband in the news apologizing for the way he acted during their marriage her feelings for him come back and are alive and kicking. While having sex with Desi, she slices his throat and is covered in his blood. Then she heads home to Nick and tells everyone that Desi had kidnapped her and raped her. To prove this, she planted some false evidence against him while staying with him after seeing her husband on the news. She then impregnates herself by using her husbands semen from a condom so that he will not leave her and not be able to tell the public she framed him and the crimes she has committed. Later on, they announce to the public that they have a child coming.
I believe the scene of Amy killing Desi is a Jacobean scene because it shows us the characteristics of a Jacobean scene. First we see that there is adultery when Nick cheats on Desi. Then out of the betrayal, come the lies and secrets from Amy’s side as she frames not only her husband for her murder but Desi for kidnapping her. I believe, like in most Jacobean scenes, the characteristics ultimately lead to a death scene, and in this case, it is the death of Desi. In plays like Macbeth, The Duchess of Malfi, and the Oresteia, there are circumstances in which the characteristics lead to someones death, and in some cases they are the protagonist themselves. In this story though, Death doesn’t visit Nick, but he does visit Desi, a casualty that got caught in a maelstrom of drama.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esGn-xKFZdU
1,291 responses so far
As much as I wanted to watch this movie I never did. Now after reading your post I’m definitely going to. I really thought it was just about another husband killing wife kind of films.
I see violence, lying, revenge, and murder. Jacobean all the way!
I watched this movie recently and I loved the movie’s thrill! I really think Amy is a crazy psychopath for planning to revenge on her husband and everything. And when the scene comes when she got robbed by her neighbors, I was like good for her, karma gets her. I also find it disgusting when Nick cheated with her with a young girl or maybe an underage girl.
I agree that this movie definitely contains Jacobean influences. I’d add the themes of madness and control (that come up most overtly in Acts 4 and 5 of The Duchess) to the list of Jacobean influences evident in Gone Girl. Do we think Amy is insane?
This movie definitely portrays Jacobean ways. I also wanted to watch this movie but never did. I think this relates to our readings because its the woman that does the killing and has the evil intentions. I’m not sure if in the Jacobean era that woman were always seen to be committing crimes such as this but in the Eumenides we see that Clytemnestra murders her husband and in the Duchess of Malfi we see that the Duchess is who is having a secret love life.
Although be careful — The Oresteia is not Jacobean. Though it’s concerned with revenge, etc, it’s a drama from Ancient Greece. Jacobean drama is 17th century England (and The Duchess falls into that category). Though I’m curious – do you think the Duchess does anything morally wrong?