I love this movie because it's so unconventional, pure and reminiscent of our spiritual connection to the natural world. The main character Clara, mentally and physically handicapped, communicates deeply with animals, plants, soil and water. When nature is hurt Clara manifests it through convulsions. The opposite also happens: when Clara is upset, nature replies with an earthquake.
Her freedom is reigned in by purple banners set by her mother who believes her twisted spine was a gift from God by which she can heal humans through the holy mother Mary. But Clara hates being treated as a trophy and it's a struggle to get her dressed up for healing sessions.
Clara wants to break the bonds to experience freedom and sexuality, spurred on by romance on TV and her niece's first love. She befriends a beetle and her mother's beautiful white horse who is to be sold off, which gravely upsets Clara. When the beetle almost dies even Clara's breath cannot revive it. Clara decides the only way to protect the white horse (innocence) is by releasing it into the wild.
In the meantime she's experienced her first physical connection with her niece's lover who likes her but doesn't take her serious as relationship material.
At her niece's birthday party an acquaintance tells her the horse has been found dead by the river. At this moment Clara unleases her repressed sexual desire on the man she covets. He rebukes her, she flies into a rage, thrashes the party and an earthquake ensues.
After this she sets fire to the shrine and flees into the woods.
In the final scene Clara is one with nature again. Now she's broken the restricted confinement set by humans the river magically cures her twisted spine. She's also able to revive the beetle. The camera swings through the trees to see the white horse is alive and well.
Her freedom is reigned in by purple banners set by her mother who believes her twisted spine was a gift from God by which she can heal humans through the holy mother Mary. But Clara hates being treated as a trophy and it's a struggle to get her dressed up for healing sessions.
Clara wants to break the bonds to experience freedom and sexuality, spurred on by romance on TV and her niece's first love. She befriends a beetle and her mother's beautiful white horse who is to be sold off, which gravely upsets Clara. When the beetle almost dies even Clara's breath cannot revive it. Clara decides the only way to protect the white horse (innocence) is by releasing it into the wild.
In the meantime she's experienced her first physical connection with her niece's lover who likes her but doesn't take her serious as relationship material.
At her niece's birthday party an acquaintance tells her the horse has been found dead by the river. At this moment Clara unleases her repressed sexual desire on the man she covets. He rebukes her, she flies into a rage, thrashes the party and an earthquake ensues.
After this she sets fire to the shrine and flees into the woods.
In the final scene Clara is one with nature again. Now she's broken the restricted confinement set by humans the river magically cures her twisted spine. She's also able to revive the beetle. The camera swings through the trees to see the white horse is alive and well.