Lawless

Watched Lawless with my siblings a fortnight ago...BRILLIANT movie! Other than the fact that it birthed my obsession with Tom Hardy (after Dark Knight Rises I was in lust, but this cemented it), I was intrigued by the status frustration conveyed on screen by the youngest of the Bondurant brothers; Shia LeBeouf.

 Denim Shirt : Thrifted (originally GAP) | Tanktop : H&M | High-waist Shorts : Primark 

Tom Hardy plays a menacing mute of an older brother, who quite honestly only uttered 5 lines in the entire movie, other than the occasional sexual grunt here & there...HILARIOUS! To my knowledge, there was no express mention of parents in the entire movie, and so, Tom assumes the position as the father-figure, protector, and provider of himself and his two brothers. Shia covets the power Tom has garnered, and pleads for his respect and acceptance. When that is denied, he lives to prove his worth. We all have a person like that in our lives, whether they be our parents themselves, or a non-familial figure of authority like the law, or an employer. Thus, the audience can empathise with Shia, as they watch his fight for acceptance, an on-screen battle for respect, and a triumph of the mind over the body. 

 Heels : Miss Selfridge

Young Shia internally and externally struggles with his lack of conventional 'masculinity', and this affects his thought processing, actions and decision making. Whatever your struggle may be, it leads you to internalise your struggle, which in turn, externally magnifies the issue. In the movie, we see Shia try to be something he is not, in order to conform/carve his way around the stereotype the society have of the band of brothers. It is then inevitable when his facade comes crumbling down, and we watch as he loses that which is closest to his heart. What he is unaware of, is this loss is the key to the gate of freedom. 

This is Shia's turning point; an on-screen choice to embrace this façade he has created and continue on a life-long battle or accept who he is, and carve a life around that instead. Blindly, he chooses the former. Yet again, he is battered, bruised and beaten, before resolving to accept that he is not and can never be his brother (Tom Hardy). It is in the unified defeat of their common enemy, that both himself and his brother come to find peace. The journey to self-discovery is quite like that witnessed on-screen. There will be moments where you pit yourself against others, and try to emulate them. However, in order to truly be fulfilled, you have to drop your facade, face your fears heads-on, and turn the coveting of others, into stepping-stones to self-actualization.

Onyxsta says...BLEURGH!! The plight to self-actualisation is lawless. Xisses