Taglines: Innocence isn’t lost. It’s taken.
Cracks is an independent drama film starring Eva Green, Juno Temple, María Valverde, and Imogen Poots, which was released theatrically in the UK and Ireland on 4 December 2009. In the United States it was released by IFC Films on 18 March 2011, and premiered on Showtime in late 2011.
The film was produced in 2008, written for the screen by Caroline Ip, Ben Court and Jordan Scott, based on the novel written by Sheila Kohler, directed by Jordan Scott and produced by Kwesi Dickson, Andrew Lowe, Julie Payne, Rosalie Swedlin and Christine Vachon. Ridley and Tony Scott serve as executive producers. The film was mostly filmed in County Wicklow, Ireland.
About the Story
Set in a strict elite british boarding school called St Mathilda’s in the 1930s, the story centers on a clique of girls who idolize their enigmatic diving instructor, Miss G (Green) (in the film, we learn that Miss G had been a student at the same school where she now works and, in fact, may have even continued on at the school after she graduated). Di Radfield (Temple) has a crush on Miss G, and is the firm favourite and ringleader of her group. When a beautiful Spanish girl named Fiamma Coronna (Valverde) arrives at the school, Miss G’s focus is shifted away from the other girls.
It becomes a triangle: Miss G gets increasingly obsessed with Fiamma, Fiamma is disturbed by Miss G and also openly disgusted by the teacher’s hypocrisies and deceptions, and Di is terribly jealous and makes Fiamma’s life hell. In a very telling scene in the film that clearly highlighted Miss G’s deceptions, Miss G (who claimed to be a world traveller to her “girls”) goes to a nearby parochial town to buy some provisions. She is visibly upset by this trip and after buying her provisions and drawing the unwanted attention of some local louts, she returns to the school in, it would seem, a near panic. The bullying culminates in Di physically throwing Fiamma out of the school but, as she is unable to return to Spain as she hoped, Fiamma ends up back at the school later that night.
When Fiamma is eventually found, the two girls make the first steps towards friendship, and at the following dorm party they all get a bit drunk, and Fiamma faints. Miss G takes her to her own room. Then Miss G kisses her and rapes her while she is passed out; Di witnesses this through the room door, which was left ajar, and then flees.
The next morning, Fiamma is visibly upset, Miss G equally so as she runs around after her. Di is broody, and eventually tells the rest of her gang that Fiamma seduced Miss G. Fiamma presumably tells Miss G that she will report the molestation to the teachers, and horrified, Miss G realises her career will be over. She in turn manipulates Di’s affection for her into anger. She says that Fiamma will make up lies about her molesting her (even though it was true) and plan to get her kicked out of school. Di absolutely refuses to allow this to happen.
The confrontation between Di’s gang and Fiamma turns ugly as Fiamma declines to answer Di’s vicious questions and tries to explain what really happened, hinting at Miss G’s lies and character defects. Fiamma runs into the forest as things become more violent, but the girls catch up with her and, under Di’s leadership, beat her up with their fists and sticks. Fiamma starts to have an asthma attack, and the girls stop, terrified. They run to get help, and Di runs into Miss G (who had been watching the beating and the chase that ensued quietly and with no attempt to stop the beating), who says she’ll stay with Fiamma, and directs Di to go get a teacher.
Cracks
Directed by: Jordan Scott
Starring: Eva Green, Juno Temple, María Valverde, Imogen Poots, Ellie Nunn, Adele McCann, Clemmie Dugdale, Barbara Adair
Screenplay by: Ben Court, Caroline Ip, Jordan Scott, Sheila Kohler
Production Design by: Ben Scott
Cinematography by: John Mathieson
Film Editing by: Valerio Bonelli
Costume Design by: Alison Byrne
Set Decoration by: Jenny Oman
Art Direction by: Bill Crutcher
Music by: Javier Navarrete
MPAA Rating: R for some sexuality, nudity and a disturbing attack.
Studio: IFC Films
Release Date: March 18, 2011
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